Iroquois Stakes: Odds, analysis for Kentucky Derby points race
The Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois on Saturday at Churchill Downs kicks off the road to Kentucky Derby 2026. The Iroquois drew a field of 10 2-year-olds who will race a one-turn mile with 10-5-3-2-1 Derby qualifying points available to the top five qualified finishers. The Iroquois is one of 11 official points races for 2-year-olds in 2025.
The Iroquois also is part of the Breeders’ Cup dirty dozen series, in which the top three nominated finishers earn credit toward entry fees for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The winner receives $30,000, with $15,000 to the second-place horse and $7,500 to third.
The Iroquois field includes two stakes winners, four horses who are stakes-placed, five with a maiden victory and one who has yet to win a race. Three of those maiden winners won the only time they raced.
Here is a full-field analysis for the Iroquois with morning-line odds from the Horse Racing Nation staff. The Iroquois is scheduled as race 8 of 11 with post time set for 4:26 p.m. EDT.
1. Nothing Personal, 9-2. Violence – Greg Compton / Jaime Rodriguez – 1: 1-0-0 - $42,000. Nothing Personal travelled from his base at Delaware Park to win his debut at Colonial Downs last month by almost nine lengths. He beat a field of nine at 4-1 going seven furlongs in a fast time of 1:21.87. Win contender.
2. Sometime, 10-1. Take Charge Indy – Mark Simms Jr. / Luan Machado – 2: 1-0-1 - $41,750. Sometime also was an impressive debut winner at Colonial Downs when he beat a field of seven by more than 10 lengths at 5-1 after pressing the pace. As a Maryland-bred, he was eligible for a state-bred stakes at the Virginia track, where he finished third three weeks ago in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint. Toss.
3. No More Cents, 12-1. Goldencents – Kenny McPeek / Irad Ortiz Jr. – 2: 1-0-1 - $55,000. This Ohio-bred was a $35,000 yearling purchase who broke his maiden in his first start in the Hoover Stakes at Belterra Park in July. The next month he was third in the Best of Ohio Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes at Thistledown. He was a $3,000 supplemental nomination to the Iroquois. McPeek won the Iroquois with Harlan’s Holiday in 2001 and in 2018 with Cairo Cat. Toss.
4. So Special, 8-1. Vekoma – Kenny McPeek / Brian Hernandez Jr. – 2: 1-1-0 - $79,500. So Special raced twice on the turf at Ellis Park this summer. He was second in his first start at 5-2 going a mile and then got his maiden victory going a bit longer as the even-money favorite in a field of eight. He is by the versatile sire Vekoma, so the move from turf to dirt is reasonable. Win contender.
5. Spice Runner, 6-1. Gun Runner – Steve Asmussen / Jose Ortiz – 3: 1-1-0 - $115,645. Spice Runner, a home-bred son of Gun Runner for Winchell Thoroughbreds, debuted in May at Churchill Downs as an odds-on favorite and defeated a small field by more than two lengths. He moved right into stakes company in the Bashford Manor under the twin spires, where he showed brief speed and tired badly. But he came back at Ellis Park in August to set the pace in the Juvenile and finished second behind Comport going seven furlongs. Asmussen won the Iroquois in 2009, 2010 and most recently with Lucky Player in 2014. Win contender.
6. Shake and Rattle, 20-1. Rock Your World – Keith Desormeaux / James Graham – 5: 1-0-1 - $86,120. Shake and Rattle is the most experienced horse in the field, with five starts. He needed three tries at Churchill to get his maiden victory, which he did in June. He was fourth in the Juvenile Stakes at Ellis Park and then did not take to the turf at Kentucky Downs about two weeks ago. Toss.
7. Comport, 9-5. Collected – Eddie Kenneally / Tyler Gaffalione – 3: 2-1-0 - $235,300. Comport was a debut winner at Churchill in June at 6-1 when he beat a field of seven by more than two lengths after pressing the pace. He was second in the Bashford Manor behind an impressive and well-regarded winner. Comport came back to win the Ellis Juvenile as an odds-on favorite by two lengths after pressing the pace. Kenneally won the Iroquois in 2005 with Catcominatcha. The one to beat.
8. Vost, 8-1. Instagrand – Will Walden / Florent Geroux – 1: 1-0-0 - $58,706. Vost is one of the horses who won his only start. He did it at Ellis Park in August when he broke from the gate slowly and rallied from last to win by two lengths against a field of 11 going seven furlongs at 6-1. Top pick.
9. Nine Ball, 8-1. Code of Honor – Riley Mott / Jamie Torres– 1: 1-0-0 - $59,488. Nine Ball was well-regarded heading into his only start at Ellis Park three weeks ago. The ridgling was a bargain yearling purchase for $20,000 who had odds of 5-2 against a field of nine. He had trouble in the early going and rallied from seventh to win the race. Win contender.
10. Maximus Prime, 20-1. Maximus Mischief – Anthony Mitchell / Luis Saez – 3: M-2-0 - $71,543. Maximus Prime is still a maiden after three starts, but he finished second in the Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill in May. He made an early debut at Keeneland in April when he was second at 29-1 against a field of nine. That led to the place finish in the stakes race. Three weeks ago, he was fourth in an Ellis Park maiden race where he was not a contender at any point in the mile race. Toss.
Summary: The Iroquois field includes the top two finishers from the Ellis Juvenile Stakes and, based on experience, they are the horses to beat. There are also horses in this field with a victory in their only start who should be considered contenders.
Two-year-olds can make significant improvements with experience gained after their first races. Comport and Spice Runner were on top in the Juvenile, but that was only a field of five and they are going to be two of the top betting choices.
In the Iroquois I will favor the impressive maiden winners. Vost comes from the barn of Will Walden, who has had plenty of recent success in stakes races around the country. The son of Instagrand overcame a slow start to rally strongly to victory. That is the kind of trip from which 2-year-olds frequently move forward. Vost is the top pick to win the 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.