Jonathan’s Way wins Iroquois, 1st step toward Kentucky Derby

Louisville, Ky. 

In the context of Kentucky Derby winners, the Iroquois Stakes has not been a bellwether. Never has a horse who ran in the traditional first points prep ever won the roses the following May.

After post-time favorite Jonathan's Way led the whole way in Saturday’s renewal of the Grade 3, $254,745 race at Churchill Downs, someone threw another pepper in the schneid gumbo. In the winner’s circle it was pointed out that the only time the Derby had an Ohio-bred winner was Wintergreen in 1909.

“There you go,” winning trainer Phil Bauer said. “The pressure is on as it is in all of horse racing. But I think the time was flattering for him, and he beat a really good group here today, so we’re excited.”

Deflecting the attempt to make him a history major, Bauer was taking the old one-race-at-a-time stance with Jonathan’s Way (6-5), who turned a narrow lead into a three-length advantage in the stretch before jockey Joel Rosario raced him to a 2 3/4-length triumph.

“I just kind of let him be happy and let him go along,” Rosario said. “He had a nice cruising speed, and yeah, he’d do the work. You ask him, and he’ll take off for you.”

Even though Richard Rigney’s $290,000 Vekoma colt is 2-for-2, this victory against 10 other 2-year-olds on a sunny, 88-degree afternoon was smoother than it was Aug. 17. That was when Jonathan’s Way got bottlenecked at the start and had to go wide, circling most of his eight rivals to win his six-furlong debut at Saratoga.

“That first time when he ran short, he didn’t show that speed,” Rosario said. “But today he broke on top.”

Jonathan’s Way would lead at every call Saturday through fractions of 23.21, 46.62 and 1:11.08 on the way to a final time of 1:36.08 on the fast main track. He was challenged at the end of the backstretch by Magnitude (16-1) and then in the turn by Giocoso (24-1). Owen Almighty (5-2), who had been stalking in fourth and then third, accelerated in the homestretch but was no match for Jonathan’s Way.

“He got in a bit of traffic,” Owen Almighty’s trainer Brian Lynch said. “When he got shook loose, he kicked on.”

“I was in a decent spot,” Irad Ortiz Jr. said about Owen Almighty, the morning-line favorite who had been 2-for-2 with a stakes win last month at Ellis Park. “Maybe he learned a lot today, because he’d never been in a pack. He handled it very well. He listened to me. He did everything I asked him to do. I’m very happy with him.”

Giocoso, who had gotten within a half-length with a furlong to go, finished third. He was followed in order by Mesero (21-1), Sandman (5-1), Jack’s Time (29-1), Magnitude, Strummin (49-1), Authentic Strike (10-1), Firmus (57-1) and Politicallycorrect (16-1).

Jonathan’s Way paid $4.52, $3.04 and $2.62 and earned 10 Derby qualifying points; Owen Almighty $3.64 and $2.88 and five points; and Giocoso $7.66 and three. Mesero got two points and Sandman one.

If Bauer is not thinking seven months ahead to the Kentucky Derby, he does have Jonathan’s Way aimed for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 2 at Del Mar with nothing in between. The Breeders’ Futurity (G1) on Oct. 5 at Keeneland could have been inserted on the calendar if not for the Iroquois being run only three weeks before it.

“We’re excited that he put the show together, and hopefully on to California,” Bauer said. “I think we’ll train up. I think with Kentucky Downs’ (meet that just ended), Churchill tries to just back this (September meet) up a little bit, so timing gets a little messed up. With talented horses, you’ve just got to keep them happy. That’ll be the key.”

Bauer had two previous Breeders’ Cup runners, both in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Xigera came in last of 13 in 2022 at Keeneland. Buchu finished sixth last year at Santa Anita. He said this year he will not send Jonathan’s Way to the West Coast too early.

“We like staying home and training here (at Churchill Downs),” Bauer said. “The last couple times we’ve run in the Breeders’ Cup, it was once at Keeneland, we were forced to ship in a few days early. But last year we shipped out the week of.”

Jonathan’s Way, who is out of the Indian Charlie dam Female Drama, was bred by former trainer Susan Anderson, whose stable is based in Milford, Ohio, just northeast of Cincinnati.

“Somebody was telling me the other day that she was up at Turfway talking about him,” Bauer said. “She bred a tremendous athlete. Just extremely blessed to have him.”