Lucky Player Hits Big in Iroquois Surprise

Lucky Player, ideally positioned by jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., outfought stablemate Bold Conquest through the Churchill Downs stretch to win the $115,500 Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) and give trainer Steve Asmussen the winning exacta Sept. 6 .



Sent off at 11-1 odds in the field of nine 2-year-olds, Lucky Player earned an automatic starting berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park with his first stakes win for owner Jerry Durant. The son of Lookin At Lucky   also earned 10 points toward a possible start in the 2015 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) in the first "Road to the Kentucky Derby" race of the year.



Lucky Player prevailed by a neck over Bold Conquest and ran the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:45.76 over a fast track. Hashtag Bourbon was third, 1 1/2 lengths farther back. Mr. Z, the 13-10 choice, set the pace before tiring in the stretch to finish fifth.

"He had a clean trip; he's a really nice horse," Santana said of the winner. "He relaxed really nicely. When we were turning for home and I asked him, he really showed his class in this race. "

Bred in Florida by Destiny Oaks of Ocala, Lucky Player is the first foal out of the Storm Cat mare Janetstickettocats. The bay colt did not meet his reserve price on a final bid of $175,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York sale of preferred yearlings from the Paramount Sales consignment.



Lucky Player was always prominent, breaking alertly and rating second just off Mr. Z, who carved deliberate fractions of :24.41, :49.51, and 1:14.82. Lucky Player took over on the outside of Mr. Z entering the stretch and was immediately tackled by Bold Conquest, who raced wide for Joel Rosario throughout.



Bold Conquest poked his head in front in the drive, but Lucky Player fought back courageously in deep stretch to get the nod. Second choice Hashtag Bourbon, hemmed in along the inside, altered course for room in deep stretch and proved best of the rest in securing the show spot by 1 3/4 lengths over Danny Boy. Mr. Z, Cleveland Sound, Holy Frazier, Dekabrist, and The Gorilla Man completed the order.



Lucky Player broke his maiden at Churchill in May prior to running fourth with trouble in the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) under the Twin Spires June 28. He was coming off a runner-up finish in the Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile at one mile Aug. 9. He now has two wins from four starts with earnings of $115,691.

"Lucky Player was laying extremely well, he was in a perfect spot," Asmussen said. "Ricardo gave him a great trip. I think he benefited a lot from his two-turn race that he had previously (in the Prairie Juvenile Mile), and then Bold Conquest—I think he was a little wide early, (and there was) not a lot of pace, but he still continued well.

 

"I thought they both looked well, they looked good under the wire, they maintained the margin, and I think both horses will get better with experience."



Asmussen won the Iroquois for the third time following back-to-back triumphs with Thiskyhasnolimit and Astrology   in 2009-10. This year's winning connections—Asmussen, Santana, and Durant—also combined to win a classy juvenile maiden race two races earlier on the card with debuting Holy Boss, who completed six furlongs in 1:10.44 as the 3-2 favorite.



Carrying 118 pounds, Lucky Player paid $25, $8.40, and $5.60 across the board while topping a $114.40 exacta as the sixth-longest shot in the field. Bold Conquest, a maiden winner at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 14 for Asmussen and Ackerley Brothers Farm, returned $6 and $4.20. Hashtag Bourbon, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., paid $3.60 to show.