Jonathan’s Way gate-to-wire in the Iroquois (Coady Media)
Churchill Downs Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Road to the Kentucky Derby continues next Saturday at Churchill Downs, where Rigney Racing’s Iroquois Stakes (Grade III) winner Jonathan’s Way headlines a competitive field of 10 2-year-olds entered in the 98th running of the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII), the featured race on the Stars of Tomorrow II program.
The 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club will be run as Race 11 on the 12-race program with a post time of 5:48 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 1 p.m. The card also will feature its filly counterpart, the $400,000 Golden Rod (GII) in Race 9, which is part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks Prep Season. Additional stakes on the program are the $225,000 Ed Brown in Race 6 and the $225,000 Fern Creek in Race 10.
Trained by Phil Bauer, Jonathan’s Way burst onto the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a commanding 2 ¾-length score in the Iroquois in September and earned 10 qualifying points toward a spot in the starting gate for Kentucky Derby 151. After his standout performance, the Ohio-bred colt was among the top choices for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) but finished a disappointing seventh after chasing a moderate early pace set by eventual winner Citizen Bull. Jockey Joel Rosario, aboard for the Iroquois and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, retains the mount and will guide Jonathan’s Way on Saturday from post No. 2.
Jonathan’s Way will face several promising 2-year-olds including Grey Stakes (GIII) winner He’s Not Joking; Saratoga Special (GII) runner-up First Resort; and Breeders’ Futurity (GI) third-place finisher Filoso.
The field for the Kentucky Jockey Club in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):
· He’s Not Joking (Florent Geroux, Josie Carroll)
· Jonathan’s Way (Rosario, Bauer)
· Tiztastic (Cristian Torres, Steve Asmussen)
· Dapper Moon (Ricardo Santana Jr., Dallas Stewart)
· Filoso (John Velazquez, Chad Summers)
· Clock Tower (Gerardo Corrales, Wesley Ward)
· Sonic Skidaddle (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh)
· First Resort (Luis Saez, Eoin Harty)
· Render Judgment (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek)
· Redacted (Edgar Morales, Dallas Stewart)
The Kentucky Jockey Club is a Road to the Kentucky Derby Prep Season race that offers qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward a spot in the starting gate for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI).
Churchill Downs’ Stars of Tomorrow programs, inaugurated in 2005, have launched the careers of some of horse racing’s biggest stars, including Kentucky Derby winners Mystik Dan, Mandaloun, and Super Saver, along with Kentucky Oaks winners Thorpedo Anna, Pretty Mischievous, Secret Oath, Monomoy Girl, Believe You Can and Rachel Alexandra.
