Iroquois Stakes

The Iroquois Stakes is a premier Grade III race for two-year-olds run at Churchill Downs over 1  mile on dirt. As part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, it awards points to top finishers, giving young prospects an early chance to secure a spot in America’s most famous classic.

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Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky

Inaugural Race: 1982

TV Coverage: Live Simulcast Stream available on TwinSpires.com!

Current Distance: 1 Mile

Track Type: Left-Handed, Dirt

Age Qualification: 2YO

Purse: $300,000

Race Date: Sunday, September 13th

Churchill Downs Racetrack

Track
Churchill Downs
Race
1
Time
September 25 2026
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Wits And Wagers
Torres, Cristian A
Wiggins, Lon
6/5
3
Flirtin Again
Bealmear, Joseph C
Shaffer, Sarah E
7/5
4
She's Fascinating
Hernandez; Jr, Brian J
Coontz, Arthur A
9/2
5
Parking Lot Pours
Esquivel, Emmanuel
Silva, Miguel A
4/1
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Churchill Downs Racetrack

Track
Churchill Downs
Race
2
Time
September 25 2026
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Shameless Bride
Concepcion, Axel
West, Ethan W
5/2
2
Alta Avenue
Gaffalione, Tyler
Jacobson, David
1/1
4
Stormy Paradise
Pauly, Summer
Moger; Jr, Ed
13/1
6
Twirling Claire
Saez, Luis
Foley, Gregory D
3/2
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Churchill Downs Racetrack

Track
Churchill Downs
Race
3
Time
September 25 2026
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Transatlantic
Gaffalione, Tyler
Larose, Kinnon
2/1
2
Nut Bush City
Concepcion, Axel
Calhoun, W B
6/1
3
No Time Left
Torres, Jaime A
Williams, Matt
9/2
4
Tizianna
Morales, Edgar
Pitts, Helen
8/5
5
Nightmare Fuel
Arrieta, Francisco
Fawkes, David
3/1
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Churchill Downs Racetrack

Track
Churchill Downs
Race
4
Time
September 25 2026
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Nonno
Gaffalione, Tyler
Vaccarezza, Nicholas
4/1
3
Why Not Fly
Meza, Jj
Douaihy, Michel
25/1
4
Native Brew
Concepcion, Axel
Asmussen, Steven M
8/1
5
Dontworryboutnothn
Hazlewood, Yedsit
Jacobson, David
9/2
6
Elvis Tony
Carrasco, Victor R
Lynch, Brian A
19/1
7
Gadget Play
Saez, Luis
Stall; Jr, Albert M
5/2
9
Great Moment
Morales, Edgar
Foley, Gregory D
16/1
10
Quentin B
Garcia, Martin
Romans, Dale L
3/1
11
Sixer
Torres, Jaime A
Mott, Riley
11/1
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Churchill Downs Racetrack

Track
Churchill Downs
Race
5
Time
September 25 2026
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Air Invasion
Concepcion, Axel
Paramo, Martin
21/1
2
Unload
Asmussen, Keith J
Asmussen, Steven M
7/1
4
Air Of Defiance
Arrieta, Francisco
Cunningham, S J
1/5
5
Saltwater Cowboy
Saez, Luis
David, Carlos A
9/2
7
Dr. Storm
Pauly, Summer
Bahena, Ismael
13/1
8
Highly Flammable
De La Cruz, Fernando
Donjuan, Sergio
16/1
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Churchill Downs Racetrack

Track
Churchill Downs
Race
6
Time
September 25 2026
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Fugitive Star
Saez, Luis
Jacobson, David
9/1
2
Best Cupcake
Loveberry, Jareth
Lauer, Michael E
17/1
3
Spencerian
Concepcion, Axel
Walden, William
2/1
4
Sweet Note
Gaffalione, Tyler
Larose, Kinnon
5/2
5
Dozen Diamonds
Sheehy, Danny
Hartman, Chris A
9/2
6
Tiffany Twist
Torres, Jaime A
Santamaria, Carlos
3/1
7
Story Hour
Torres, Cristian A
Medina, Robert
15/1
8
Mombayla
Pauly, Summer
Bahena, Ismael
58/1
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Churchill Downs Racetrack

Track
Churchill Downs
Race
7
Time
September 25 2026
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Que Sera
Torres, Cristian A
Caramori, Caio
13/1
2
Tram Mo
Saez, Luis
Casse, Mark E
8/1
3
Upstart Empress
Rodriguez, Walter A
Davis, Christopher
24/1
4
Qdoro
Concepcion, Axel
Cox, Brad H
7/1
5
She Ran
Carrasco, Victor R
Arnold Ii, George R
16/1
6
Olympic Belle
Sheehy, Danny
Walsh, Brendan P
3/1
7
My Blue Heaven
Bealmear, Joseph C
Meah, Anna M
15/1
8
Anywhere With You
Gaffalione, Tyler
Walsh, Brendan P
3/1
9
Lexi's Epic Ride
Machado, Luan
Von Hemel, Donnie K
28/1
10
House Of Candy
Hernandez; Jr, Brian J
Eurton, Peter
11/1
11
Just Dance
Arrieta, Francisco
Kenneally, Eddie
9/2
12
Madam Joker
Hazlewood, Yedsit
Davis, Christopher
45/1
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Churchill Downs Racetrack

