2019 Eclipse Awards: Scorpiancer

Had there been parimutuel betting on the Grade 1 Iroquois Hurdle Stakes at Percy Warner Park in Tennessee in May, it’s a safe assumption Scorpiancer would have been an outsider.

Even with his reputation as the Eclipse Award champion steeplechaser of 2017, Scorpiancer had missed the 2018 season and failed to finish his first start of 2019, in the Grade 3 Temple Gwathmey Handicap Hurdle in Middleburg, Va., on April 20.

:: Full list of 2019 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

But comebacks have always been a strength for Scorpiancer, and he won the Iroquois Hurdle and is once again a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding steeplechaser of 2019.

Back in 2017, Scorpiancer won the Gwathmey in his first start in more than six months, followed by a victory in that year’s Iroquois Hurdle Stakes. Those wins clinched the championship even though Scorpiancer was sidelined for the rest of that season and the following year because of a tendon injury.

The $150,000 Iroquois on May 11 is the richest race on the springtime jump-race calendar and a strong early season test of stamina. Scorpiancer’s one-length victory over Surprising Soul and four others was the highlight of his four-race campaign in 2019. Ridden by Sean McDermott, Scorpiancer closed from fourth to take the lead with a three-wide move.

Trainer Jack Fisher planned to give Scorpiancer a rest during the summer, and he returned in the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Hurdle at Belmont Park in September. Facing a competitive field that included Winston C, another finalist for the 2019 Eclipse Award, Scorpiancer was 6-1 in a field of nine. Third early, Scorpiancer could not sustain the effort and faded to finish fifth in the $150,000 race, 8 1/2 lengths behind Surprising Soul.

In his final start of 2019, Scorpiancer was part of a strong field of 12 in the Grade 1 Grand National Hurdle at 2 5/8 miles on the undulating course at Far Hills, N.J., on Oct. 19. With a purse of $450,000, the Grand National is the autumn goal for many in American steeplechasing, and has drawn shippers from Europe in recent years.

Scorpiancer was the 13-1 fourth choice, but was the lowest price of the domestic challengers. Ridden by regular rider McDermott, Scorpiancer was fifth for the first two miles. Brain Power and Wicklow Brave were clear of their rivals approaching the final obstacle when Wicklow Brave fell, leaving Brain Power well clear and on his way to victory

Scorpiancer negotiated the last hurdle and held off a late run from the talented Moscato to hold second. For Scorpiancer, a 10-year-old gelding in 2019, the Grand National was his 22nd start of a career that began in Great Britain in 2014. The 2019 season was one of perseverance for Scorpiancer, with his finest hour on a spring day outside of Nashville.