Ashland S. (G1) winner HOOH WHY (Cloud Hopping) and Dogwood S. (G3) queen
HIGHTAP (Tapit) highlight a field of eight fillies in Friday night’s $200,000
Iowa Oaks
(G3) at Prairie Meadows. One race later, nine colts and geldings will square
off in the $250,000
Iowa
Derby, with Grade 3 winner TERRAIN (Sky Mesa) listed as the 7-2 choice on
the morning line.
Hooh Why exits a score in the La Lorgnette S. over the Polytrack at Woodbine.
A close third in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) earlier this season, the Donna Dupay-trained
sophomore has raced only once over a conventional dirt track, finishing third in
the six-furlong Sandpiper S. at Tampa Bay Downs in December. The chestnut has
been a better performer around two turns, recording a 5-2-1-2 mark at Friday’s 1
1/16-mile distance, and earned a field-best 97 BRIS Speed rating for her
front-running win in the 8 1/2-furlong Ashland. She’ll be reunited with jockey
Robby Albarado, who was up for her Santa Anita Oaks effort.
Hightap drew off to a 3 1/4-length decision in the May 30 Dogwood at
Churchill Downs, registering a 95 BRIS Speed figure for her initial stakes
victory, and has won three of her last four starts for Steve Asmussen. Shaun
Bridgmohan will be in to ride the gray.
Other contenders in the Iowa Oaks
include SWEET RELISH (Smoke Glacken), a one-length scorer in the Cinemine S. at
Lone Star Park most recently; local heroine DON’TTALKTOME (Cactus Ridge), winner
of the Panthers S. and Goldfinch S. at Prairie Meadows in her last two outings;
and stakes victress PEACH BREW (Milwaukee Brew).
Terrain captured the Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) via disqualification,
grabbed second in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and recorded a fast-finishing
fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) last season, but the Kentucky Derby
(G1) prospect didn’t make his three-year-old bow until mid-March, checking in a
well-beaten third in the Louisiana Derby (G2). Following a fourth in the Blue
Grass S. (G1), the gelding’s connections decided to bypass the first leg of the
Triple Crown and point toward the Preakness (G1), which resulted in a
seventh-place finish. The Al Stall-conditioned chestnut is eligible to show much
more while taking a big class drop in the 1 1/16-mile event.
Albarado will pick up the mount.
Three-time stakes victor PROCEED BEE (Bernstein) exits a sharp one-length
tally in the Prairie Mile S. over the track, and CONCHACER (Congaree) and UNO
MAS (Macho Uno), the second- and third-place finishers in the Prairie Mile,
respectively, will also return for the Iowa Derby. Lone Star Derby (G3)
runner-up RED LEAD (Red Bullet) and Grade 2-placed HIS GREATNESS (Honour and
Glory) are also entered.