Dennis’ Moment dazzles in final pre-Iroquois Stakes work

After Dennis’ Moment drilled five furlongs Saturday at Churchill Downs in 58.80 seconds, trainer Dale Romans said, “I don’t know how you could make it any better.”

At least on this morning at Churchill Downs, no horse did. The Tiznow colt, a 19 1/4-length maiden winner in July at Ellis Park, recorded a bullet work for the distance while tuning up for his stakes debut.

The Albaugh Family Stables runner will headline next weekend’s Grade 3, $200,000 Iroquois Stakes, which awards a Breeders' Cup Juvenile spot to its winner as well 2020 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

“It was a great work,” Romans said. “He’s a special horse. I don’t know if I’ve had one doing the things he’s doing right now.”

A reporter reminded Romans he has a habit of hyping up his horses.

“Everybody says that, but every one of them I talk up have been pretty good,” the trainer said. “They just keep topping themselves.”

It’s Romans’ hope that Dennis’ Moment can next spring put him over the top in his hometown race, the Kentucky Derby. The Louisville, Ky., native has saddled 10 starters with two in-the-money finishers. Paddy O’Prado (2010) and Dullahan (2012) both ran third.

Dennis’ Moment runs for an outfit that has had little trouble making it to the first Saturday in May, with the Albaughs going in three consecutive years from 2016-2018 with Brody’s Cause, J Boys Echo and Free Drop Billy.

Typically, the group purchases yearlings at Keeneland. In August of 2018, however, they spotted Hip 134 at the Fasig-Tipton sale in Saratoga and pulled the trigger for $400,000.

“That’s the first venture for Albaugh at Saratoga. It’s turned out pretty well,” Romans said. “You never know at the time. I buy the prettiest, best horses that fit our program and jump through all the hoops. We see where the chips fall.”

With one major exception, Dennis’ Moment has produced a winning hand. On debut, he dropped jockey Robby Albarado with an errant move up the back stretch at Churchill Downs. That led to the maiden ranks at Ellis Park rather than a try at last Monday’s Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga.

In his July 27 victory, Dennis’ Moment blazed two seven furlongs in 1:21.95. Romans isn’t worried the rest of this crop will catch up to his precocious colt, either.

“That’s the thing about him. He just continually gets better,” the trainer said. “That’s what his pedigree says he should do.”