Stakes Spot Plays for Prairie Meadows on July 9

A quartet of black-type events will highlight a big night of racing at Prairie Meadows on Saturday.

Race 6 – Prairie Gold Juvenile

Seven two-year-olds will vie in the 5 1/2-furlong dash. #6 Toddchero (6-1) led gate-to-wire at Lone Star at first asking and he gets the nod to make it two straight to begin his career. The Geiner trainee draws outside of the other pace in the field and should secure a good trip throughout under the guidance of Lane Luzzi. And the price will be right, as well.

Race 7 – Iowa Oaks (G3)

An octet of sophomore fillies will travel 1 1/16 miles in the well-matched affair. It’s hard for me to look past #3 Falconet (7-2) for conditioner Todd Pletcher. By Uncle Mo, the $250,000 yearling purchase is a head shy from being 3-for-3 lifetime and the colt exits a solid allowance victory at Churchill Downs. The bay will always be in the mix with Javier Castellano taking the reins.

Race 8 – Iowa Derby (G3)

A total of 10 three-year-old boys will go postward in the 1 1/16-mile endeavor. The Michael Tomlinson-trained #5 Conagher (4-1) has posted 102 and 106 Brisnet Speed figures in his pair of dirt runs in 2022, and I am curious to see how good this chestnut son of Jimmy Creed really is. The fleet Kentucky-bred handled seven-eighths with ease last time out and comes in with a recent five-furlong bullet drill beneath the Twin Spires. He will be formidable under Joe Rocco.

Race 9 – Cornhusker H. (G3)

I will give a slight edge to the Asmussen-conditioned #3 Silver Prospector (5-2) in the closing stakes contest. The gray five-year-old snapped a long losing skid with a fine tally in the Sexton Mile (G3) at Lone Star Park most recently, earning a career-best 101 Brisnet Speed number in the process. Kentucky-bred son of Declaration of War figures to sit a good trip just off of a contested early tempo with Stewart Elliot returning to ride.