Rowdy Yates to Try Graded Stakes Again in Iroquois

After delivering a front-end victory in the TwinSpires Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes, Rowdy Yates will aim for his first graded stakes win Sept. 14 in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

While L and N Racing's Rowdy Yates will try two turns for the first time in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile test, he will be returning to his Churchill base where he won his maiden debut in late May and followed with a runner-up finish in the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) in late June.

Off that effort, trainer Steve Asmussen shipped Rowdy Yates to Ellis Park where the Oklahoma-bred son of Morning Line responded with a 2 1/4-length win over Letmeno, who also is entered in Saturday's race that has drawn 10 2-year-olds.

"He's a nice horse, a very good horse—right spot for him at the right time," Asmussen said after the stakes win at Ellis.

Asmussen, who will be trying to win the Iroquois a fourth time, also will send out Zayat Stables' Zyramid, a son of City Zip who won a maiden race at Saratoga Race Course in July and followed with a fifth-place finish in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) Aug. 10.

Saturday's race will offer plenty of reward going forward as a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race to the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). It's also the first race to offer qualifying points to the 2020 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), awarding 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.

The runner-up from the Saratoga Special, Joseph Sutton's Scabbard, also is entered Saturday. Scabbard, who won his maiden debut by five lengths in late June at Churchill, is trained by Eddie Kenneally.

Four horses in the field are entered off wins of more than six lengths in Big Chief Racing and Rocker O Ranch's Juggernaut, who won his maiden debut at Ellis by 6 1/4 lengths; Joseph Besecker's Lebda, who won an allowance level race Aug. 22 at Delaware Park; Fern Circle Stables' Flute Maker, who rolled to an 11 1/2-length maiden win in the slop at Saratoga; and Albaugh Family Stables' Dennis' Moment, who scored a 19 1/4-length victory in a maiden race at Ellis.

Trained by two-time Iroquois winner Dale Romans, Dennis' Moment clipped heels and lost jockey Robby Albarado in his June 23 debut before bouncing back with his big maiden win July 27 where the son of Tiznow  demolished 11 rivals as the 4-5 favorite.

"I can only think of one other horse that I've trained that has shown this much potential as a 2-year-old and that's Not This Time  (who won the 2016 Iroquois and was second to Classic Empire  in that year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park)," Romans said. "I think we are all looking at a potential future star. Even though this horse is only a maiden winner, the way he was able to just simply dominate the competition that day at Ellis Park left me breathless. I am going to start acting like a football coach and say 'one race at a time' with him. Let's just get it done Saturday and then see where we stand."

Trainer Ken McPeek picked up his second Iroquois win last year with Cairo Cat and will try to repeat with a pair of Saratoga maiden winners in Flute Maker and January Won. Flute Maker finished off the board in his Ellis Park debut in late June but the son of Sky Mesa  thrived second time out, drawing off under Jose Ortiz—who will ride Saturday. Harold Lerner's January Won, a cleverly named son of New Year's Day, won his debut in a July 18 maiden race restricted to horses "who sold for or RNAd for $45,000 or less in their most recent sale." 

Entries: Iroquois S. (G3)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 14, 2019, Race 10

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 2 yo
• 5:26 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Zyramid (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	118	Steven M. Asmussen	10/1
2	2Letmeno (KY)	Calvin H. Borel	118	Ian R. Wilkes	10/1
3	3Scabbard (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Eddie Kenneally	5/1
4	4Rowdy Yates (OK)	Tyler Baze	120	Steven M. Asmussen	7/2
5	5Automate (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	J. Keith Desormeaux	30/1
6	6Flute Maker (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	8/1
7	7Juggernaut (KY)	James Graham	118	J. Keith Desormeaux	10/1
8	8Dennis' Moment (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Dale L. Romans	9/5
9	9Lebda (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	118	Claudio A. Gonzalez	10/1
10	10January Won (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	15/1