Scorpiancer proved much the best in Saturday’s $200,000 Calvin Houghland Iroquois (G1) at Percy Warner Park in Nashville, the first top-level hurdle of the season.
Under Sean McDermott, the eight-year-old chased the leading Andi’amu from second through the first circuit and, on the backstretch of the second circuit, took control. The top two were well clear of the rest field at that point.
“I was very surprised to see, between my legs down the backstretch, no one in sight,” McDermott said.
Scorpiancer soon opened up an insurmountable advantage, while Hinterland eventually passed Andi’amu approaching the far turn. Scorpiancer won easily in the highly strung-out field.
Scorpiancer covered three miles in 5:37 under glorious sunshine. He’s owned by Mike Hankin’s Bruton Street – US, and is trained by Jack Fisher, who also saddled Hinterland and also-ran Mr. Hot Stuff.
Hinterland, making his first start since September 2015, finished well ahead of Andi’amu. Martini Brother was fourth, while 2015 steeplechase champion Dawalan, making his first start since his championship year, was never a factor.
A distant fourth to eventual champion Rawnaq in last year’s Iroquois, Scorpiancer blossomed last summer and fall, placing in the A.P. Smithwick Memorial (G1) and New York Turf Writers Cup (G1) at Saratoga before winning the Lonesome Glory (G1) at Belmont Park by more than two lengths.
Closing down 2016 with a narrow loss to Rawnaq in the Grand National (G1), Scorpiancer is now two-for-two this term after opening the season with a neck score in the Temple Gwathmey (G3).
Bred in Ireland by Mary O’Connor, Scorpiancer is by Scorpion and out of the Silver Patriarch mare Janebailey.
