WAYZATA BAY (Roar), who scored a 38-1 upset in last year’s
Prairie
Meadows Cornhusker H. (G2), might face similarly long odds in defense of
that title Saturday night as one of eight older horses in the nine-furlong
contest, which is worth $300,000 and anchors a card that also includes the
$125,000
Iowa
Distaff S. at 1 1/16 miles and the $125,000
Iowa
Sprint H. at six furlongs.
MY PAL CHARLIE (Indian Charlie), the 2008 Super Derby (G2) winner, has yet to
win from five starts this season but has been beaten less than two lengths in
each of his last three outings, including the Metropolitan H. (G1), Churchill
Downs S. (G2) and Commonwealth S. (G2). Trained by Al Stall Jr., the
four-year-old might appreciate stretching back out around two turns for the
first time in more than three months. Robby Albarado will ride.
Texas Mile (G3) victor JONESBORO (Sefapiano), who ran the well-regarded It’s
a Bird (Birdonthewire) to a head decision in the Lone Star Park H. (G3) last
time, enters in solid form and will try to amend for a fourth-place finish in
this race back in 2007. Cliff Berry, aboard for both Lone Star outings, is named
back on the Randy Morse pupil.
Wayzata Bay, who followed his upset win last year with a victory in the
Prairie Meadows H., owns an 18-9-4-0 local mark, but has struggled of late with
only one placing in his last five starts. He was beaten 8 1/2 lengths by
SHADOWBDANCING (Montbrook) in a local prep for this on May 23. The latter also
has a high local strike rate at Prairie with three triumphs in four attempts,
but this will mark the graded debut for the four-time stakes winner.
STONEHOUSE (Chester House), who saw his three-stakes win streak snapped in
the Hanshin Cup H. (G3) on Polytrack last time, is eligible to rebound on his
return to dirt and should show positional speed from the rail. California
invader VICTORY PETE (Five Star Day), however, has no dirt record to speak of
having raced exclusively on turf and synthetic out west. Third in the Strub S.
(G2) earlier this year, the four-year-old enters off a turf allowance score in
early May.
The Cornhusker field is rounded out by multiple stakes winner SECRET GETAWAY
(Skip Away), second to subsequent Grade 1 winner Macho Again (Macho Uno) in the
New Orleans H. (G2) two back, and six-time stakes winner RED HOT N GOLD (Gold
Case), a product of the Iowa breeding program who has a 20-10-5-2 over the local
dirt.
The Iowa Distaff is led by EUPHONY (Forest Wildcat), who has won eight of 10
lifetime including her last five in succession, all in stakes. Indeed, the Pin
Oak Stable homebred is as versatile as they come, with black-type triumphs on
dirt, turf and synthetic, the latter occurring in the May 25 Arlington Matron H.
(G3) in her most recent start. She will face only four rivals, among them
Canadian champion BEAR NOW (Tiznow), who’s run second or third in her last three
stakes attempts on dirt. COPPER STATE (Jump Start), second in the Go for Wand H.
(G1) and Ruffian H. (G1) last year, should fare better in her second start back
from an extended layoff. Her sixth in the recent Fleur de Lis H. (G2) at
Churchill marked her first attempt in competition in more than six months.
BOLD START (Jump Start) and SEMAPHORE MAN (Formal Gold), one-two in the
Aristides S. (G3) at Churchill last month, will renew acquaintances in the Iowa
Sprint. They will be joined by multiple stakes winner SOK SOK (Trippi), fourth
in the Aristides; Grade 2 veteran EATON’S GIFT (Johannesburg), who will be
making his first since October; SILVER EDITION (Silver Deputy), who placed in
both the True North H. (G2) and Maryland Sprint H. (G3) in his last two; and
NATIVE RULER (Elusive Quality), a stakes winner in each of his last three starts
including the May 30 Prairie Express S. over the same course and distance as
Saturday’s dash.