LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Albaugh Family Stables’ Sittin On Go roared past Midnight Bourbon at the sixteenth pole en route to a 2 ½-length victory in the 39th running of the $200,000 Iroquois Presented by Ford (GIII) for 2-year-olds.
Dennis Albaugh, winning owner of Sittin On Go, spoke of his amazing Derby week. “Man, to pick up the Pocahontas (with Girl Daddy on Thursday) and then follow it up with the Iroquois two days later is unreal. We couldn’t be happier. That’s why we’re in the racing business. That horse was unbelievable coming around the turn. I was like, ‘Man, he’s moving.’ “
Trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Corey Lanerie, Sittin On Go covered the mile on a fast main track in 1:35.
In addition to picking up 10 points toward the 2021 Kentucky Derby, the winner also earned a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Keeneland on Nov. 6.
“He broke really good and put me right where I thought he would be after watching his replay from Ellis Park. Down the backside, he was trying to get out on me. I don’t know why, but he settled in real nice. I was actually going to follow Dale’s (Romans) other horse (Ultimate Badger), but I had so much horse, I went to the outside and let him come on,” Lanerie recounted.
“Watching the races, it looked like the outside is the best place to be. I didn’t want any excuses for getting him stopped. I put him in the clear and he was just like his daddy (stakes winner Brody’s Cause),” he added.
Favored Therideofalifetime led the field of 10 through uncontested fractions of :23.04, :45.64 and 1:10. At the top of the lane, Midnight Bourbon made the first move at Therideofalifetime and opened a daylight advantage that evaporated at the sixteenth pole.
Although he is having an amazing week, jockey Florent Geroux who rode favorite Therideofalifetime to fourth said he was “Disappointed.”
“He broke sharp and made the lead very easily. He did not finish for some reason. I don’t know if it was too far for him or if it was too soon after the Saratoga race.” Geroux added.
The victory, the second in two starts for Sittin On Go, was worth $117,800 and boosted Sittin On Go’s earnings to $145,520. Sittin On Go is a Kentucky-bred son of Brody’s Cause out of the More Than Ready mare Set’n On Ready. Sittin On Go returned $50, $18.60 and $9.
“We’re having ourselves a great weekend. This horse reminds us a lot of his father (Brody’s Cause). We were pretty confident he’d be able to stretch out from his training and this race set up perfectly for us. We’re on to the Breeders’ Cup,” Romans exclaimed.
Midnight Bourbon, ridden by Gerardo Corrales, returned $6 and $4 and finished 1 ¾ lengths in front of Super Stock who paid $5.20 to show under Ricardo Santana Jr. It was another 5 ¼ lengths back to Therideofalifetime who was followed in order by Pico d’Oro, Notary, Ultimate Badger, Crazy Shot, Drop Anchor and Belafonte.
Trainer of Midnight Bourbon and Super Stock, Steve Asmussen, remarked that both are solid colts and had good finishing times. This race was just another step in the development of 2-year-olds that we hope end as good 3-year-olds.
Asmussen added, “Super Stock, he kind of stumbled just a tad away from there. He wasn’t exactly where we expected him to be early but I thought he adjusted and ran a solid race considering. And Midnight Bourbon ran really well. I thought he should have won from the position he was in but he was back on short rest and has room to improve.”
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Photo: Sittin On Go. Credit: Churchill Downs/Coglianese Photos
