By Don Clippinger
Bruton Street-US's Scorpiancer (Ire) (Scorpion {Ire}) is back. He's back at the top level, and on Saturday he returned to the winner's circle after prevailing in the G1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Steeplechase S. for the second time in three years.
A world of difference separated those two efforts, though. He all but danced over the finish line in 2017 and was throttled down to win by 16 lengths. On the strength of that victory and a prior win in the G2 Temple Gwathmey Handicap, he was voted the year's Eclipse Award as steeplechase champion.
Scorpiancer sat out the rest of the 2017 season, and all of 2018. His trainer, Jack Fisher, sent him out for the Temple Gwathmey on Apr. 20, and the now 10-year-old was pulled up, a tired horse. Maybe, just maybe, he didn't have the old fire.
On Saturday, however, under muggy and occasionally rainy skies at Nashville's Percy Warner Park, Scorpiancer proved that the fire still burns brightly. Unlike in 2017, this time Scorpiancer and jockey Sean McDermott had to dig deep down to get past a dead-game Surprising Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}) and win by one gritty length.
Bruton Street-US's Moscato (Fr) (Hernando {Fr}), the impressive Temple Gwathmey winner after also missing the 2018 season, finished a hard-closing third, a head behind Wendy Hendriks' Surprising Soul. Buttonwood Farm's All the Way Jose (Senor Swinger) finished fourth in a field of six.
Scorpiancer ran the Calvin Houghland Iroquois' three miles–America's longest hurdle stakes race–in 5:43.80 on turf rated as good.
Bruton Street's third starter, Jaleo (Ger) (New Approach {Ire}), went out at the break, but All the Way Jose wanted the lead more and seized the front end after the first few fences. He led by as many as six lengths as the field passed under the finish line for the first time, with Surprising Soul and jockey Ross Geraghty shadowing him.
Scorpiancer and Moscato were at the back as the field turned into the backstretch run the final time, and McDermott moved his mount to the outside while reducing All the Way Jose's advantage slightly.
The serious running began on the uphill run to the stretch. As All the Way Jose began to tire ever so slightly, Surprising Soul gained the lead in the stretch, and Geraghty pressed him over the last two fences. Scorpiancer advanced on the outside, came into close contention two out, and was on even terms with Surprising Soul over the last.
They battled for several strides until Scorpiancer edged away from his game opponent and proved that he was back to the top level of jump racing.
CALVIN HOUGHLAND IROQUOIS HURDLE S., (NB) $150,000, Percy Warner, 5-11, 4yo/up, 3mT, 5:43.80, gd.
1–SCORPIANCER (IRE), 158, g, 10, Scorpion (Ire)–Janebailey
(GB), by Silver Patriarch (Ire). (€26,000 3yo '12 GOJUN).
O-Bruton Street-US; B-Mrs Mary O'Connor (IRE); T-Jack O.
Fisher; J-Sean McDermott. $90,000. Lifetime Record:
Champion steeplechaser, 20-7-5-4, $545,360.
2–Surprising Soul, 158, g, 7, Perfect Soul (Ire)–Elusive Surprise,
by Elusive Quality. ($9,000 4yo '16 FTKFEB). O-Wendy W.
Hendriks; B-Charles Fipke (ON); T-Richard J. Hendriks. $27,000.
3–Moscato (GB), 158, g, 8, Hernando (Fr)–Alba Stella (GB), by
Nashwan. (€42,000 Ylg '12 GOFORB). O-Bruton Street-US;
B-Miss K. Rausing (GB); T-Jack O. Fisher. $15,000.
Margins: 1, HD, 13HF. Odds: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00.
Also Ran: All the Way Jose, Jaleo (Ger), Gibralfaro (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
