The Iroquois Stakes [G3] was the first race for the Road to the Kentucky Derby. It weirdly was on the same day as the Derby this year, thanks to Covid. Won by a longshot, who had swung wide on the last turn and kept his momentum going, it was a very impressive finish for Sittin On Go.
I’m thinking there was some sort of bais on the track since all the horses that won seemed to not be on the rail. Authentic and Tiz the Law were both outside 3 or 4 wide on the first turn for instance.
The Start
Belafonte had a bad start that had a slow start and never really was a factor the rest of the race. Honestly, the start wasn’t a big issue for him since he was middle of the pack at the first call. Therideofalifetime and Notary both were on the outside post positions and took off fast at the getgo.
The Backstretch
Therideofalifetime held the lead through the back stretch. A few horses made moves on the inside of the track like Pico D’oro. Those inside moves turned out to be in vain since there was a slight bias to outside runners.
The Turn
The turn for home had some exciting moves in it. Sittin On Go had the most dramatic change by going from the back of the pack to winning on the turn. Midnight Bourbon was already within striking distance, so his bid wasn’t as exciting. Other horses like Ultimate Badger tried to make a move and the second they started making progress on the inside, they got put to shame by their outside rivals.
The Stretch
This is where Sittin On Go made a move that really impressed me. Him and Midnight Bourbon were battling for 1st on the stretch and Sittin On Go just started turning his feet over much quicker than his competition and pulled away with relative ease. That was the most exciting move for me.
Who Excites Me
After watching that race, the horses that most impressed me were Midnight Bourbon and Super Stock. Sittin On Go took advantage of a track bais which helped him. If he made his bid on the inside, I don’t think he would have been the winner. Super Stock had a great bid and did so a little closer to the rail than the other two that were in the money.