Snap Decision’s bid to become the first horse to win the Calvin Houghland Iroquois three consecutive years was foiled in 2023, but owner Bruton Street isn’t giving up on the 10-year-old gelding.
Snap Decision is back in the field for the 83rd running of the $200,000 Grade I stakes race Saturday at Percy Warner Park. And he won’t have to deal with Scaramanga, who made a strong run down the stretch to beat him in the three-mile featured race over 16 fences in 2023.
Snap Decision finished second followed by Scorpion’s Revenge.
“The Iroquois looks really good with Snap Decision back,” Iroquois chairman Dwight Hall said. “He got beat last year, but he ran in Middleburg (Virginia) a couple of weeks ago and gave away anywhere from 12 to 20 pounds and still won. He won by six or eight lengths and looked really impressive. He’ll be very formidable and it will be fun to see if he can win for the third time.”
Here’s what you need to know about the 2024 Iroquois Steeplechase:
Snap Decision can tie the Iroquois record for wins
While Snap Decision’s bid to win three straight Iroquois came up short, he can still leave his mark. With a win Saturday Snap Decision will tie Uncle Edwin as the only three-time winner of the historic race. Uncle Edwin won in 1982, 1985 and 1986.
Snap Decision, who led much of last year’s race, will face almost an entirely new field of challengers Saturday. Of the six entries only Noah And The Ark is back from last year. He finished fifth in last year’s field of eight, but won the Grand National Steeplechase at Far Hills, New Jersey, last fall.
“Far Hills is the biggest Grade I so he’ll be a horse to watch in our race,” Hall said. “And there are some other competitive horses.”
SCARAMANGA BEATS SNAP DECISION: Scaramanga spoils Snap Decision’s bid for a three-peat in Iroquois Steeplechase championship
Local entry in the Iroquois
Along with Snap Decision and Noah And The Ark the rest of the field includes Vae Patron, Jimmy P, Sebastopol and Zabeel Champion.
Vae Patron is locally owned.
He is a 5-year-old bay owned by Leipers Fork Steeplechase. He is trained by Leslie Young and will be ridden in the Iroquois by Jamie Bargary.
Another local horse, Andy Dufresne, owned by Del Rio Racing in Franklin, was originally in the Iroquois field but pulled out at midweek.
Iroquois will be the fifth of seven races
A total of seven races are scheduled with the Iroquois being the fifth. The Iroquois is expected to start at 3:40 p.m.
The Iroquois was the last race of the day for many years, but moved to earlier in the day in 2023.
“Toward the end of the day the track is getting torn up, you’ve already had six races on it, and you want to have the best surface you can for your Grade I race and that was one reason we moved it,” Hall said. “The other reason was just like a football game or a hockey game you get within two minutes left and everybody’s trying to get out of there. We’re the same way. We had people leaving before the biggest race. So we thought we’d move it to the middle of the day when we still have the whole crowd there and have their attention.”
The other races include the Bright Hour 2 3/4-mile hurdle, George Sloan and John Sloan Sr. maiden 2 1/4-mile hurdle divisions I and II, Green Pastures 2 1/4-mile hurdle, Margaret Currey Henley 2 1/4-mile hurdle and the Mason Houghland Memorial 3-mile timber.
Starting times, weather, tickets and other details
Gates open at 8 a.m. with approximately 25,000 spectators expected.
Opening ceremonies and the parade of hounds is at noon and races begin at 1 p.m. The final race is expected to finish by 5:30 p.m.
The weather forecast is for sunny skies with temperatures in the mid- to upper-70s and only a slight chance for rain.
For tickets or more information visit bit.ly/3URsi2j. Box seats are sold out.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville steeplechase 2024: Snap Decision can make Iroquois history
