The Iroquois ($200.00 Purse)
BEL- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward Foaled in NY
Six and a Half Furlongs on the Dirt
October 24, 2026

With a week to go until the BC, BEL is putting NY-breds in the spotlight with a full slate of action centered around those that call this great state home. In the Iroquois, we will see a field of six fillies and mares going six and a half furlongs on the main track. The $200.00 offered was a high for the race that was set last year, and it is good to see it returning. That race, held at AQU, was won by Asgar’s So Blitz, a now six year old mare who is still active, but has not run since March. Here’s a look at those taking part in the race’s return to BEL!

1- Neon Terra (First Flight Stable, ridden by K Carmouche)- The only way to go for Neon Terra is up. Why? Because she did run here in the Iroquois last year in what was also a field of six, but she failed to finish ahead of anyone. She did rebound nicely, winning the Staten Island at AQU, also a NY-bred race, a month later. Overall, Neon Terra doesn’t light the division on fire, but she typically puts forth a solid effort, and was second in the $200.00 Johnstone Mile, for NY-breds at SAR two back. We won’t talk about the Princess Rooney.

2- Diana (D J C Racing, ridden by A Beschizza)- On Halloween last year, Diana won an allowance at CD, and with her career off to a solid start, she would enter the stakes ranks. The Halloween decorations are back up this year, but Diana has not made a return trip to the winner’s circle or been a part of any exactas. She’s become a horse that typically runs somewhere in the middle of the field, so she’s not out of place, the trainer probably just needs to find another tenth or two in her. That makes the question of much her (at least) three pound weight allowance on the rest of the field can truly matter. Does she get over the hump here?

3- Queen Mia (Big Jd Racing, ridden by S Elliott)- Claimed by the trainer at the beginning of November last year, and spent several months running in Florida. Primarily, she was in turf sprints that were optional claimers, and was strong and consistent in all of them. In fact, you could make the case that with a little more luck at the wire, she would have won all of them. Moved north for the summer, and now will return to the stakes ranks for the first time in a while, and it’s her first time on dirt since the race she was claimed in. She’ll probably be okay with the surface, and the trainer did have a choice between this and the FM Turf Sprint Championship later in the card.

4- No Denying It (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by M J Sanchez)- Well, much like Diana, the pumpkins were on the people’s doorsteps the last time this filly won a race, coming five days before Halloween. There is no denying that she’s been an underachiever based on where the trainer has entered her, winning twice over sixteen starts. In 2026, she has only made $10.48 in five starts. The majority of that did come in her last race at PRX where she was third, but based on other performances there is not much that suggests she can do even better here. She’s here for a reason, and you never count out a TwinTowersRacing longshot. So, let’s see.

5- No Ones Complaining (Mb Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- While everyone else in this field seems to be using this race to move forward, No Ones Complaining is taking a step back. She’s been a regular graded runner during her career, and even won the Cotillion in 2025 as the shining moment in her career thus far. In her last three races, that has not been the case consistently as while she did hit the board in the Honorable Miss at SAR, the two races that surround it were not her best, including the Princess Rooney. You can see, then, why she’s taking a slight step back but if she is on her game, she’s going to be tough to be. Be cautious, because “on her game” is absolutely not a certainty.

6- Tricky Temper (Spb Racing, ridden by A Fresu)- After a long career with Sheffler Stables, Tricky Temper was claimed by Spb Racing in February for $20.00. Before the claim, she was very consistent, hitting the board in eleven straight at one point. All but one of those were in overnights, and with her new trainer, the trend of consistent results in overnights continued, albeit for higher purses that she had been running for before. She’s proven that she can step up when more is asked of her, and I believe she will do the same here.

Prediction: 6-5-1-3

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded