Iroquois Runner-Up Scabbard to Breeders' Cup Juvenile

Victorious Dennis' Moment is not the only horse pointing toward the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park after racing in the Sept. 14 Iroquois (G2) at Churchill Downs. So, too, is Scabbard, who experienced a rough trip in finishing second, blocked in traffic entering the second turn.

"We're definitely going to target the Breeders' Cup after that," said trainer Eddie Kenneally said. "We're very proud of his effort that day to overcome adversity as he did after encountering trouble in the turn and to close ground as much as he did. He definitely passed the two-turn test and I think he'll fit very well in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile." 

Scabbard, a 2-year-old son by More Than Ready  owned and bred by Joseph Sutton, broke his maiden at first asking at Churchill Downs in late June and was later second in the Saratoga Special (G2) when he raced under the name of Noose. 

In other news from Churchill Downs, Steve Landers Racing's Shaefer Memorial Stakes winner Pioneer Spirit finalized his major preparation for next Saturday's $250,000 Lukas Classic Presented by Budweiser (G3) with a bullet five-furlong move in :58 4/5 Sept. 21 beneath the Twin Spires in company with his regular workmate Owendale. 

"We ended up giving him some time off following the Schaefer just because he's run a pretty hard campaign in 2019," trainer Brad Cox said. "This horse always seems finds trouble and he's encountered that in a few of his starts. Two starts back at Evangeline (in the Evangeline Mile Stakes) he really got into a tough spot on the front end and I decided to run him back quickly in the Schaefer. He's really been full of himself training for the Lukas and just doing great in the morning." 

Pioneer Spirit was a former $35,000 claim in 2017 for Cox and Landers. The 6-year-old horse has since won back-to-back editions of the $100,000 Schaefer Memorial at Indiana Grand. The son of Malibu Moon  will attempt to win his first graded stakes in the Lukas Classic, which would be his first victory at a distance greater than 1 1/16 miles.

"The mile-and-an-eighth may be a tough long for him but I think he'll be able to handle it," Cox said. "He trains like he's going to be able to handle it just fine."

The probable entrants for the Lukas Classic, according to Churchill Downs assistant racing secretary and stakes coordinator Dan Bork: Big Dollar Bill (trainer Ian Wilkes); Kukulkan (Fausto Gutierrez); Pioneer Spirit (Brad Cox); Quip (Rodolphe Brisset); Silver Dust (Bret Calhoun); Sir Anthony (Anthony Mitchell); and Timeline (Steve Asmussen).