Iroquois Recap

Newsletter  #42  Sun. 10/28/12

Iroquois Stakes G3  CD  R10

This isn't usually a race of any importance but sometimes the winner takes something else along the Triple Crown trail and that's what I do, follow the trail.

Overanalyze will probably be the favorite being a Pletcher horse and having won his last in a G2 at BEL. I'm kind of undecided concerning his pedigree. He won nicely last time with a change of tactics coming off the pace. Having won a sprint last time doesn't tell us anything about his ability to get a distance but this is only a mile and he figures to contend here. A longer distance down the road is another story.

Uncaptured is a nicely bred youngster that had ripped off four wins in a row. He became a bridgejumper in his last when he failed to hit the board at odds on. I saw that race and he ran into trouble in the stretch and was taken up. There was an inquiry but no DQ. I don't know how much closer he could have been but he's been too good to disregard off one shaky race. His pedigree says he could be a good one.

Positively has a positively super pedigree and I thought he could be special but he's had a problem in his last two. He got knocked around at the start of the Bashford and dropped to last but was really coming at the end and almost caught Circle Unbroken who is a nice one but is sidlined. He had a bad post in his last, the Breeders Fut., and had to drop way out of it to get to the rail but was really motoring down the lane. I'd really like to go with this one but with the outside post at this distance he'd have to get lucky to get any kind of position. I will be following him this winter and think he has the goods to get the longer distances.

Heaven's Runway has a nice pedigree and some speed. Hasn't met much yet but could be better than he's shown so far. Might have a chance if able to get loose.

Five Iron has speed and is kind of inbred to the RAN line but I have doubts about his long distance talent.

Pataky Kid ran a big one at this distance winning a G3 at AP but he's another inbred to RAN and may not like anything longer than 8-8 1/2f.

1- Positively...decided to take a shot and hope for a good trip.
2- Overanalyze...should be there at the end
3- Uncaptured...may be better than this
4- Pataky Kid...may bounce right back at this distance
Long Shot...Heaven's Runway...may carry his speed this distance.

Backstretch

RECAP
Overconfident ride by Calvin! This is not to say he would have won but it could have been a lot closer. Calvin got him out of the gate good and used him some to gain position because he didn't want to get shuffled back to last again. Took hold and had a good spot but made a premature big 5 wide move around the turn.

Uncaptured, the winner, is a really nice bred colt. Inbred with that Round Table in the tail should be at home in the classic distances. As I said, he got blocked in his last so he was much better than he looked off his last.

I've been up in the air about the breeding of Overanalyze and have my doubts about him getting a distance of ground. He didn't beat much in his last and it showed. I guess he won't be on my list of TC contenders.