Ain't Life Grand seeks nice payday in Iowa Stallion Stakes

Iowa Derby winner Ain’t Life Grand will be moving back into restricted company Saturday night for the $70,000 Iowa Stallion Stakes at his home track of Prairie Meadows.

The race for 3-year-olds will be held over one mile and 70 yards. The field of five includes two-time stakes winner Rowdy Rascal.

Ain’t Life Grand opened up a world of options with his win in the $300,000 Iowa Derby on July 9. But before he returns to open company, his connections will try to take advantage of special purse supplements and bonuses available to the Iowa-bred, who will be running for more than $100,000 on Saturday.

“It’s hard to pass something like that up – and it looked like he’d be the favorite in the race,” trainer Kelly Von Hemel said.

RPM Thoroughbreds bred and owns Ain’t Life Grand, a son of Not This Time who established himself as the top 2-year-old of the Prairie Meadows meet last year, when he went 3 for 4. One of those wins was a 10-length romp in the Richard Radke Memorial against open company in his two-turn debut. It was a precursor of things to come. Ain’t Life Grand’s other noted win at two turns came in the meet’s biggest race for his division, the Iowa Derby.

“It’s what we thought of him all along,” Von Hemel said. “We knew two turns, he’ll keep coming. It just solidified what we thought of him. He’s a nice colt, and there’s more upside to him. He’s just getting his 3-year-old campaign started. We’re looking forward to mid-summer, fall, and picking out spots – see how good he is.”

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Ain’t Life Grand earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 98 in the Iowa Derby, which is the best number in the Iowa Stallion Stakes. He will break from post 4 under regular rider Elvin Gonzalez.

“His energy level has been good – he hasn’t missed an oat coming out of the derby,” Von Hemel said. “He’s training as he always had, otherwise he wouldn’t be in it. He’s no worse for the wear, just as happy as he can be.”

Rowdy Rascal invades from Oklahoma, where he won the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile and Don McNeill Memorial Stakes last year at Remington Park. The McNeill was around two turns, and Rowdy Rascal shuttled home by three lengths. He enters off a fourth-place finish in the $55,000 Will Rogers for Oklahoma-breds on May 24 at Will Rogers Downs. Alex Birzer has the mount from post 3 for Harmony Stable and trainer Boyd Caster.

Silent Power is back in Iowa after winning a conditioned allowance at a mile in April at Lone Star Park. Last year, he was second in the Iowa Stallion Futurity at Prairie Meadows.