Hollywood Star auditions for BC Juvenile in Iroquois

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dale Romans has a problem every trainer would love to have: how to keep his 2-year-olds separate before the Breeders’ Cup.

Romans has been prominent this summer on the road to the Nov. 4 BC Juvenile at Del Mar with a trio of colts owned by the Albaugh Family Stables: Hollywood Star (second in the Saratoga Special), Free Drop Billy (second in the Hopeful), and Dak Attack (winner of the Ellis Park Juvenile). With a critical final round of preps beginning Saturday with the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs, Romans chose Hollywood Star as his leadoff hitter.

“The timing and everything else makes this the right spot for him,” Romans said. “Every 2-year-old in our barn is a Kentucky Derby horse until they prove us wrong. Obviously we’ve got some really nice ones right now for the Albaugh family. This colt has run well both starts and we’re hoping for more of the same in the Iroquois.”

The $150,000 Iroquois shapes up as a legitimate test for all 10 colts and geldings. At 1 1/16 miles, it’s not only a Win and You’re In event for the BC Juvenile, but also the first points race (10-4-2-1) for the 2018 Kentucky Derby.

Kenny McPeek will send out Ten City as a top threat. The son of Run Away and Hide won the Bashford Manor here in late June, defeating the highly regarded Copper Bullet, before finishing third as the odds-on favorite in the Ellis Juvenile.

“We’re really excited about sending him around two turns,” McPeek said. “I’ve thought all along that more ground was going to benefit him. Hopefully he can get a good trip Saturday and stamp his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Jack Gilligan has a return call on Ten City, who will break from post 1, right alongside Hollywood Star (post 2, Robby Albarado).

Fringe players in the Iroquois include The Tabulator (post 9, Jose Valdivia Jr.) and the uncoupled Mark Casse duo of Flameaway (post 7, Julien Leparoux) and Mo Diddley (post 10, Corey Lanerie).

The Tabulator, trained by Chicago kingpin Larry Rivelli, has been visually impressive in two career starts, both in July, winning an Arlington maiden race by nine lengths before romping in an ungraded stakes at Prairie Meadows.

Flameaway also is unbeaten in two starts, having accounted for his debut over the Woodbine synthetic before capturing an ungraded stakes over the Saratoga mud. Mo Diddley figures as a serious pace factor when stretching out here. He contested a hot pace before fading badly behind Copper Bullet and Hollywood Star in the Saratoga Special.

Completing the lineup are Pont Du Gard, Tres Equis, Ebben, Smart Remark, and Big Gemmy.

This is the 36th running of the Iroquois, a former fall meet fixture that was moved in 2013, when Churchill assumed September dates from Turfway Park. Named for the picturesque park located just south of the track, the Iroquois directly precedes its filly counterpart, the Pocahontas, as the 10th of 11 races.