Anticipation mounts regarding Dennis' Moment, the heavy Iroquois favorite

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Few people are more closely affiliated with Churchill Downs than Dale Romans. As the leading trainer in track history with 729 wins, his level of success is exceeded only by his desire to win the track’s signature race.

“You never really take your eye off the Kentucky Derby,” said Romans. “It’s always there somewhere in the back of your mind.”

And so it is that the 11-day September meet at Churchill will begin with Romans looking to take a major step toward the 146th Derby next May. The 53-year-old Louisville native will saddle Dennis’ Moment as a heavy favorite in the Iroquois Stakes, the first qualifying-points race toward the 2020 Derby and one of four Saturday stakes to kick off what surely will be an eventful meet.

Owned by the Albaugh Family Stables, Dennis’ Moment already has had an adventurous career in his two starts. The bay Tiznow colt lost jockey Robby Albarado shortly after the start of his June 23 debut at Churchill, then earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in winning a July 27 maiden race by 19 lengths at Ellis Park. Since that eye-catching triumph, Dennis’ Moment has breezed five times at Churchill, further heightening expectations.

“It was a lot different walking out of the winner’s circle than it was driving down to Ellis Park,” said Romans, who is 0 for 10 in the Derby. “He is truly a special horse. Obviously, there are a lot of miles to travel between now and the first Saturday in May; a lot can go right and a lot can go wrong. I’m in charge of making the right decisions, but I’ve sure got a lot to work with with this horse.”

Romans has called on star jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to travel from New York to ride Dennis’ Moment in the Grade 3 Iroquois, which shares the weekend spotlight with its sister race, the Grade 2 Pocahontas. Both $200,000 races for 2-year-olds will be run at 1 1/16 miles not only as the first points races toward the Derby and Kentucky Oaks, but also as Win and You’re In events toward the Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.

The Steve Asmussen duo of Rowdy Yates and Zyramid were among the opposition expected for Dennis’ Moment when Saturday entries are drawn Wednesday. Asmussen has one of the main players in the Pocahontas in Lotta Ott, a last-out maiden winner at Saratoga.

In the other two Saturday stakes, both for fillies and mares, Go Google Yourself will be favored in a medium-sized field in the Grade 3, $200,000 Locust Grove at 1 1/16 miles, while America’s Tale and Awestruck were among a short field expected for the $125,000 Open Mind at six furlongs.

Talk Veuve to Me, nominated to both filly-mare races, will run instead Monday in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters, said trainer Rudy Brisset.

Geroux suspended 3 days

Florent Geroux will sit out three days next week (Sept. 19, 20, 21) at Churchill after being suspended by the Kentucky Downs stewards for his ride aboard Lady Jenneviere, who was disqualified from first to second for interference in the sixth race opening day (Aug. 31).

Geroux has the highest mount earnings in Kentucky Downs history with more than $6.7 million.

Ortiz rides first 2 days

Jose Ortiz will ride the first two days of the Churchill meet before returning to his New York base. Ortiz, fresh from his meet-leading summer at Saratoga, already had set a record for single-meet mount earnings ($1.8 million-plus) as the leading jockey at Kentucky Downs before the Thursday closing-day card.

Ortiz, the Eclipse Award winner for top jockey in 2017, will return to Kentucky for much of the Keeneland fall meet next month.