Iowa Festival of Racing: Friday Preview

Saylorville Stakes

Racing Dudes Pick: #5 Beat The Blues

Racing Dudes Value Play: #3 Lulu Wong

Analysis: The Saylorville Stakes will kick off the Iowa Racing Festival Friday night, and has drawn a solid field of six.  Beat the Blues (FL) is the obvious favorite for the race as she comes off a determined stakes score at Churchill Downs last time out.  The six-year-old mare also won this race in 2011 so she has proven she can handle the track as well as racing under the lights.  Her main challengers could also be Churchill Downs shippers.  Livi Makenzie (KY) won an allowance at Churchill Downs last time out impressively, and her trainer Ron Moquett has been hot as of late.  Devious Intent (KY) ran second to Livi Makenzie in that same allowance race, and will have Rosie Napravnik aboard.  If you like the locals, Lulu Wong (KY) is your horse.  She won the local prep for this race, and her Owner/Trainer/Jockey combination all are atop the standings at Prairie Meadows for this meeting.  This will be a class test for Lulu Wong, but it never hurts to know she’ll be coming out of her home base for this one.  Long shots Second Street City (KY) and Denali Dreamscape (KY) will round out the field.

Iowa Distaff Stakes

Racing Dudes Pick: #7 Queen Lily Kay

Racing Dudes Value Play: #4 Cruzette

Analysis: The Iowa Distaff could be lacking in star power, but this field of seven is about as evenly matched as it gets.  The morning line favorite is Flashy American (KY), who ships in for Kenny McPeek.  McPeek has already had success in stakes races at Prairie Meadows this year, as he won both the Prairie Mile and Panther Stakes earlier in the month.  Flashy American comes in from Churchill Downs, where she dominated her rivals in an allowance race last time out.  Queen Lilly Kay (IA) was also dominant in her race last race, as she easily defeated Iowa Bred company going this same distance of ground.  She has won against open company in the past, but this will be her first open stakes race.  The second (Lava Girl (KY)), third (Miss Hockaday (KY)), and fifth (Itsabeautifulthing (KY)) place finishers from the Wild Rose Stakes are back to run in this one, as well a local three-year old in Cruzette (KY).  Out of those four, Cruzette might be the horse that is in best form.  Rounding out the field is the second choice  on the morning line, Magic Hour (KY), who hasn’t run since winning a small stakes at Tampa Bay in March.  If she’s in good form, she could have a say in the outcome.

Iowa Sprint Handicap

Racing Dudes Pick: #3 Delaunay

Racing Dudes Value Play: #2 Gentleman’s Bet

Analysis: Maggi Moss is bringing her super star to Iowa!  Delaunay (MD) is the number one ranked sprinter in the country, and has won six races in a row!  His latest victory was a romp at Churchill Downs in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes on Kentucky Derby day.  He will be a single on many people’s tickets.  Gentlemen’s Bet (FL) will be Delaunay’s biggest challenger.  Like many we’ve talked about in this preview, Gentleman’s Bet also comes in off a BIG Churchill Downs performance in an allowance race.  The horse is four for five lifetime, with his lone loss coming at the hoofs of the classy Justin Phillip in the Count Fleet Handicap at Oaklawn Park.  With the talent and speed of these two horses we could see quite a show this Friday night!  Sticking with the theme of Churchill Downs shippers will be Jasizzle (KY) who just missed winning a Stakes last time out as he lost by a head to Scatman.  Two locals, Credit Report (KY) and City Sage (FL), fill out the field of five.