A field of seven will line up in Friday night’s $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows, one of three stakes on the card. (Photo credit: Prairie Meadows).
The Prairie Meadows Festival of Racing kicks off Friday night with three stakes including the $250,000 Iowa Derby where the Steve Asmussen trained Super Stock looks like the one to beat.
Nine were entered in the race but Proxy and Snow House will scratch reducing the field to seven. The Iowa Derby is the sixth race on the nine race card and the first of three stakes.
Following the Iowa Derby, a field of seven three-year-old fillies will line up in the $225,000 Iowa Oaks (G3). The Asmussen trained Pauline’s Pearl is the 2-1 morning line favorite. The filly won the Fantasy (G3) at Oaklawn Park in April and was eighth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) in her last outing.
The $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) drew a field of seven older runners that will travel 1 1/8 miles on the main track. The Brad Cox trained Knicks Go is the even money favorite on the morning line.
Knicks Go, the winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and the 2021 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) has lost his last two starts. He was fourth in the Saudi Cup (G1) and most recently was fourth in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park on June 5.
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Let’s head out to Prairie Meadows for Friday night’s featured race:
Prairie Meadows Race 6 The Iowa Derby 8:12 CT
2 Super Stock 7-2
9 Nova Rags 5-1
7 Gagetown 6-1
6 Rightandjust 6-1
Super Stock
The Asmussen trainee is looking to bounce back off a fourth-place finish last out at Lone Star in the Texas Derby. The colt has a tough psot, was away near the back of the pack and came with a mild late run to finish fourth in the slop, beaten 3 ½ lengths. The colt faded to finish 16th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) two back after earning a career top three back winning the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. He draws a better post today then he did in his last couple of starts and should get an honest pace to run at here. Asmussen has won this race three times, the most recent with Hence in 2017.
Nova Rags
This colt stretches back out to a route after checking in third last out going seven furlongs in the Woody Stephens (G1) at Belmont Park. He tracked the early pace while down toward the inside which was deep that day, was fanned out seven wide turning for home and could not get close to the top pair, two really good sprinters. Two back he tracked the early pace and finished up well in a runner up finish in the Peter Pan (G3). The winner Promise Keeper came back to run fourth in the Ohio Derby (G3), beaten a length for the top spot. The colt was competitive in Florida earlier this year on the Derby trail, a second in the Sam F. Davis (G3) and a fourth in the Florida Derby (G1), but his numbers are coming up a bit on the light side. The stretch out suits, and he should benefit from a sharp early pace. Mott won this race last year with Acre thanks to a DQ.
Gagetown
The Cox trainee has the advantage of a win over the main track here. Last out he stalked the early pace and finished gamely to win the Prairie Mile by a neck beating tow foes h faces again here. It was his first win since breaking his maiden in his debut at Churchill owns last November. He did run second in a couple of stakes sprinting and showed last out he can handle more ground. Geroux I back on board this colt and he does appear to be heading in the right direction form wise for Cox.
Wagering:
WIN: Super Stock to win at 5-2 or better.
EXACTA: 2 / 6,7,9 and 2,9 / 2,7,9
