Jonathan’s Way won the first points race toward the 2025 Kentucky Derby on the front end by a professional 2 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs. The Vekoma colt is now targeting the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.
“It was an unbelievable day for our barn,” said trainer Phil Bauer, who trains the Ohio-bred for Rigney Racing. “Watching him turn for home in the Iroquois, he looked so comfortable on the front end. His ears told a story – he was just waiting for Joel [Rosario] to ask for more. And, really, Joel didn’t have to push him much at all.
“For only his second start, he showed a lot of heart and gave us a new dimension in his running style. He cooled out great and was perfect [Sunday] morning.”
The one-mile Iroquois, in which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 89 and 10 points toward the 2025 Derby, was the second career start for Jonathan’s Way. In his first race, going six furlongs at Saratoga, he was left well back after being pinched at the start and circled the field to win.
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Bauer said Jonathan’s Way is not likely to race again prior to the Breeders’ Cup, and he will do the majority of his training at Churchill Downs.
“I think we’ll train up,” Bauer said. “Talented horses, you’ve just got to keep them happy, so that’ll be the key. . . . We like staying home and training here.”
While the Iroquois was not a Win and You’re In automatic qualifier for the Juvenile, it is part of the Breeders’ Cup’s “Dirt Dozen” program, a series of races where the top three finishers earn bonus funds that can be utilized toward pre-entry and entry fees.
The sister race to the Iroquois, the Grade 3, $300,000 Pocahontas Stakes, is a Dirt Dozen race toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and awarded 2025 Kentucky Oaks points. That race was won by La Cara, with a 71 Beyer.
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