Iroquois Stakes
Road to the Kentucky Derby > Iroquois Stakes
Iroquois Stakes Race Facts
- Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
- Inaugural Race: 1982
- Distance: 1 mile (8 furlongs)
- Track Type: Left-handed, Dirt
- Age Qualifications: Two-year-olds
- 2023 Purse: $300,000
- 2023 Race Date: Saturday, September 16th
2023 Iroquois Stakes Race Results
| POST | HORSE | JOCKEY / TRAINER | WIN / PLACE / SHOW |
|---|
2 | West Saratoga | Rafael Bejarano / Larry W. Demeritte | $26.96 / $8.24 / $5.22 |
8 | Risk It | Tyler Gaffalione / Steven M. Asmussen | $3.24 / $2.88 |
1 | Liberal Arts | Cristian A. Torres / Robert Medina | $5.44 |
6 | Seize the Grey | Jaime A. Torres / D. Wayne Lukas | |
4 | Edified | Ricardo Santana, Jr. / Steven M. Asmussen | |
9 | Patriot Spirit | Jesus Lopez Castanon / Michael B. Campbell | |
3 | Union Roll | Gerardo Corrales / Todd A. Pletcher | |
5 | Market Street | Gabriel Saez / D. Wayne Lukas |
Exotic Payoffs:
- $2.00 Exacta (2-8) Paid: $90.44
- $0.50 Trifecta (2-8-1) Paid: $127.38
- $0.10 Superfecta (2-8-1-6) Paid: $101.48
Watch the 2023 Iroquois Stakes
Iroquois Stakes Race History
The Iroquois Stakes is run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY in mid-September. It’s the first graded stakes race for Thoroughbred horses on opening day at the Churchill Downs Fall Meet. The race is open to 2-year-olds and is part of the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’. It’s the first race of the tiered points system that awards Derby points to the top-5 finishers (10-5-3-2-1).
The Iroquois (pronounced Ear-Ah-Coy) is named for Iroquois, the first American horse to win the English Epsom Derby. Prior to 2013 the race was one mile on the dirt track, and open to juveniles only. From 2013 to 2019, the Grade III race was run at a distance of 1 1⁄16 miles, until reverting back to its historical distance of 1 mile in 2020. Both the 2021 and 2022 editions were run at 1 1⁄16 miles before reverting back to 1 mile again for the 2023 edition. The Iroquois currently offers a purse of $300,000.
In the 2016 Iroquois, Not This Time finished full of run to win going away by more than 8 lengths over Lookin at Lee, who would go on to finish 2nd in the 2017 Kentucky Derby. Not This Time, a son of the great sire Giant’s Causeway, finished 2nd by a neck to Classic Empire in his next race as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. A very unfortunate soft tissue injury to his front right leg during that race ended the promising career of the striking dark bay colt, as Not This Time was an early leading contender for the Kentucky Derby.
Harlan’s Holiday (2001) held the fastest one mile record in the Iroquois (1:35.01). In the 1 1/16 mile editions of the race, Dennis' Moment (2019) finished with the best time in 1:43.60.
Bill Mott and Dale Romans are the trainers with the most wins in the Iroquois (4 each).
Iroquois Stakes Past Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey / Trainer | Distance / Time |
|---|
2023 | West Saratoga | Rafael Bejarano / Larry W. Demeritte | 1 1/16 miles / 1:37.3 |
2022 | Curly Jack | Edgar Morales / Thomas M. Amoss | 1 1/16 miles / 1:45.6 |
2021 | Major General | Javier Castellano / Todd A. Pletcher | 1 1/16 miles / 1:44.9 |
2020 | Sittin On Go | Corey Lanerie / Dale L. Romans | 1 mile / 01:35.0 |
2019 | Dennis' Moment | Irad Ortiz Jr. / Dale L. Romans | 1 1/16 miles / 01:43.6 |
2018 | Cairo Cat | Brian Hernandez Jr. / Kenneth G. McPeek | 1 1/16 miles / 01:45.3 |
2017 | The Tabulator | Jose Valdivia Jr. / Larry Rivelli | 1 1/16 miles / 01:45.5 |
2016 | Not This Time | Robby Albarado / Dale L. Romans | 1 1/16 miles / 01:45.2 |
2015 | Cocked and Loaded | Emmanuel Esquivel / Larry Rivelli | 1 1/16 miles / 01:44.9 |
2014 | Lucky Player | Ricardo Santana Jr. / Steven M. Asmussen | 1 1/16 miles / 01:45.8 |
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