The Iroquois Steeplechase is Nashville’s Rite of Spring, and will beckon thousands to Bellevue’s Percy Warner Park on the second Saturday in May as it has every year (save for 1945 and 2020) since 1941.
The 83rd renewal falls on May 11, exactly one week after The Kentucky Derby. While it isn’t on the same scale as its famous cousin to the north, if you think this is some watered-down version of the Run for the Roses, you’re sipping from the wrong glass of whiskey.
Race day marks the beginning of the Mid South’s spring and summer social season. Majestic horses are the stars of the show but the pageantry – and a certain level of debauchery – surrounding it is what makes the day great.
Fashion is at the top of everyone’s list as the surrounding hillsides make for a stunning backdrop for the season’s brightest and finest apparel. Whether it’s a sundress by a famous designer, a gentleman’s seersucker suit or a specialty accessory like a hat the size of a small flying saucer, you’ll see it at the Steeplechase.
It’s also a day of reunions of sorts. Friends and families, many of whom have been attending the Steeplechase for decades, gather in everything from corporate tents and luxury boxes to an unpretentious afternoon at the park.
Perhaps no one in town is more connected to the event than race chairman, Dwight Hall. Originally from Pennsylvania, he’s been involved with the Steeplechase since 1960 when, as a 15-year-old rider, he made his first of 26 starts in The Iroquois. In 1977 he won the race aboard Alvaro. Upon retiring as a rider, Hall became clerk of the course. He served in that capacity until 2007 when he was elevated to race chairman.
“The Iroquois is a very prestigious Grade 1 race,” says Hall. “We have the largest purse structure on the American spring circuit and the second largest on the entire (National Steeplechase Association) calendar.”
About a half-million dollars in prize money will be on the line, including the $200,000 feature race. In addition to domestic horses, many contenders ship to the race from the United Kingdom including last year’s winner, Scaramanga.
Setup begins about two weeks prior to the event. The organizing team, which does not receive funding from Metro, is responsible for all track maintenance. Approximately 200 volunteers will be on the grounds on race day. Gates open at 9 a.m. with opening ceremonies at noon. The seven-race card begins at 1 p.m. and concludes with the 83rd running of The Iroquois at 5 p.m. The show goes on, rain-or-shine.
“It’s just a great day to be in a pretty, countryside setting,” says Hall. “It’s quite a festival and there’s something there for everyone.”
Since 1981, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has been the Steeplechase’s primary beneficiary, receiving more than $11 million from the Volunteer State Horseman’s Foundation. Ticket information, as well as a list of what to bring and what to leave at home, is available online at IroquoisSteeplechase.org.
“The Iroquois is a very prestigious Grade 1 race. We have the largest purse structure on the American spring circuit."
