2024 Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner Jonathan's Way will scratch from the Feb. 15 Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, trainer Phil Bauer told racetrack publicist Kevin Kerstein.
"We were really looking forward to running Jonathan's Way in the Risen Star but unfortunately he came up with an unsatisfactory blood count and we are going to scratch," Bauer said.
Rigney Racing's Jonathan's Way, a son of Vekoma , had been installed as the 4-1 morning-line second choice in the initial 13-horse lineup behind 9-5 favorite East Avenue, winner of last fall's Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. Jonathan Way's defection from the 1 1/8-mile race leaves Built and Vassimo as the secondary public choices in the Road to the Kentucky Derby prep.
Jonathan's Way had been scheduled to have his first start at age 3 in the Risen Star after completing a four-race campaign last year at age 2 by running second in the Nov. 30 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs. That race followed a seventh-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar.
The Breeders' Cup had been preceded by his 2 3/4-length Iroquois Stakes win over Owen Almighty at Churchill Sept. 14 and a promising debut at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 17 in which he overcame a troubled trip to score by 4 1/4 lengths.
His win in the Iroquois and runner-up finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club leaves him with 15 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points.
