Sittin On Go Bombs Iroquois

LOUISVILLE, KY – Albaugh Family Stables’ Sittin On Go drew off late to post a 24/1 bomb on the tote in Saturday’s $200,000 Iroquois Stakes Presented by Ford (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The Iroquois is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event, with Sittin On Go receiving an automatic berth in the TVG Juvenile Presented by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) at Keeneland this November.

The Iroquois is also part of the Road to the 2021 Kentucky Derby prep race season. Sittin On Go earned 10 points for the win, with Midnight Bourbon receiving 4 for second, Super Stock 2 for third, and Therideofalifetime 1 for fourth.

Ignored by the betting public as he broke from post 2 under Corey Lanerie, Sittin On Go dwelt in ninth early, watching from a handful of lengths back as the 4/5 favorite Therideofalifetime set the early pace.

With Notary giving closest watch, Therideofalifetime posted opening fractions of :23.04, :45.64, and 1:10.00, but the quick internal fractions may have done in the bettors’ choice, who began to grow leg-weary by the top of the stretch.

Lanerie sent Sittin On Go out five-wide nearing the exit of the far turn as he geared up for a strong stretch run. Let loose while in the clear, Sittin On Go overtook new leader Midnight Bourbon at the 1/16 pole before drawing off to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

The Dale Romans trainee completed the one-turn fast dirt mile in a final time of 1:35.00.

“Down the backside, he was trying to get out on me,” Lanerie said. “I don’t know why, but he settled in real nice. I was actually going to follow Dale’s other horse (Ultimate Badger), but I had so much horse, I went to the outside and let him come on. Watching the races, it looked like the outside is the best place to be. I didn’t want any excuses for getting him stopped.”

Midnight Bourbon finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of his Steve Asmussen stablemate Super Stock. Therideofalifetime faded once headed and dropped back to fourth, a 1/2-length ahead of Pico d’Oro.

Notary, Ultimate Badger, Crazy Shot, Drop Anchor, and Belafonte completed the order of finish.

Dreamer’s Disease was scratched.

Sittin On Go’s win was his second from as many career starts, having broken his maiden by 4 1/4 lengths in a 5-furlong dirt dash at Ellis Park on August 16. His sire, Brody’s Cause, broke his maiden as a 33/1 longshot while going 1 mile here on September 11, 2015, then won the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) – all for the same connections as Sittin On Go.

“We’re having ourselves a great weekend,” said Romans, who also saddled the Albaugh-owned Girl Daddy to win Thursday’s Pocahontas Stakes (G3), a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. “This horse reminds us a lot of his father. We were pretty confident he’d be able to stretch out from his training and this race set up perfectly for us. We’re on to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Sittin On Go returned $50 to win, $18.60 to place, and $9 to show. Midnight Bourbon brought back $6 to place and $4 to show, while Super Stock paid $5.20 to show.