Iroquois Stakes 2022: Odds and analysis

Nine 2-year-olds will stretch out to 1 1/16 miles in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, and the first qualifying points for the 2023 Kentucky Derby will be awarded to the top five finishers.

In addition to the purse money and the qualifying points for the run for the roses, the winner gets an entry-fees paid spot in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) on Nov. 26 at Churchill, and that race also offers Derby points.

Here is a full-field analysis for the Iroquois, which will be run at 4:55 p.m. EDT as race 9 of 11 on a card that includes five stakes, with morning-line odds from the Horse Racing Nation staff.

1. Hayes Strike (12-1 – Connect – Kenny McPeek / Brian Hernandez Jr. – 2: 1-0-0 - $36,357) This homebred from Dixiana Farms in Kentucky broke his maiden in his second try in a field of six by more than four lengths at Ellis Park last month when he stretched out to a mile. Toss.

2. Zaici (20-1 – Laoban – Ricky Courville / David Cohen – 3: 1-0-0 - $39,483) The ridgling son of Laoban began his career at Churchill Downs, where he won his second start on the front end by almost two lengths in a six-furlong sprint against 11 other 2-year-olds. Last month in the Juvenile at Ellis Park he was a distant fifth at odds of 12-1 after he was unable to get the early lead going seven furlongs. Toss.

3. Damon’s Mound (2-1 – Girvin – Michelle Lovell / Gabe Saez – 2: 2-0-0 - $145,560) Damon’s Mound was a smashing 4-1 winner of his debut at Churchill when he beat a field of 11 by more than 12 lengths. Trainer Michelle Lovell sent him to New York to win the Saratoga Special (G2), where he beat the favorite Gulfport by 3 1/4 lengths at 1.85 to 1. He is the only horse in the field with a graded-stakes victory or, for that matter, two wins in his career. Damon’s Mound won both races with a stalking trip where he was securely in the lead at the stretch call. Win contender.

4. Jin Tong (15-1 – Goldencents – Doug O’Neill / Rafael Bejarano – 2: 1-0-0 - $34,000) Jin Tong broke his maiden in California in July at Los Alamitos in a small field at odds of 18-1 for two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Doug O’Neill. But in the Best Pal (G3) at Del Mar, he broke slowly and finished a well-beaten fifth. Since then, the Calumet Farm runner has been training at Keeneland. Toss.

5. Curly Jack (8-1 – Good Magic – Tom Amoss / Edgar Morales – 3: 1-1-0 - $101,260) Curly Jack was a winner at first asking for Tom Amoss, who is adept at having his young horses ready to run. The son of Good Magic drew away from his rivals with a gate-to-wire victory of four lengths. He then was fifth in a full field in the Sanford (G3) at Saratoga after he was challenged for the lead. At Ellis Park last month, Curly Jack rallied from behind and got the lead, but he was beaten by a head in the seven-furlong Juvenile Stakes as the favorite. Since then, he has been training at Churchill. Live long shot.

6. Jace’s Road (6-1 – Quality Road – Brad Cox / Florent Geroux – 1: 1-0-0 - $36,000) Jace’s Road sold for $510,000 as a Keeneland yearling and won his debut at Ellis in the beginning of August for Brad Cox by more than six lengths after pressing the early pace. Owned by a partnership of Albaugh Family Stables and West Point Thoroughbreds, he was well-regarded as the 7-5 favorite in a field of 11. Jace’s Road spent the summer training at Churchill. Top choice.

7. Honed (15-1 – Sharp Azteca – Kenny McPeek / Julien Leparoux – 1: 1-0-0 - $37,300) Sire Sharp Azteca has produced many 2-year-old winners from his first crop this year, including this Kenny McPeek runner. He beat a field of four that was reduced when it came off the turf and was run at a mile on a good main track at Ellis in July. Sent off at 3-2, Honed won by a head with a closing move. Use underneath.

8. Confidence Game (12-1 – Candy Ride – J. Keith Desormeaux / James Graham – 2: 1-0-1 - $81,460) Confidence Game was third in his debut, beaten by 13 lengths, but that was because he ran into Damon’s Mound when he romped in his maiden score. In his second start, which also was at Churchill, the son of Candy Ride went right to the lead and beat 11 others by five lengths. Use underneath.

9. Echo Again (9-5 – Gun Runner – Steve Asmussen / Joel Rosario – 1: 1-0-0 - $57,750) At Saratoga this summer there were several impressive 2-year-olds who won at first asking, and Echo Again was one of the best. Another of the talented home-bred sons of Gun Runner from Winchell Thoroughbreds, Echo Again beat a field of seven with a front-end effort as the 3-5 favorite by almost seven lengths earning a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. Win contender.

Summary: The top three favorites in the Iroquois – Echo Again, Damon’s Mound and Jace’s Road – were impressive winners to start their careers. But all of them must now stretch out to 1 1/16 miles and go around two turns for the first time.

Damon’s Mound is the only horse in the Iroquois field with two career wins, and he did it impressively with his 3 1/4-length victory in the Saratoga Special (G2). Echo Again showed plenty of speed when he was a debut winner at the Spa by almost seven lengths. Jace’s Road lived up to his $510,000 yearling purchase price when he won his first start at Ellis Park by more than six lengths.

All three of these promising 2-year-olds are legitimate win contenders, but they have distance questions to answer in the Iroquois. Jace’s Road comes from the Brad Cox barn with the most attractive odds, so he will be the top choice.