By Stefanie Grimm
No sooner has the dust settled on the 2023 Triple Crown season that another one begins anew. The first points on the 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby were awarded Saturday with 'TDN Rising Star' Jonathan's Way (Vekoma) getting first dibs at a spot in the gate on the first Saturday in May with his win in the GIII Iroquois Stakes.
The Ohio-bred son of popular first-crop sire Vekoma impressed right away for Rigney Racing, earning 'TDN Rising Star' accolades in his Saratoga unveiling when overcoming a bad beginning to cruise home by 4 1/4 lengths Aug. 17. And with Joel Rosario retaining the mount for this jump up to the one-turn mile, Jonathan's Way looked to improve upon the 85 Beyer Speed Figure he earned in New York.
Breaking from the outside as the well-supported 6-5 favorite, the $290,000 Keeneland September grad was away much cleaner this go round and rocketed out to clear the field by the time they came out of the chute and connected with the main track. A trio of rivals gave chase in a line behind him and 16-1 longshot Magnitude (Not This Time) drew even with the leader along the outside through the opening quarter in :23.21. The field stayed tightly grouped into the far turn and another son of Not This Time, 24-1 shot Giocoso, took advantage past the half in :46.62 with a strong move into second as Jonathan's Way hugged the rail. But as the leaders swung off the turn, the outcome was never truly in doubt with the race favorite shaking off all comers, including a closing Owen Almighty (Speightstown), to come home with the win well in-hand. The effort awarded him 10 points towards the 2025 GI Kentucky Derby with a further points breakdown of 5-3-2-1 to the rest of the field. The final time for the one-turn mile was 1:36.08, nearly two seconds faster than the fillies ran two races earlier in the GIII Pocahontas Stakes.
“In his last start he didn't show that much speed from the gate, but when he broke so well today, he just took himself to the front and traveled so easily around there,” said Rosario. “Being only his second start, you have to be impressed with how he's handled so far and I think anything is possible for him down the Road to the Kentucky Derby.”
Winning trainer Phil Bauer added: “From the first day we bought him as a weanling we were impressed by him. We always knew how impressive he was training into his debut, and when he ran that day at Saratoga, he did so professionally after missing the break. Now, today showing a totally different dimension being on a lead, it's an amazing feeling moving forward. I'm still trying to put it all in perspective–we're the favorites on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.”
Pedigree Note:
Vekoma continues his strong run up the freshman sire's list. In addition to picking up his first graded stakes winner Saturday with Jonathan's Way, he also added a Grade I placing with 2-year-old filly Vixen in the GI Natalma Stakes at Woodbine. Out of a stakes-winning first dam, Jonathan's Way is one of six winners from six to race including MSP Startdfromdabottom (Kantharos). Dam Female Drama is from a heavy South American-influenced line with her half-sister New Real Deal (Roy) taking a pair of top-level wins in Argentina before producing a MGSP daughter in New You (Arg) (Remote {GB}). Female Drama has a yearling filly by Thousand Words named Dramatic Charlotte and reported a filly by Nashville this year. She returned to WinStar's Nashville for 2025.
#10 Jonathan's Way backs up his debut win and grabs the first Kentucky Derby prep race in the G3 Iroquois at @churchilldowns for trainer Phil Bauer with @jrosariojockey aboard! 🏆
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/JAoC3UdYUe
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 14, 2024
Saturday, Churchill Downs
IROQUOIS S.-GIII, $254,745, Churchill Downs, 9-14, 2yo, 1m, 1:36.08, ft.
1–JONATHAN'S WAY, 122, c, 2, by Vekoma
1st Dam: Female Drama (SW), by Indian Charlie
2nd Dam: Newhall Road, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Maiden Lane, by Roberto
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($290,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV). O-Rigney Racing, LLC;
B-Susan L Anderson Racing LLC (OH); T-Philip A. Bauer; J-Joel
Rosario. $131,130. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $186,130.
*1/2 to Startdfromdabottom (Kantharos), MSP, $287,732.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Owen Almighty, 122, c, 2, Speightstown–Tempers Rising,
by Bayern. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($360,000 Wlg '22
KEENOV; $350,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-Flying Dutchmen;
B-Mark Stanley (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch. $57,300.
3–Giocoso, 122, c, 2, Not This Time–Nutcracker Suite (Ire),
by Fastnet Rock (Aus). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK
TYPE. ($75,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Rocker O Ranch, LLC;
B-Breed First LLC (KY); T-J. Keith Desormeaux. $28,650.
Margins: 2 3/4, 4 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 1.26, 2.99, 24.58.
Also Ran: Mesero, Sandman, Jack's Time, Magnitude, Strummin, Authentic Strike, Firmus, Politicallycorrect. Scratched: First Resort.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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