Major General survives challenges, objection in Iroquois Stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – First, Major General outdueled the stubborn favorite, Stellar Tap. Then, he held off a late charge from longshot Tough to Tame. And then, he had to wait even longer, circling under the lights beneath the twin spires while jockey Javier Castellano hopped off to make his case to the stewards on the phone following a claim of foul.

But ultimately, Major General emerged the official victor of the Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois Stakes on Saturday night at Churchill Downs, picking up several additional spoils. The Iroquois was the first race awarding its top finishers qualifying points toward a spot in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, with Major General picking up the bulk of those on the 10-4-2-1 scale. More immediately, the race awarded the winner a fees-paid berth into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Friday, Nov. 5, at Del Mar.

Major General ($11.80), a son of young classic sire Constitution, was one of several horses coming into the Iroquois off summer racing at Saratoga, having won his career debut going 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 21 for Todd Pletcher and owners WinStar Farm and Siena Farm.

Going two turns for the first time, the colt was fifth after a half-mile as Magnolia Midnight took the field through an opening half in 47.89 seconds while under pressure from Roger McQueen in second, with favored Stellar Tap sitting third, a length behind. The latter was coming off an even more noteworthy debut victory at Saratoga, as his maiden score on Aug. 7 gave trainer Steve Asmussen the all-time North American wins record.

:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2022: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more

Approaching the quarter pole, Stellar Tap poked his head in front as the two pacesetters faded, but Major General had worked his way up to second with a four-wide bid. Those two battled their way through upper stretch, with Major General edging his way to a half-length lead as Stellar Tap stubbornly clung to him. Their duel was the subject of a post-race objection claiming interference from Ricardo Santana aboard Stellar Tap, which was disallowed.

The favorite finally yielded in the final sixteenth, and Major General momentarily appeared home free. But on his outside came Tough to Tame, an Indiana Grand maiden and allowance winner who was sent away as the longest shot on the board. Major General ultimately lasted by a neck, stopping the clock in 1:44.88 for the 1 1/16 miles on the fast track.

"He's a young horse," Castellano said. "He's still developing a little bit, this was his first time going two turns. When he passed [Stellar Tap] and he ended up on the lead, he kind of looked around. Big crowd today, he's just a baby. But when he felt [Tough to Tame] outside him, he rebroke again. I like those types of horses."

After the top pair, it was just three-quarters of a length to Red Knobs, who edged Bourbon Heist by a half-length for third. They were followed, in order, by Stellar Tap, Guntown, Strike Hard, Husband Material, Roger McQueen, and Magnolia Midnight.

One race prior, favored Hidden Connection ($5.60) sat a perfect trip under Reylu Gutierrez en route to a record-setting 9 1/4-length score in the sister race to the Iroquois, the Grade 3, $300,000 Pocahontas Stakes.

Hidden Connection and Gutierrez sat a stalking trip off the hip of Lemieux as that filly set moderate opening splits of 24.26 for the quarter and 48.62 for the half. Hidden Connection began to move up on that foe around the far turn as Majestic d'Oro, who had been stalking the pace behind the top two, ranged up on the outside. Hidden Connection held her ground between horses and had plenty when Gutierrez asked for run, powering clear down the stretch while never threatened.

Mama Rina checked in a distant second, edging out Goddess of Fire by a neck.

"These are 2-year-olds and they want to be in the clear, they want to be confident," said Gutierrez, who earned his first win at Churchill Downs. "Her ears were pricked, and turning for home, when she switched to the right lead – what more could you ask for? I mean, I had a Mercedes-Benz. Everybody else had a Ford."

Hidden Connection stopped the clock in 1:43.78 for the 1 1/16 miles – not only more than a full second faster than the colts ran a race later, but also establishing a stakes record for the Pocahontas. Untapable, a champion the following season, set the previous record, 1:44.38 in 2013.

Hidden Connection, who is trained by Bret Calhoun for Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds, is now undefeated in two career starts. The filly, from the first crop of Connect, was trying two turns for the first time after winning her debut going 5 1/2 furlongs at Colonial Downs by 7 1/2 lengths on Aug. 17.

Like the Iroquois, the Pocahontas offered an automatic berth in a corresponding Breeders' Cup race, with Hidden Connection now owning a spot in the Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 5. The filly also earned 10 points toward next May's Kentucky Oaks.