After enjoying a clear lead at every point of call on his way to a 4 1/2-length victory in his maiden special weight debut Aug. 19 at Saratoga Race Course, Risk It is entered for his stakes debut in the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (G3) Sept. 16 at Churchill Downs.
RISK IT, a 2YO by @Three_Chimneys stallion Gun Runner breaks his maiden under @Tyler_Gaff for trainer Steve Asmussen in the opener today at #Saratoga! pic.twitter.com/XddzM1yvTv
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) August 19, 2023
• Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm’s Risk It is campaigned by the same partnership that raced his record-breaking sire, Gun Runner . He was a $500,000 purchase from the Hidden Brook consignment at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
• Risk It is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who will be looking for his fourth victory in the Iroquois. Asmussen also has entered Courtlandt Farms’ Edified in Saturday’s one-turn mile test. The son of Tapit won his debut in a maiden special weight race July 1 at Ellis Park and enters off a fifth-place finish in the Aug. 12 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2).
• The Iroquois is a Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series race that will reward bonus credits toward entry fees in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) to the top three finishers, with $30,000 going to the winner.
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• The Iroquois also is the first qualifying race to the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1). It will reward qualifying points to the top five finishers: 10-5-3-2-1.
Entries: Iroquois S. (G3)
Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 16, 2023, Race 9
- Grade III
- 1m
- Dirt
- $300,000
- 2 yo
- 4:55 PM (local)
Empire Island Draws Rail for Pocahontas
Also on Saturday’s card, Kentucky stakes winners Hot Beach and Youalmosthadme face impressive debut winner Empire Island in the $300,000 Pocahontas Stakes (G3) for 2-year-old fillies also going the one-turn mile.
• Boardshorts Stables’ Hot Beach won the Ellis Park Debutante Stakes by two lengths Aug. 13 to become the first stakes winner for freshman sire Omaha Beach . The other placers from that race, runner-up Riperton and third-place Youalmosthadme, also are entered. In May Youalmosthadme won the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill.
• Eight of the expected nine starters are entered after races at Ellis Park; the lone exception is Marylou Whitney Stables’ homebred Empire Island. The daughter of Classic Empire rallied from third to win a maiden race in her Aug. 6 debut at Saratoga. Like that six-furlong test, Empire Island will again break from the inside under Ricardo Santana Jr.
• The Pocahontas is a Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series race that will reward bonus credits toward entry fees in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to the top three finishers, with $30,000 going to the winner.
• The Pocahontas also is the first qualifying race to the 2024 Kentucky Oaks (G1). It will reward qualifying points to the top five finishers: 10-5-3-2-1.
Entries: Pocahontas S. (G3)
Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 16, 2023, Race 7
- Grade III
- 1m
- Dirt
- $300,000
- 2 yo Fillies
- 3:50 PM (local)