Curly Jack Upsets Iroquois as Derby Prep Season Begins

Whether rooting on his 2-year-old colt Curly Jack  or his alma mater Notre Dame in a college football game, Mike McLoughlin cheered for winners Sept. 17.

Shortly before Notre Dame defeated California 24-17 in South Bend, Ind., where McLoughlin spend the day Saturday, Curly Jack gave the owner his first taste of victory by rallying for a length score over Honed  in the $299,250 Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The colt's 10-1 upset in the 1 1/16-mile race earned him 10 qualifying points toward next year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill, with the race serving as the opening leg of the 2022-23 Road to the Kentucky Derby series.

It also allows McLoughlin and trainer Tom Amoss an opportunity to dream about another possible start, this one only a month and a half down the road—the Nov. 4 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) at Keeneland.

"I don't have an issue with running horses off a layoff so it won't be a big deal going straight to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile," Amoss said. "We'll see how he comes out of things and make a decision in the coming days."

Watch: Amoss Excited About Curly Jack

Amoss isn't the only one that can think about the Juvenile. Runner-up Honed rallied from last to just miss, despite being keen between horses when last of nine in the early stages of the race. He finished a half-length clear of Jace's Road  in third.

The on-the-board finishers in Iroquois, as well as those from Saturday's $297,536 Pocahontas Stakes (G3) for 2-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs, earned partial entry fees toward the Breeder's Cup Juvenile and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), respectively, with the races part of the Breeder's Cup Dirt Dozen program.

BloodHorse Staff: Breeders' Cup Initiates Dirt-Race Participation Bonus

Disappointing in the Iroquois were the race's two favorites, Saratoga Race Course debut winner Echo Again , and Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) winner Damon's Mound , both of whom were soundly beaten in their first two-turn starts. 3-5 wagering choice Echo Again, who pressed the pace, ran seventh, and 5-2 shot Damon's Mound was sixth after setting splits of :23.53, :47.48, and 1:11.66.

"I wasn't expecting him to be on the lead but (jockey) Gabe (Saez) said he was pretty aggressive out of the gate," said Damon's Mound's trainer Michelle Lovell. 

Settled was Curly Jack, who raced between 2 1/4 to 4 3/4 lengths off the pace under Edgar Morales before the Good Magic   colt rallied to take the lead by midstretch. He maintained a length's advantage over the final furlong, clocked in 1:45.62 over a fast track. He paid $23.66 to win.

When the colt was close second last-out "in the Ellis Park Juvenile, he showed me he can relax well off of horses and come with one run. We were able to do that today," said Morales, who notched his first graded stakes win. "He handled the extra distance well, and when I was able to get him outside he showed his best run."

Bred in Kentucky by Betz, J.Betz, Burns, Camaquiki, C.Kidder, et al, Curly Jack is out of the grade 1-placed Roman Ruler mare Connie and Michael . He is his dam's second black-type horse, following Fannie and Freddie  (Malibu Moon ), runner-up earlier this year in the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Four of the dam's six foals to race are winners. One of her two unraced foals is a yearling Gun Runner   colt, who earlier this week sold for $525,000 to BSW/Crow Colts Group, Spendthrift Farm, and Gandharvi at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Amoss said he selected Curly Jack at the 2021 September Sale for McLoughlin. The colt was a $180,000 purchase by his owner from the Betz Thoroughbreds consignment.

Video: Iroquois S. (G3)

Fun and Feisty Circles Field in Pocahontas

Later on the Saturday program, another mild upset took place when Lucky Seven Stable's Fun and Feisty  closed from 11th to take by the Pocahontas by 3 1/2 lengths over Shoplifter . Favored Grand Love , the pacesetter, settled for third.

The Julien Leparoux-ridden Fun and Feisty, trained by Kenny McPeek, ran a time .24 of a second slower than the Iroquois, clocked in 1:45.86 after fractions of :23.74, :48.07, and 1:12.76 fractions set by Grand Love. She returned $14.46 for a $2 win wager.

"She's trained like a good horse all along and acts like a good one at the barn," McPeek said. "When she won going three-quarters of a mile I told the (Mackin family of Lucky Seven Stables) that we are going to have some fun with her, and this was just the start.

"She's going to stretch out and go longer. She's good-minded, sound, and healthy. I think you'll see her around here for a couple of seasons. The (Oct. 7 Darley) Alcibiades (G1) will be the next spot for her at Keeneland."

J. Stephen McDonald bred Fun and Feisty in Kentucky, with the Midshipman   filly produced from the unraced First Samurai   mare Grouse Grind. Fun and Feisty becomes the first black-type horse for his dam, who has one other winner from three foals to race. Her two unraced foals are a yearling full sister to Fun and Feisty and Jimmy Creed colt born this year.

As agent, McPeek purchased Fun and Feisty last year from the Machmer Hall Sales consignment from The July Sale at Fasig-Tipton. Earlier in 2021 she had been purchased by Jacob Nance for $13,000 from the Kaizen Sales consignment at the Keeneland January Horse of All Ages Sale.

Video: Pocahontas S. (G3)