Cornhusker Handicap G3 Draws 11 Starters at Prairie Meadows
(Altoona, IA – June 23, 2024) The Grade 3, $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap is set to take place this Saturday, attracting a field of 11 talented thoroughbreds. The 1 1/8-mile race is scheduled as the ninth of 11 races on the card, with a post time of 10:37 p.m. EDT.
Headlining the field is the 5-2 morning line favorite, Red Route One, trained by Steve Asmussen. The Gun Runner colt will be seeking his second victory of the year, having captured the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds in March. Most recently, he finished fourth in the Pimlico Special (G3).
“He’s another incredible homebred of Winchell Thoroughbreds,” Asmussen commented after the New Orleans Classic win. “He’s campaigned a lot, traveled a lot. When given the opportunity, he will show up.”
The 3-1 second choice, Hit Show, will be looking to give trainer Brad Cox his third Cornhusker title in the last five years. The Candy Ride colt was among the top 3-year-olds in 2023, finishing fifth in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Belmont Stakes, before going to the sidelines following a sixth-place effort in the Oklahoma Derby (G3) last September.
The local crowd will be rooting for Ain’t Life Grand, who holds seven wins at Prairie Meadows and was third in last year’s Cornhusker. Heroic Move, coming off a Grade 3 victory in the Steve Sexton Mile Stakes at Lone Star Park, and the well-traveled Trademark, seeking his first win since the Clark Handicap (G2) last November, add further intrigue to the competitive field.
The full field for the 2024 Cornhusker Handicap G3 is as follows:
- Mine That Star (Pioneerof the Nile) – H. Ray Ashford Jr, Ken S. Tohill
- Escapologist (Good Magic) – Kenneth G. McPeek, Julien R. Leparoux
- Unload (Gun Runner) – Steven M. Asmussen, Walter De La Cruz
- Velocitor (Mor Spirit) – Gary M. Scherer, David Cohen
- Red Route One (Gun Runner) – Steven M. Asmussen, Christian Torres
- Hit Show (Candy Ride) – Brad H. Cox, Florent Geroux
- Guntown (Gun Runner) – Michael J. Maker, Gerardo Corrales
- Ain’t Life Grand (Not This Time) – Kelly R. Von Hemel, Elvin Gonzalez
- Trademark (Upstart) – Victoria H. Oliver, Fernando De La Cruz
- Heroic Move (Quality Road) – Tanner Tracy, Harry Hernandez
- Speed Bias (Uncle Mo) – Ron Moquett, Rafael Bejarano
Be sure to check Prairie Meadows’ website for the latest entries and results as we approach this highly anticipated Grade 3 event.
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