Ironicus captures Fort Marcy S. (G3) in 2016 debut

Away from the races since last September, Ironicus was triumphant in his first 2016 outing with a 1 1/2-length score Saturday in the $150,000 Fort Marcy S. (G3) over the Belmont Park turf course.

The gray 5-year-old son of Distorted Humor is now a 3-time graded stakes winner of $663,790. The Stuart Janney homebred is a sibling three graded stakes winners. Distorted Humor is the sire of more than 50 Graded Stakes winners and earners of $116 million lifetime.

Ironicus got an ideal trip in the nine furlong Fort Marcy, contested on a yielding turf softened by two days of rain. Tracking in fourth in the two-path for six furlongs, Ironicus began to advance on the leaders around the final turn. After battling with a stubborn Smooth Daddy in the stretch, Ironicus pulled away in the final sixteenth to secure the win.

“(It was a) perfect trip,” winning jockey Jose Ortiz said. “He broke good. I was three-wide the whole race but I didn’t want to get behind horses and fight him. Coming in, I thought he was the best horse and he proved it. I’m thankful to Shug (trainer McGaughey) and Mr. Janney for the opportunity. They bought him in fit for his comeback and everyone in the barn did a good job getting him ready and it showed today.” 

“I haven’t thought about it, but the Manhattan could be a consideration,” McGaughey said when asked about Ironicus’ next start. “We always thought he wanted to go a little father than what we were running him – 1 1/16 miles in the Dixie, a mile back here and at Saratoga and then 1 1/16th miles … that could be a very good possibility. We’ll see.”