Copper Bullet points to Iroquois Stakes at Churchill

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Copper Bullet, the four-length winner of Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special, will be pointed to the Grade 3, $150,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept. 16, trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday.

The Iroquois, run at 1 1/16 miles around two turns, is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.

In two starts at Churchill, Copper Bullet won a maiden race by eight lengths and finished a troubled second in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor.

“With him already having four races, one more [before Breeders’ Cup] will be plenty, and he’s spent a lot of time at Churchill,” Asmussen said.

In the Special, Copper Bullet attended a strong early pace and sill finished strong and galloped out well.

“Glad to validate what we were thinking before the race,” Asmussen said.

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Copper Bullet ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.45 and was assigned a Beyer Speed Figure of 77.

Pure Silver, who won Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack Stakes by 9 1/2 lengths, is under consideration to run back in the Grade 1 Spinaway here Sept. 2, trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday.

“The Grade 1 status is certainly attractive,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Being a Grade 2 winner now, it would add to her value. It’ll come down to if she tells us she’s ready to come back in that time frame.”

Pure Silver, a New York-bred daughter of Mission Impazible, remained unbeaten in three starts. She covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.22 and was assigned a Beyer of 84.