How have Iroquois Stakes horses fared in the Breeders' Cup?
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As the setting for the first step on a long Road to the 2019 Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs' Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes won by Cairo Cat served as both a points-paying Derby prep and a "Win and You're In" race toward the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. After the race, the connections for the son of Cairo Prince confirmed that they are planning to press on to the Juvenile, which also runs this fall at Churchill Downs.
Cairo Cat, trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr., looked spectacular in the final furlong of the Iroquois Stakes. But will that success carry over to the Breeders' Cup? And how has the Iroquois fared as a steppingstone since made part of the "Win and You're In" series?
In 2013, the Iroquois Stakes was shuffled up a bit and became a bigger race in the Juvenile season. By moving it from late October/early November back to the middle of September, and increasing the distance of the race from 1 mile to 1 1/16 miles, it became a perfect fit for the Breeders' Cup Challenge series. Over the last six years, however, it hasn't had a big impact on the Juvenile.
In 2013, Cleburne, by Dixie Union and trained by Dale Romans, won it. But neither he nor any other Iroquois contenders went on to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile run that year at Santa Anita Park.
The following year, Lucky Player went from an Iroquois win to finish eighth at the Breeders' Cup. Danny Boy, fourth at Churchill, also traveled to Santa Anita and ran eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
The 2015 bunch was slightly better, as three Iroquois Stakes starters made it to the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile -- but none fared better than Cocked and Loaded, who was fifth at Keeneland.
Finally, in 2016 the Iroquois made an impact. Not This Time, a precocious son of Giant's Causeway, finished a close second to Classic Empire. Unfortunately, it was the Dale Romans trainee's final start, as he was retired shortly thereafter due to injury. Notably, Lookin At Lee, who was fourth in that Juvenile after trying the Iroquois, went on to finish second in the next year's Kentucky Derby.
In 2017, it was Good Magic that dazzled us in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. A pair of starters from the Iroquois Stakes were unable to hit the board. Winner The Tabulator finished fifth with Hollywood Star sixth coming out of the Churchill prep.
So, in summary, no Iroquois starter has gone on to win the Juvenile, and only one has hit the board. Will Cairo Cat change that? Perhaps running the championships back at Churchill Downs will help.
The last time the Breeders Cup was hosted there was 2011, before the Iroquois' date change. Cairo Cat will train up to the race at the McPeek barn on site. It's only a short walk over for the Nov. 2 race.
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