Prairie Meadows Cornhusker draws field of eight

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.