Prairie Meadows Stakes Spot Plays for July 7

A total of four black-type races will take place during a big night of racing at Prairie Meadows on Friday, July 7.

Race 6 – Iowa Distaff

A well-matched field of six fillies and mares will travel 1 1/16 miles in the first stakes event of the evening. I feel that multi-race players can easily click the ‘all’ button to start off the sequence, although I like #3 Coastal Charm (5-2) in her second run off the short layoff. This Steve Hobby trainee is relatively lightly raced and the four-year-old figures to sit a dream voyage on top or forcing the action from second to the top of the lane. The Ghostzapper four-year-old will have Martin Garcia up.

Race 7 – Iowa Sprint S.

The six-furlong dirt dash attracted seven, led by the Brad Cox-trained #7 Strobe (9-5) who comes off of a third-place result in the True North S. (G2) in the Empire State most recently. The Godolphin homebred has never finished out of the money from seven career appearances to date and will have a perfect voyage while breaking from the outside. The likely popular single will have Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the silks.

Race 8 – Prairie Gold Lassie S.

Juvenile fillies will dash 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt with eight set to go postward. While the inside post is cause for concern, I will still tab #1 She’s Not A Joke (15-1) for a big run at a fine price in the heat. The Timothy Martin trainee had a tough trip when second at first asking after being bet to 6-5 favoritism. The $77,000 short yearling purchase will surely outrun her odds with a clean voyage beneath Alex Birzer.

Race 9 – Saylorville S.

Fillies and mares will run six panels in the final black-type race of the night. #4 Bluefield (10-1) has been steadily improving as of late for conditioner Saffie Joseph and gets the slight nod at a good number. The seven-year-old daughter of Field Commission exits a big win on the Gulfstream Park surface in her third try of 2023, and she shows a trio of solid morning moves in the interim as well. The Florida-bred will sit just off the pace early and get the jump on the closing types turning for home under jockey Edgard Zayas.