Euphony holds on in Iowa Distaff; Ez Dreamer wires Sprint

Pin Oak Stable's homebred EUPHONY (Forest Wildcat) was content to allow Bear Now (Tiznow) to set the pace in Saturday night's $125,000 Iowa Distaff S. at Prairie Meadows, but took over in the stretch and recorded a one-length score over that mare to move her current win streak to six. With Clifton Berry aboard, the Donnie Von Hemel-trained four-year-old stopped the clock in 1:42 3/5 for 8 1/2 furlongs on the fast track.

Bear Now got the jump on her rival early, leading through splits of :24, :47 3/5 and 1:11 3/5 under jockey Robby Albarado. Still maintaining the advantage heading into the stretch, Bear Now soon found Euphony looming to her outside. The eventual winner took over through a mile in 1:36, but Bear Now continued to apply pressure. Euphony dug in to secure the win, with Day of Victory (Victory Gallop) a rallying third.

Euphony was worth $4.40, $2.20 and $2.20 as the 6-5 favorite and keyed the $9.40 exacta (3-1). Bear Now, seeking her first win since taking last September's Kentucky Cup Distaff (G3), was forced to settle for second, returning $2.40 and $2.20 as the 3-2 second choice. Day of Victory, off at 9-1, paid $3 and was followed under the wire by Copper State (Jump Start) and Celeritas (Stephen Got Even).

Euphony's six-race win streak began in the Marie P. DeBartolo Oaks last July and continued in the Prairie Meadows Oaks, Remington Park Oaks, Bayakoa S. and, most recently, the Arlington Matron H. (G3). She also captured the Instant Racing S. last season, and improved her record to 11-9-1-1, $448,600. Produced from the multiple stakes-winning Strike It Up (Smart Strike), the Kentucky-bred Euphony has an unraced juvenile half-sister named Moon Music (Malibu Moon) and a 2009 half-brother named Orchestration (Cherokee Run).

Saturday night's stakes action got off to an exciting start when EZ DREAMER (In Excess [Ire]) wired the $125,000 Iowa Sprint H. by 3 1/4 lengths as the 24-1 longest shot in the six-horse field.

The Triple AAA Ranch homebred was pushed to the lead by jockey Glenn Corbett and proceeded to set a blistering pace in :21 4/5, :44 and :55 4/5. Never challenged at any point during the six-furlong test, Ez Dreamer finished up in 1:08 1/5 to earn his third stakes victory.

The Arizona-bred rewarded his backers with payouts of $50.40, $18 and $4 while starting the $227.60 exacta and $1,542 trifecta (7-5-6). Sok Sok (Trippi) took second from Semaphore Man (Formal Gold), who had tried to take away the lead early from Ez Dreamer, and returned $6.80 and $3.80 at 4-1. Semaphore Man hung around for third, giving back $3.40 at 7-2, and Native Ruler (Elusive Quality), near 5-2 favorite Bold Start (Jump Start) and Silver Edition (Silver Deputy) finished out the order under the wire. Eaton's Gift (Johannesburg) was withdrawn.

Ez Dreamer's prior stakes wins came in last year's Arizona Breeders' Derby and Rattlesnake S., and he's placed in eight black-type events, including the 2008 Cinema H. (G3) and Will Rogers S. (G3). This win pushed his earnings to $310,365 and improved his line to 17-6-6-3. The four-year-old bay is the first registered foal out of the French Deputy mare French Debutante and counts as half-siblings this year's Arizona Breeders' Derby winner, French Hit (Top Hit), as well as an unnamed yearling filly by Top Hit. He also has an unnamed 2009 full brother.