The Iselin Stakes (Grade 3)- $250.000 Purse
MTH- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
August 16, 2025

Last month, Schopenhauer ran here in the MTH Cup, fresh off a great win in the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes, and even though he did still go off as a longshot, he seemed to have a great shot. He would not run well but returned to MTH in hopes of getting redemption in the Iselin Stakes. Since March, this gelding has been inconsistent but certainly had the ability to step up here on Saturday. He got off to a much better start, and perhaps that was a big factor in why he did not run well last month and would go wire to wire to grab the win! He is trained by Maxmillion Farm and had E Jaramillo aboard. For each, it is their first Iselin trophy! Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:40.67, and that is a new stake record when run at this distance. Let’s take a look at it:

(1/4 Mile- :23.40)- Our eventual winner from Maxmillion Farm, Schopenhauer gets off to a strong start, but he is not alone as The Sidley Stud’s Distant Breeze, the one we did pick to win, is right there with him. At first call, Schopenhauer has a very slight advantage as he runs on the rail. With a length of these two, and positioned right between them is the third place Lunar Victory, for Mb Stables. There’s a break of about two to the Ajm Stables- trained Themefrom Antarctica, then nearly three lengths from him to Investment Center (TwinTowersRacing). Theegala (Alydar Stables) runs right behind him.

(½ Mile- :46.84)- We head down the backstretch with the two leaders still running well. Schopenhauer is still in front while on the rail, and Distant Breeze is still within him, a half-length to the outside. Lunar Victory opts to tuck in right behind Schopenhauer at this point. Themefrom Anarctica is still about two lengths behind this group, and the gap is larger to the trailers, Investment Center and Theegala.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Schopenhauer and Distant Breeze continue to hold the top two spots as they round the turn, but Schopenhauer is starting to look just a little better than his rival, and that could be all that was needed. The two of them have left Lunar Victory in their dust, but no one else is making a charge yet, including Themefrom Anarctica, who had not cut into the deficit at all. Further back, if Investment Center and Theegala were saving something the time was now to show it.

(Finish- 1:40.67)- In the stretch, Schopenhauer continued to be just a little bit better than Distant Breeze was with every stride, and that would be all that was needed as he scores the win, doing so by a length. Distant Breeze is a clear second over Themefrom Anarctica, who was merely the best of the rest to be third. Theegala gets the fourth place check narrowly over Investmest Center, with the fatigued Lunar Victory at the back.

About The Winner- Schopenhauer, trained by Maxmillion Farm and ridden to victory by E Jaramillo is a six-year-old gelding by Spiral Out Keepgoing and is out of Tia Tamara. He was bred by Patterson Stables in California as a fourth quarter two-year-old and was acquired by Maxmillion Farm for $25.000 in a July 2022 private sale. The win is his sixth in 23 starts, and his second stake win, each of which are graded. His career earnings are now $767.000.

Track: Fast
Time: :23²  :46⁴  1:10³  1:40³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 3 Paid 19.40
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 3 – 4 Paid 98.60

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES