Sherriff Cogburn sharp in Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile score

ALTOONA, Iowa - Sherriff Cogburn scored an impressive 9 1/2-length victory in the inaugural running of the Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile on Friday night. The $60,000 stakes tested six 2 year olds over the distance of a mile.

Sherriff Cogburn went off as the 9-5 favorite, in this, his second career start. He was coming off a seven-length victory in a maiden race at Arlington Park.

Check It Out broke quickly and led the field through six furlongs in fractions of 24.56 seconds, 48.74, and 1:13.25. Sherriff Cogburn tracked in third along the rail behind the leaders. He was in a little tight through the turn, and had to wait for an opening before making his bid. Jockey Tanner Riggs patiently waited and then angled three wide coming out of the turn into the stretch. He accelerated by the front-runners under a vigorous hand ride, and drew off easily to win in a final time of 1:37.67.

His stablemate, the filly Larue Lovelake, outfinished pacesetter Check It Out for second.

“This is one of the best 2 year olds that I've ridden in my career,” Riggs said.

A gelding by Vindication, Sherriff Cogburn will have an opportunity to back up the high praise in his next race, which is tentatively slated to be the Arlington-Washington Futurity at Arlington Park on Sept. 11.

Sherriff Cogburn is owned by Toby Keith's Dream Walkin Farms and trained by Donnie Von Hemel.

* Going into Saturday’s final day of the meet, Ramsey Zimmerman has a three-win lead over Alex Birzer for the riding title. Zimmerman has six mounts Saturday and Birzer has eight.