MJM Racing’s promising 2-year-old filly V V’s Dream improved to 2-for-3 Sept. 16 in taking the $300,000 Pocahontas Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs by 8 3/4 lengths.
The Pocahontas was one of two graded events for juveniles Saturday beneath the Twin Spires—the other being the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (G3), won by 2-year-old colt West Saratoga .
With her only defeat in two prior starts being a second last out in the July 2 Debutante Stakes at Ellis Park to eventual Adirondack Stakes (G3) and Spinaway Stakes (G1) winner Brightwork , V V’s Dream was backed to 6-5 favoritism in the Pocahontas and ran to her strong support. After stalking a hotly contested pace, she closed three wide on the turn and overwhelmed the opposition.
Youalmosthadme ran second ahead of Hot Beach in third. Courbe and Riperton rounded out the top five, all of whom earned qualifying points toward next year’s Kentuck Oaks (G1) with Pocahontas the kickoff race of the series.
The Pocahontas also served as a Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series race, awarding bonus credits toward entry fees to the first three finishers for the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
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The Mark Stansell-bred winner raced a mile on a fast track in 1:36.45, paying $4.40 to win.
“I think stretching out around two turns shouldn’t be a problem in the future,” jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said.
She provided trainer Kenny McPeek with a second consecutive Pocahontas and his fourth overall. He returned his three prior Pocahontas winners in the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, where they were second, third, and eighth, respectively.
The winner is a gray 2-year-old daughter of Mitole, the 2019 Eclipse Award-winning male sprinter who stood this year for $15,000 at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington. His first foals are 2-year-olds, led by $297,605 earner V V’s Dream, Mitole’s first stakes winner.
Video: Pocahontas S. (G3)
Derby Dreams Begin for West Saratoga
About an hour after V V Dream’s success, another gray, West Saratoga, scored an upset in the one-mile Iroquois, which like the Pocahontas, awarded entry-fee credits as part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen program and qualifying points toward next year’s Kentucky Derby (G1). The credits to the top three finishers apply to the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
West Saratoga rallies to win the Iroquois Stakes
Winless over his first four starts, Harry Veruchi’s West Saratoga is now 2-for-2 since stretching out to a mile. In addition to Saturday’s race, he was a fast frontrunning winner of an Aug. 5 maiden race last out at Ellis Park.
Though that win came on the lead, he showed an off-the-pace style Saturday—which was beneficial after Patriot Spirit ran off and established an exhausting pace, setting a half-mile in :44.63 and six furlongs in 1:10.14.
The blazing splits took a toll on the leader and those chasing him, but West Saratoga, who rated in fourth early, had something left and rallied past down the stretch. The Larry Demeritte trainee completed a mile in 1:37.28, scoring by 1 3/4 lengths. He paid $26.96 for a $2 win wager.
West Saratoga earned 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and Risk It , Liberal Arts , Seize the Grey , and Edified grabbed points on a 5-3-2-1 scale for respectively finishing second through fifth.
“It’s very special to get started on the Road to the Kentucky Derby,” Veruchi said.
A $12,000 yearling purchase, West Saratoga is a 2-year-old son of 2016 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Exaggerator, who stood the 2023 season for $5,000 at Elite Thoroughbreds in Louisiana. His son, Skippylongstocking , won the $1 million Charles Town Classic (G2) last month.
Video: Iroquois S. (G3)
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