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Siphon City smokes Cornhusker rivals Ray Larkin's SIPHON CITY (Siphon [Brz]) continued his rapid ascension in the handicap ranks with a six-length trouncing in Saturday night's $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders' Cup H. (G3), leading wire-to-wire for his third consecutive stakes victory. After finishing third when racing for a $60,000 claiming tag in early February at Tampa Bay Downs, the Dan Hurtak-trained four-year-old has improved substantially and become a terror on the front end. He sprinted clear early in the Cornhusker, establishing fast early splits in :22 3/5, :45 4/5 and 1:09 4/5 with Elvis Trujillo in the saddle. Siphon City led by 2 1/2 lengths after a mile in 1:35 1/5 and drew off through the final furlong while not being asked, finishing 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 3/5 over the fast track. "I said to (Trujillo) if he makes the lead, we have a good chance at winning this thing. The jockey listened, too," Hurtak said. "He loved the racetrack. He didn't do anything wrong. He's a tough horse. He's a big, mean horse and he was really good. He must like Iowa." Dismissed at 23-1 off a pair of stakes victories at Calder, Siphon City returned mutuels of $48.60, $24.20 and $20.20 for his domination of what appeared to be a deep and very competitive 13-horse field. The race was close for the minor awards. Late-running Three Hour Nap (Afternoon Deelites) got up late to edge Gouldings Green (Charismatic) by a neck for second, returning $12.20 and $9.40 after being sent off at 11-1, and the 9-2 Gouldings Green gave back $3.80 for the bronze spot. It was another neck back to the 8-1 Good Reward (Storm Cat). Skipaslew (Skip Away), 2-1 favorite Master Command (A.P. Indy), Real Dandy (Yankee Victor), Wayzata Bay (Roar), Congrats (A.P. Indy), Alumni Hall (A.P. Indy), Sur Sandpit (Sandpit [Brz]), Courthouse (Doneraile Court) and Mayan King (Stephen Got Even) rounded out the order of finish. The healthy exotics paid $238.20 (exacta), $1,815.60 (trifecta) and $6,050.50 for the $1 superfecta (3-4-1-13). Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones, Siphon City initially passed through the sales ring at the 2002 Keeneland November Sale, bringing $35,000 as a weanling. He was purchased for $62,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale the following year and then sold for $500,000 as a juvenile at the 2004 OBS February sale. The chestnut colt is out of the Grade 1-placed Carsona (Carson City), who is also the dam of an unraced two-year-old filly named That's a Trick (Mazel Trick), and both a yearling colt and a 2006 colt by Yankee Victor. Siphon City nearly doubled his career earnings to $364,016 and has now posted an overall mark of 17-7-2-2. He was picked up by his current connections when claimed for $75,000 at Gulfstream Park in 2005 and didn't make his stakes debut until the Sumter S. two starts previously, winning wire to wire by eight lengths. He earned his first graded win in the Memorial Day H. (G3) last time out, winning wire to wire by 1 1/2 lengths. The Cornhusker represented another step forward. "This horse is just improving with every race and it's very rewarding," assistant trainer Donna Green said. "He's really growing up."
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