Hence Closes From Last to Win Iowa Derby

Off the Triple Crown trail and with a clean trip, Calumet Farm's homebred Hence once again found his winning stride July 7 in the $250,000 Iowa Derby (G3) at Prairie Meadows. 

Just like his last win in the Sunland Derby (G3) March 26, the Street Boss colt was far back early—this time last of eight, 8 3/4 lengths behind early leader McCormick—through a first quarter in :23.98.

At the top of the stretch in the 1 1/16-mile test, however, the Steve Asmussen-trained colt was gobbling up ground under jockey Mike Smith. Under pressure throughout, McCormick put away all challengers—except for Hence.

Hence surged by late to win by 1 1/2 lengths and finished off the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.84. McCormick finished another length in front of Impressive Edge.

"It was a really, really good trip for him—for his style of running and how he likes to run," Smith said. "He seems like, if you can get him into a good, happy, comfortable rhythm—even back aways, a little farther back than you'd like to be—he seems to like that. ... When I picked him up at the three-eighths pole, he showed me he was full of run, and it was a matter of staying on at that point."

The Iowa Derby completed a stakes double on the night for Asmussen and Smith, who won the $100,000 Iowa Distaff a race prior with Danzatrice, who also scored with a last-to-first rally. Gainesway Stables' daughter of Dunkirk earned her third stakes win by 1 1/4 lengths after she trailed by eight lengths early.

A day prior Asmussen and Smith teamed up twice at Prairie Meadows with Chanteline (third in the Saylorville Stakes) and Ever So Clever (sixth in the grade 3 Iowa Oaks), before the Hall of Fame jockey continued east for July 8's loaded Belmont Park card.

"I got to see a lot of old friends who I grew up with from Nebraska, Minnesota, and Arkansas, so it was nice seeing everybody," Smith said.

Bred in Kentucky out of the A.P. Indy mar Floating Island, Hence now has a 3-1-1 record and $612,001 in earnings from nine starts. Following his Sunland Derby win, he finished 11th after a troubled trip in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and came in ninth in the Preakness Stakes (G1).