Therideofalifetime Follows Churchill Path in Iroquois

Trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Correas IV is hoping Stephen Fidel's homebred 2-year-old Therideofalifetime can live up to his name, this weekend and beyond.

The colt headlines a field of 11 entered for the $200,000 Iroquois Stakes Presented by Ford (G3) at Churchill Downs Sept. 5 on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The race could propel him to even more prestigious stakes. 

Capture the Iroquois, and he gets an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The one-mile Iroquois serves as a Breeders' Cup Challenge qualifier for the $2 million TVG Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland. The Iroquois also kicks off the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby series, providing points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers.

Shortened a sixteenth of a mile and spotted earlier in September by Churchill officials to make it part of a COVID-19-postponed Derby Day card this year, the Iroquois drew a mix of runners, most of whom are inexperienced at a mile. Only three entrants—Dreamer's Disease, Midnight Bourbon, and Notary—have gone a mile, Dreamer's Disease doing so on turf.

Though Therideofalifetime doesn't possess that distance experience, he is seasoned in graded stakes company. Racing last month in the Saratoga Special Stakes Presented by Miller Lite (G2) after an 8 1/4-length maiden score at Keeneland July 11, he ran second to frontrunning Jackie's Warrior, beaten three lengths.

It was his second loss to that precocious rival, who also beat him by 2 1/2 lengths when they both debuted in a June 19 maiden race at Churchill. Jackie's Warrior is expected to run in the seven-furlong Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course Sept. 7.

Jackie's Warrior "was better than him that day, no doubt about it," Correas said. "The reason I'm coming here is because I don't think I can beat him going six or seven furlongs."

By Candy Ride , who won the 1 1/4-mile Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) in 2003, Therideofalifetime appears capable of at least staying a one-turn mile. His dam, the Proud Citizen mare Cosmic Evolution, was a stakes-winning sprinter who finished a distant third in the Honeybee Stakes (G3) and fourth in the Fantasy Stakes (G3) in a pair of two-turn routes in 2016.

"I think the distance is not going to be a problem," said Correas, who named Florent Geroux to ride.

The race includes two stakes winners in Super Stock and Pico d'Oro. The former took the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park, the latter the Runhappy Juvenile Stakes at Ellis Park.

Most in the field exit maiden victories, including Sittin On Go and Ultimate Badger, debut winners at Ellis Park sprinting five furlongs for trainer Dale Romans. Sittin On Go passed three horses in the stretch before drawing away by 4 1/4 lengths Aug. 16.

"The last eighth, he was shot out of a cannon," Romans said.

The Iroquois is the 10th of 14 races on the Saturday card, with an approximate post time of 4:07 p.m. ET.

Entries: Iroquois S. presented by Ford (G3)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 05, 2020, Race 10

• Grade III
• 1m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 2 yo
• 4:07 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Drop Anchor (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	15/1
2	2Sittin On Go (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Dale L. Romans	15/1
3	3Super Stock (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	120	Steven M. Asmussen	6/1
4	4Ultimate Badger (KY)	Joseph Talamo	118	Dale L. Romans	12/1
5	5Dreamer's Disease (KY)	Miguel Mena	118	Robertino Diodoro	12/1
6	6Belafonte (KY)	Declan Cannon	118	Thomas Humphries	20/1
7	7Pico d'Oro (KY)	Javier Castellano	120	William E. Morey	5/1
8	8Midnight Bourbon (KY)	Gerardo Corrales	118	Steven M. Asmussen	6/1
9	9Crazy Shot (KY)	Edgar Morales	118	George R. Arnold, II	15/1
10	10Therideofalifetime (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Ignacio Correas, IV	7/5
11	11Notary (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	D. Wayne Lukas	12/1