Prairie Meadows Gears Up for Season; Releases First Condition Book, Season Details, Stall Apps

Minnesota

Altoona, IA – Prairie Meadows announced the release of the first condition book, stall application and stakes schedules for both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses for the upcoming 2025 live racing season in Iowa.

Prairie Meadows 2025 live racing season will begin on Friday, May 9 and will conclude on Saturday, September 27. A total of 80 racing days will be scheduled with both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing. The season begins with 20 days of Thoroughbred-only racing from May 9 – June 14 and continues with a mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse schedule of 60 race days from June 15 – September 27.

Live racing will be offered on a Friday – Monday schedule with the following exceptions: Opening week of racing which will feature racing on Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 with no racing on Sunday, May 11, or Monday May 12, and also no racing on Monday, July 7. 

Standard post times for Friday and Saturday programs will be 6pm while post times for Sunday and Monday programs will begin at 4pm. Special post times are scheduled for Saturday, May 17 (Preakness) and Saturday, June 7 (Belmont) at 6:30pm, the Independence Day holiday week will feature a special Thursday racing performance on July 3 highlighted by central Iowa’s favorite fireworks display taking place after the races and then the Iowa Festival of Racing on Friday, July 4 and Saturday, July 5. Post Times for the holiday week of July 3 through July 6 will be 4pm each day.

The closing weekend of the season will include Quarter Horse Championship Night on Friday, September 26 with a post time of 6pm, then ending the season on Saturday, September 27 with the Iowa Classic celebrating the best Iowa bred runners for both breeds with a post time of 4pm and total stakes purses of over a million dollars.

Prairie Meadows Condition Book #1 is now available and features the first 14 days of racing for Thoroughbreds only from May 9 – June 2 along with a preview section starting on page 70 for Quarter Horses with the first 10 days of racing from June 15 – June 30.

 “The overnight purse structures for both breeds will continue to be very lucrative for the upcoming 2025 season,” says Quarter Horse Racing Secretary Chad Keller. “Allowance conditions from maiden up to open non-conditioned races for Thoroughbreds will range from $34,500 ($45,209 Iowa-bred) to $40,000 ($52,416 Iowa-bred) while Quarter Horses will range from $14,000 ($19,432 Iowa-bred) to $17,500 ($24,290 Iowa-bred), “Keller noted.

The 2025 Thoroughbred stakes schedule worth an estimated $3.3 million is once again highlighted by the Iowa Festival of Racing on July 4 and July 5 with the Grade 3 $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap for ages 3 and up going one and one eighth miles along with the $250,000 Iowa Derby and $225,000 Iowa Oaks anchoring the Festival. 

The 2025 Quarter Horse stakes schedule will feature 22 stakes worth an estimated $1.9 million, highlighted with the following Futurities and Derbies estimated to reach or surpass $100,000 in value:

  • Hawkeye Futurity (IA) $115,000 est.
  • Prairie Meadows Gold Futurity $200,000 est.
  • Prairie Meadows Gold Derby $100,000 est.
  • Iowa Stallion QH Futurity (IA) $100,000 est.
  • Grade 3 – Valley Junction Futurity $250,000 est.
  • Altoona Derby $125,000 est.
  • Jim Bader Futurity (IA) $175,000 est.
  • Polk County Derby (IA) $125,000 est.

Open and Iowa bred aged Quarter Horse runners will be featured throughout the season highlighted with the Grade 3 $50,000g Keokuk Stakes, $40,000g Cy-Hawk Stakes (IA), Grade 3 $30,000a PRM Distaff Challenge, Grade 2 $45,000a PRM Championship Challenge, Grade 3 $45,000a Covered Bridges, $30,000g Prairie Dash, Grade 3 $50,000g Two Rivers, $70,000g Future of Iowa (IA) and $70,000g Terrace Hill (IA).

Additional information released by Prairie Meadows Racing Department:

  • Barn Area Opens for Horses on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 8am.
  • Training begins on Sunday, April 13, 2025 (weather permitting)
  • Stall applications for both breeds are due to the Racing Office by Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
  • Quarter Horse Futurity & Derby nomination forms are available online at Prairie Meadows website https://www.prairiemeadows.com/racing/horsemens-info/quarter-horse-racing and payment schedules start March 1 for some races.
  • Horse health requirements for both breeds and ponies are available online, on the stall application form, or on page 6 in the condition book.