Scorpiancer Finds Redemption in Iroquois 'Chase

Two years ago, Bruton Street-US's Scorpiancer cantered home to a 16-length victory in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Stakes (NSA-G1) and was voted an Eclipse Award winner off the second of his two 2017 victories.

He went to the winner's circle again May 11 at Nashville's Percy Warner Park, but his second win in the $150,000 Calvin Houghland Iroquois was by no means a carbon copy. Now 10, he had to battle for every inch of his one-length score over a game Surprising Soul in the National Steeplechase Association's richest spring race.

Bruton Street's Moscato finished a fast-closing third in a field of six, a head behind Wendy Hendriks' Surprising Soul, and Buttonwood Farm's All the Way Jose finished fourth, 13 1/2 lengths farther back. Scorpiancer provided his trainer, Jack Fisher, with a fourth win on the seven-race Iroquois card.

Ridden by Sean McDermott, Scorpiancer ran the Calvin Houghland Iroquois' three miles in 5:43.80 on turf rated good.

As easy as the 2017 victory was, this year's win was difficult in the extreme. After missing the rest of the 2017 season after the Iroquois and all of 2018, Scorpiancer was pulled up in his first start back, the Middleburg Spring Races' April 20 Temple Gwathmey Handicap (NSA-G3).

Moscato, who also sat out the 2018 season, won the Temple Gwathmey impressively, and Scorpiancer was a question mark despite having the highest NSA rating in a field of six for the three-mile Nashville classic. 

Three weeks made a big difference in his conditioning, however, and a valiant effort by Scorpiancer and McDermott led to a second trip to the Iroquois Steeplechase winner's circle.

Bruton Street's Jaleo, third in the Temple Gwathmey, went to the lead at the start, but All the Way Jose took over after the first few fences and opened a six-length lead as the field passed under the wire for the first time.

Surprising Soul shadowed the leader while Scorpiancer and Moscato brought up the rear for the first circuit of the course. McDermott tipped his mount to the outside and closed the gap slightly as the field jumped the backstretch fences for the last time. 

Approaching the final two fences, Scorpiancer advanced on the outside as Moscato joined the race, and All the Way Jose tired slightly to surrender the lead to Surprising Soul two fences out.

Ross Geraghty powered Surprising Soul over the final two hurdles, and Scorpiancer pulled abreast as they jumped the last, then Scorpiancer responded to McDermott's entreaties and edged away to the finish and his second Calvin Houghland Iroquois victory.