Dothraki Queen rallies to win Pocahontas at Churchill Downs

Updated Sep 12, 2015 at 5:32p ET


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Dothraki Queen rallied from last and slipped through a hole along the rail to win the Grade 2 $200,000 Pocahontas by a half-length Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The 2-year-old filly earned a guaranteed spot in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland with her second victory in two starts.

Ridden by Corey Lanerie for trainer Ken McPeek, the Magdalena Racing-owned Dothraki Queen ran 1 1/16 miles on the dirt in 1:45.80 and paid $16.80, $6.80 and $8.60.

''A lot of 2-year-olds wouldn't have went through,'' Lanerie said about the tight move in mid-stretch. ''She was ready and well-prepared. When I aimed her at the hole, she just took me through it without even hesitating. If she hesitates one time, I think I run fifth.''

Dream Dance returned $15 and $14.40. Bold Quality paid $8.80 to show after finishing second and being disqualified to third for interference.

Just Wicked, a heavy favorite at 1-2 odds following her Grade 2 Adirondack victory, was fourth.

Cocked and Loaded also earned a Breeders' Cup berth with his win in the $150,000 Grade III Iroquois, the first race in the 2016 ''Road to the Kentucky Derby'' series.

Cocked and Loaded powered past the early leaders midway through the turn and held off a closing Rated R Superstar by two lengths, giving the Larry Rivelli trainee 10 qualifying points for next year's Derby and a spot in Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

''Today he made that move at the three-sixteenths pole and he was just galloping,'' Rivelli said. ''We've always liked this horse a lot and people were down on him because of his last race but he just can't handle Polytrack.''

Cocked and Loaded finished fifth as the favorite in his last start Aug. 22 in the Arlington-Washington Futurity over a synthetic surface. Rivelli said he planned to train up to Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Ridden by jockey Emmanuel Esquivel, Richard Ravin and Patricia's Hope LLC's son of Colonel John covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.94 and paid $21, $10 and $6. Rated R Superstar returned $11.40 and $5.60. Unbridled Outlaw overcame a troubled trip to finish third and paid $3.40.

In other stakes action, Frivolous sailed to an eight-length win as the favorite in the $100,000 Locust Grove, and Spelling Again won the $100,000 Open Mind by a length.

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