Track
Churchill Downs
Race
8
Time
September 25 2026
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Progeny
Bejarano, Rafael
Cook, Jason G
4/1
2
Tizntshelovely
Hernandez; Jr, Brian J
Stewart, Dallas
9/2
3
Sassy Princess
Gaffalione, Tyler
Jacobson, David
9/5
4
Talkin In Cursive
Torres, Jaime A
Shirer, Matt A
6/1
5
Q's Your Mama
Saez, Luis
Ramsey, Nolan
5/1
6
Danzig's Dora
Curtis, Ben
Larose, Kinnon
23/1
7
Betsylicious
Grisales Rave, Danilo
Mccall Iii, William P
81/1
8
Musical Prayer
Asmussen, Keith J
Asmussen, Steven M
6/1
9
Lady Dreamer
Corrales, Gerardo
Briley, Lonnie
54/1
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Churchill Downs Racetrack

Track
Churchill Downs
Race
9
Time
September 25 2026
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Banksy's
Gaffalione, Tyler
Fawkes, David
6/5
2
Brave Force
Garcia, Martin
Sisterson, Jack
19/1
3
Royal Causeway
Torres, Cristian A
Stewart, Dallas
7/2
5
Go Grey
Rodriguez, Walter A
Maker, Michael J
2/1
7
Aces Honor
Machado, Luan
West, Ethan W
6/1
8
Exosome
Saez, Luis
Danner, Kelsey
14/1
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Churchill Downs Racetrack

Track
Churchill Downs
Race
10
Time
September 25 2026
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Magic Class
Gaffalione, Tyler
Vaccarezza, Nicholas
7/1
2
Yaira
Saez, Luis
Danner, Kelsey
7/2
3
Critikal Sense
Elliott, Jane
Harty, Eoin G
8/1
4
Clear Fork
Arrieta, Francisco
Damato, Philip
11/1
5
Donna Strada
Carrasco, Victor R
Humphries, Tommy
50/1
6
Domina D'oro
Antongeorgi Iii, William
Morey, William E
4/1
8
Spill The Sugar
Torres, Jaime A
Larose, Kinnon
8/1
11
Crystal Frost
Bejarano, Rafael
Barrett, Roddina A
8/1
12
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Rodriguez, Walter A
Davis, Christopher
10/1
13
Muriel Sax
Pauly, Summer
Bahena, Ismael
21/1
15
Alabama Getaway
Corrales, Gerardo
Romans, Dale L
17/1
16
Buckeye Favorite
Rodriguez, Walter A
Medina, Robert
10/1
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2026 Iroquois Stakes Race Results

Post
Horse
Jockey / Trainer
Win / Place / Show
7
Salahudin
Jose Ortiz / Bob Baffert
$3.98 / $2.82 / $2.10
8
He Is No Lie
Joel Rosario / Doug O'Neill
$4.26 / $2.54
1
Carribean Life
Flavien Prat / William Walden
$2.34
5
Real Goodbar
Emmanuel Esquivel / Ken McPeek
9
Real Gone
Keith Asmussen / Patrick Biancone
3
Bearamour
James Graham / J. Keith Desormeaux
4
Admiral's Order
Luan Machado / Ben Colebrook

Exotic Payoffs:

  • $2.00 Exacta (7-8) Paid: $16.32
  • $0.50 Trifecta (7-8-1) Paid: $9.97
  • $0.10 Superfecta (7-8-1-5) Paid: $6.00

Watch the 2026 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). 

Founded in 1982 to honor Iroquois, the first U.S.-bred to win the Epsom Derby in 1881, the Iroquois Stakes was formerly run around the same time as the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. It was moved to the new Churchill Downs September meet in 2013, and increased in distance from one mile to 1 1/16 miles.

Since its move to September, the Iroquois has become an important lead-up to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Most of its winners since 2013 have gone on to contest the Juvenile, with one, 2015 winner Not This Time, running a close second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to Classic Empire.

Notable winners of the race include Tiz Wonderful, Court Vision, and Harlan’s Holiday.

Iroquois Stakes Past Winners

YearWinnerJockey / TrainerDistance / Time
2026
Salahudin
Jose Ortiz / Bob Baffert
1 mile / 1:36.54
2025
Spice Runner
Jose Ortiz / Steven Asmussen
1 mile / 1:36.59
2024
Johnathan's Way
Joel Rosario / Philip Bauer
1 mile / 1:36.08
2023
West Saratoga
Rafael Bejarano / Larry W. Demeritte
1 mile / 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

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