Altoona, IA – Prairie Meadows is readying for their 2018 with old favorites and new faces gracing the Iowa oval.
Owner Danny Caldwell will be seeking his fifth consecutive leading owner title this summer.
“I think we’re in good shape to start the Prairie Meadows season,” Caldwell said. “We had some injuries late in the season at Remington Park. Those horses got time off and then worked their way into condition down in Arkansas. They should be ready to win in Iowa.”
In 2014 Caldwell claimed the leading owner title for the first time after a run of twelve consecutive championships from Maggi Moss.
New to Prairie Meadows this season is jockey agent Jose Santos, Jr. The son of Hall of Fame jockey Jose Santos, Sr. shifts his base to Iowa for the first time after working meets in Florida, Kentucky, and Indiana.
“David (Cabrera) and I had been talking about hooking up for the 2018 season at Oaklawn Park and we did,” said Santos. Now the duo will work together in Iowa. Santos also will handle the book of veteran rider Terry Thompson.
New to the trainer ranks at Prairie Meadows this season will be two-time Arapahoe Park leading trainer Stetson Rushton.
“I’m looking forward to my first season in Iowa,” said Rushton. “I considered Prairie Meadows a couple of years ago, but I was just starting out on my own, we had a quarantine situation in Colorado, and financial concerns forced me to stay at Arapahoe Park.”
Rushton saddled 33 winners from 255 starters at Arapahoe Park in 2016 to win his first career training title, then sent out 28 winners from 239 runners in 2017 and recorded his second straight leading trainer title at the Colorado track.
“Some of my owners have been acquiring better stock in Kentucky and they want to see if they can be successful against the tougher competition at Prairie Meadows,” Rushton commented. “I know what we’ll be up against in Iowa, owners and trainers like Danny Caldwell, Federico Villafranco, Karl Broberg, Robertino Diodoro, and all the rest, but we’re gonna give it our best.”
Prairie Meadows will kick off the 2018 season on Thursday, April 26. First post is 6 PM.
