Expert Pick of the Week: 2025 Iroquois Stakes

Sep 11, 2025 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Nothing Personal wins at Colonial Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

A total of 10 two-year-olds will run one mile on the dirt at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., in Saturday’s $300,000 Iroquois S. (G3). The race is the first stop on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby, where the top-five finishers of the contest will earn qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 structure towards the Kentucky Derby on May 2.

In the evenly-matched Iroquois, Nothing Personal made his first run at Colonial Downs in Virginia on Aug. 9 and looked very good for trainer Greg Compton. Racing at the tricky distance of seven furlongs for a first-time runner, the colt blew by his eight foes turning for home and powered clear to record an 8 ¾-length victory in impressive style. He was bought for a sum of $270,000 in May by his current connections, and the son of good sire Violence has prepared for this contest in a positive manner, as well.

Nothing Personal has a mother who was a really good horse, and he looks to be following in her footsteps. He is a chestnut colt who will be making his first run in Kentucky and could be up to the task while facing off with several talented youngsters on Saturday. His jockey will be Jaime Rodriguez.

Royal Spa schooling in the @ChurchillDowns paddock ahead of Saturday’s @FasigTiptonCo Locust Grove (G2). pic.twitter.com/tefQUY6ybb

— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) September 11, 2025

Trainer Eddie Kenneally will saddle Comport, who is the favorite for the tilt. The two-year-old captured his first race on June 1 at this track and was last seen defeating stakes runners at Ellis Park in easy fashion. He has improved with each of his three races to date and should benefit from having already run over the Churchill Downs surface in the past. Since his last tally, the contender has put in three timed morning workouts to prepare for his hardest race thus far, and I expect him to be among the leaders from the start of this event. Tyler Gaffalione, who rode Comport in his most recent race, will once again be on top of the two-year-old on this occasion.

Expert Pick of the Week

An exacta box consisting of #1 Nothing Personal and #7 Comport in the 2025 Iroquois Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.

$10 exacta box 1-7

Bonus Play for the Pocahontas Stakes (Race 6)

$10 win #5 Our Two Girls

$5 exacta 5 with 2,3