Lucky Player springs 11-1 upset in Iroquois

As Mr. Z went to the early lead, Lucky Player prompted him through splits of

:24 2/5, :49 2/5 and 1:14 4/5 on the fast track. Hashtag Bourbon raced keenly in

the next flight on the rail, covered up by Cleveland Sound. Bold Conquest was

also within striking range on the outside, along with Danny Boy.

Turning into the stretch, Lucky Player readily dispatched a weakening Mr. Z,

and Bold Conquest advanced to join the fray. Still trapped behind them was

Hashtag Bourbon, full of run with nowhere to go at a crucial point. By the time

that the son of 2010 Kentucky Derby hero Super Saver finally found a seam, it

was too late for him to make more of an impact.

Lucky Player and Bold Conquest were both finishing strongly off the slow

pace. Although Bold Conquest briefly headed Lucky Player, the eventual winner

came again to deny his stable companion and completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:45 3/5.

Lucky Player rewarded his backers with a $25 win payout.

"He had a clean trip; he's a really nice horse," winning rider Ricardo

Santana Jr. said. "He relaxed really nicely. When we were turning for home and I

asked him, he really showed his class in this race. I was pretty confident going

into this race.

"When I rode him at Prairie Meadows and he came down the stretch and saw all

the lights, I think he almost got caught in it a little bit. I had more

confidence in him running during the day. He's a nice horse. I told Mr. Asmussen

after I broke his maiden here that I definitely wanted to ride him again."

"Lucky Player was laying extremely well, he was in a perfect spot," Asmussen

said. "Ricardo gave him a great trip. I think he benefited a lot from his

two-turn race that he had previously, and then Bold Conquest, I think he was a

little wide early, not a lot of pace but he still continued well.

"I thought they both looked well, they looked good under the wire, they

maintained the margin and I think both horses will get better with experience.

"I think with Lucky Player, with four races already, and a different type,

(and) Bold Conquest being a bigger and heavier horse with the two turns, he

would most likely come back sooner. We'll see how they come out of this

attitude-wise and see how they go back to the track."

Asmussen was not the only one celebrating the exacta. The result was also a

triumph for leading sire Smart Strike, for the top two are both by two of his

best sons at stud -- Lucky Player being by Lookin at Lucky and Bold Conquest by

Hall of Famer Curlin. Thus the Iroquois could be a harbinger of a long-term

influence from the Smart Strike sire line.

Hashtag Bourbon checked in another 1 1/2 lengths back in third, and Danny Boy

was a one-paced fourth. There was a 6 1/4-length gap back to Mr. Z, followed by

Cleveland Sound, Holy Frazier, Dekabrist and The Gorilla Man.

Lucky Player improved his mark to 4-2-1-0, $115,691. His near-miss in the

Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile has turned out to be a key race. Aside from his

coming back to take the Iroquois, the Prairie Meadows feature also produced the

top two in Saturday's Arlington-Washington Futurity -- Recount, third in the

Juvenile Mile, gained narrow revenge on Juvenile Mile winner Private Prospect.

Bred in Florida by Destiny Oaks of Ocala, Lucky Player failed to reach his

reserve at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga last August when bringing a bid of $175,000.

The bay is the first registered foal from the Storm Cat mare Janetstickettocats,

a half-sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Runway Model, multiple Grade 2-placed

stakes scorer Mambo Train and Grade 3-placed Elena Strikes. Another of the

mare's half-siblings, Mama Tia, produced this season's Winning Colors victress

Southern Honey, most recently third in the August 30 Prioress.

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