Iowa Derby 2015 at Prairie Meadows

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Iowa Derby is on tap for this Saturday, June 27 from Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa. A group of three year olds will take to Prairie Meadows dirt track and race 1 1/16 miles searching for the winner's share of the $250,000 purse.

10 three year olds will give it a go in the Iowa Derby - race 6 on Prairie Meadows Saturday card. Post time is 8:52 PM. Here is a brief glance into the past performances of all 10 combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.

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2015 Iowa Derby Race Favorite Entries

Hillbily Royalty 7/2 - Donnie Von Hemel trained gelding has three wins and a second place finish in six career starts and enters of a career best effort - a win in the minor Prairie Mile here May 30 - a local prep for this race. Before that was a sixth in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs May 2, a second in the minor Norther Spur Stakes April 11 and a fifth in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes in February. Hillbily Royalty will be looking to place in graded stakes company for the first time in his third try Saturday when he leaves from post 3 with Luis Quinonez aboard as the tepid morning line favorite.

Paid Admission 9/2 - enters off a second place finish behind Hillbily Royalty in the minor Prairie Mile here May 30 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score sat Churchill Downs May 2 and a fourth and a second respectively in a pair of Allowance races at Oaklawn. He does have one graded stakes star under his belt - a fifth place finish in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in March. Paid Admission has placed in three of his last four starts overall and has two wins and three seconds in 11 career starts. Ramon Vazquez rides the morning line second choice as he tries to reverse the order from the Prairie Mile - from post 9 Saturday.

Iowa Derby 2015 | Remaining Contenders

Allied Air Raid 5/1 - has just four career starts for trainer Brad Cox with two wins, a second and a third place finish. Last time out was an OK third behind Hillbily Royalty and Paid Admission in his stakes debut - the minor Prairie Mile here May 30 after two straight wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming in April at Oaklawn Park and a maiden score on that same track in march. Allied Air Raid looks ready for his graded stakes debut Saturday when he leaves from post 6 with Shaun Bridgmohan in the irons.

Bent On Bourbon 6/1 - Eddie Keneally trained colt has four career starts with two wins and a second place finish - two straight wins ahead of this weekend. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score May 29 after breaking maiden May 2 - both results at Churchill Downs. Bent On Bourbon hopes to keep the roll going Saturday in his stakes debut with Javier Castellano in the saddle from gate 8.

Private Prospect 6/1 - Michael Campbell trained colt has 10 career starts with three wins, a second and a third place finish. He enters off his only decent result in a while - a third in the Grade 3 Matt Wynn Stakes at Churchill Downs June 13 which followed consecutive sixths - the Grade 3 Illinois Derby April 18 and in an Allowance March 20 and a seventh in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes February 22. He did have consecutive wins here last summer - the minor Prairie Gold Juvenile in July and the Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile in August and a respectable second in the Grade 2 Arlington-Washington Futurity but he followed that with a ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Private Prospect returns to his favorite track looking to regain the form that saw him uber-competitive at this time last year. Alex Birzer has the mount from the rail.

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Quality Bird 8/1 - makes his stakes debut Saturday for trainer Ian Wilkes having posted one win and three third place finishes in five career starts. He enters on the heels of three straight third place finishes - all Allowance Optional Claiming races this past spring. Quality Bird takes the huge leap up into stakes company from gate 2 with Chris Landeros guiding him.

Lucky Stranger 10/1 - has three wins and three third place finishes in six career starts - competitive every time out. He makes his graded stakes debut Saturday off consecutive Allowance scores - one at Thistledown June 1 and one at Delta Downs in March. His only stakes action resulted in a respectable third in the minor Big Drama Stakes at Delta Downs in January. Lucky Strangers steps up in decent form and departs from gate 5 with Horacio Karamano guiding him.

Alabaster 12/1 - Eoin Harty trained colt has two wins and a third place finish in eight career starts and races in stakes company for the first time Saturday. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Arlington June 6 after an Optional Claiming score at Tampa Bay in March and another fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming prior to that. Alabaster steps up in so-so form and departs from gate 4 with Julio Felix in the reins.

Phenomenal Phoenix 12/1 - finished ninth in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes four starts back in his graded debut and followed that with an Allowance score at Oaklawn Park March 26. He went on to a third place finish in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne April 18 and was seventh in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes last time out June 13 at Churchill Downs. He enters in typically inconsistent form and will depart from post 7 with Ricardo Santana in the saddle.

Fusaichi Flame 15/1 - has two wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in eight career starts - his best result coming in January when he finished second in the minor Big Drama Stakes at Delta Downs. He had a fifth last time out in his graded stakes bow - the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby March 28 which followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score March 12 and a ninth in the minor Black Gold Stakes February 28. He looks for his first stakes score Saturday and enters in less-than-flattering form from the outside post 10 with Terry Thompson guiding him.


2015 Iowa Derby Entries & Odds

Race 6 on Prairie Meadows's Saturday card with a Post Time of 8:52 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Private Prospect A. Birzer M. Campbell
6-1
2 Quality Bird C. Landeros I. Wilkes
8-1
3 Hillbilly Royalty L. Quinonez D. Von Hemel
7-2
4 Alabaster J. Felix E. Harty
12-1
5 Lucky Stranger H. Karamanos T. Amoss
10-1
6 Allied Air Raid S. Bridgmohan B. Cox
5-1
7 Phenomenal Phoenix R. Santana, Jr. R. Moquett
12-1
8 Bent On Bourbon J. Castellano E. Kenneally
6-1
9 Paid Admission R. Vazquez C. Richard
9-2
10 Fusaichi Flame T. Thompson S. Gelner
15-1