A pair of six furlong sprint stakes are featured on the card at Prairie Meadows on Saturday night.
In the 6th, the fillies and mares take center stage in the $50,000 Prairie Rose Stakes where the tepid morning line favorite is the streaking Illinois bred, Win’em All.
The combination of owner William Stiritz and trainer Scott Becker dominated the late stakes at Hawthorne in 2015. Win’em All had her turn in the Third Chance Handicap where she sat just off the pace and opened with a burst to lead the state breds home. She followed that up in a $50,000 optional claimer where she led gate to wire. She’ll need that versatility in this race as a variety of racing styles will be represented in the field.
Win’em All breaks from the rail while other potential front-runners break from the middle, Yucca, and the outside, Beau Ravelle.
St Louis City, another Stiritz/Becker mare, doesn’t need the lead but has a nice stalking style that could find her tucked in nicely behind the leaders. The one issue with this filly is her case of seconditis. In 12 starts over the last two seasons she’s only won once while finishing second on five occasions.
Maggi Moss’ Electric Temptress comes into the contest having won 3 of her last 4 starts, all at Oaklawn Park. In her stakes debut in the Carousel Stakes, however, she finished 4th after being cut off sharply in the lane. She was placed third. She should be coming from off the pace and there also should be some pace to run at in the race. She’s 5-1 in the morning line and could score here at a price.
In the 8th race, six geldings will take to the track to contest the $75,000 Ed Skinner Memorial. The 2-1 morning line favorite is the graded stakes winner, Delauney. This season Delauney captured a pair of Fairgrounds stakes along with a second and third since coming back off a fall layoff.
Another graded stakes winner, Broadway Empire, comes into the race off some time on the bench after taking the Coyote Handicap at Turf Paradise. Scott Stevens returns to ride and the gelding has been training sharply at Canterbury leading up to the race.
Both top choices should be at or close to the lead while Helooksthepart will look to close sharply as he did nearly taking the Pelican Stakes at Tampa as a 17-1 outsider. Bobcat Jim and Shock Hazard should help to ensure a solid early pace.
The final entry, Luv Bandit, is another Stiritz/Becker horse coming off a stakes win. A stalking trip provided a 2-length win in the Milwaukee Avenue Handicap at Hawthorne. He could be the one in the right spot late.
First race post time at Prairie Meadows is 6:30 PM Saturday night.
