Ten City, Hollywood Star Face Off in Iroquois

A graded stakes winner and two undefeated stakes winners will face off and take on seven other competitors in the $150,000 Iroquois Stakes (G3) Sept. 16 at Churchill Downs.

Ten City, owned by Tommie Lewis and Sherri McPeek's Magdalena Racing, is the 122-pound highweight in the 1 1/16-mile stakes that is a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Series qualifier for the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

The son of Run Away and Hide  broke his maiden April 19 at Keeneland by seven lengths. He earned black-type in his second start June 30 when he won the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs and defeated Copper Bullet, who came back to win the Saratoga Special Stakes Presented by Coors Light (G2).

Ten City comes into the Iroquois off a third-place effort in the Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes, where he got hemmed in from the three-eighths pole to just inside the five-sixteenths, ran a bit wide going into the stretch, and put in a good effort for the place behind Dak Attack and Northern Trail. 

"We broke so poorly that day," trainer Ken McPeek said. "The crazy part about the race is he actually lost a shoe. I was very proud of him that he could run that well after losing a shoe. He should like the two-turn distance. He has some route pedigree on his bottom side." 

Ten City was bred in Kentucky by Phillips Racing Partnership and is the second foal out of the Rock Hard Ten mare Maiden America, who Phillips Racing also bred. McPeek bought Ten City out of the 2016 Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale for $12,000 and the colt has now earned more than $105,000. He'll be ridden in the Iroquois by Jack Gilligan.

Ten City stands as the 3-1 second choice on the morning-line behind Albaugh Family Stable's Hollywood Star, the 5-2 favorite. The regally-bred son of Malibu Moon  out of grade 1 winner Hollywood Story looms as the horse to beat in the Iroquois after finishing second to Copper Bullet in the $200,000 Saratoga Special.

Purchased for $550,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale, Hollywood Star broke his maiden at first-asking at Churchill in June. For his next start in the Saratoga Special, the dark bay colt broke a step slow and chased from near the back of the nine-horse field before he commenced his rally on the final turn. The Kentucky-bred was second best and came up four lengths short of impressive victor Copper Bullet but was two lengths ahead of third-place finisher Tempestad.

"I thought Hollywood Star ran a great race against Copper Bullet in the Saratoga Special," said trainer Dale Romans, a two-time Iroquois winner with Cleburne (2013) and Not This Time  (2016). "Copper Bullet is a really nice horse for (trainer) Steve (Asmussen) and we were just second best. The Iroquois is a great spot for him to try and get started on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Every horse in our barn is a Derby horse until they prove otherwise and the Albaugh Family has some very nice 2-year-olds with us right now." 

Hollywood Star is one of nine horses entered by Romans in six races Saturday, as the 50-year-old South Louisville native attempts to become only the second trainer in history to win 700 races at Churchill Downs and surpass Hall of Famer Bill Mott as the track's all-time leading trainer in races won. Mott, who has held the record for 31 years, begins the September Meet with a 701-to-699 lead over Romans, who also has three scheduled starters for the meet opener Sept. 15. Mott has none entered Friday and two on Saturday.

John Oxley's Flameaway, a son of Scat Daddy, and Carolyn Wilson's The Tabulator, a colt by Dialed In , are the undefeated stakes winners and each will carry 120 pounds.

Flameaway, a $400,000 purchase at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale, broke his maiden by 2 1/2 lengths at first asking May 29 on Woodbine's Tapeta main track. The colt followed up with a victory Aug. 18 in a muddy Skidmore Stakes, which was taken off the Saratoga Race Course turf.

Flameaway is trained by Mark Casse and will be ridden for the first time by Julien Leparoux.

Wilson bought The Tabulator at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-year-olds in training sale for $460,000 out of the Wavertree Stables consignment. Trained by Larry Rivelli, the colt broke his maiden in his first start by an impressive nine lengths July 2 at Arlington International Racecourse. A month later The Tabulator prevailed in the Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes at Prairie Meadows, getting six furlongs in 1:10.09 and beating Mr. Jagermeister  who went on to win the Northern Lights Futurity at Canterbury Park in his next start by 15 1/2 lengths. The Tabulator will be ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr., who has been aboard for every start. 

Entries: Iroquois S. (G3)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 16, 2017, Race 10

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 2 yo
• 5:20 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Ten City (KY)	Jack Gilligan	122	Kenneth G. McPeek	3/1
2	2Hollywood Star (KY)	Robby Albarado	118	Dale L. Romans	5/2
3	3Pont Du Gard (LA)	Florent Geroux	118	Ignacio Correas, IV	15/1
4	4Tres Equis (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Michael J. Maker	8/1
5	5Ebben (KY)	James Graham	118	Steve Margolis	20/1
6	6Smart Remark (KY)	Manoel R. Cruz	118	Victoria H. Oliver	15/1
7	7Flameaway (ON)	Julien R. Leparoux	120	Mark E. Casse	4/1
8	8Big Gemmy (NY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	W. Bret Calhoun	15/1
9	9The Tabulator (KY)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	120	Larry Rivelli	6/1
10	10Mo Diddley (NY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Mark E. Casse	10/1