Amorosa will be seeking to win his fifth consecutive race Saturday night when he returns to the 3-year-old ranks for the $100,000 Iowa Breeders’ Derby at Prairie Meadows. The 1 1/16-mile race is one of the highlights of the Iowa Classic card that closes the meet. There are eight stakes for Thoroughbreds worth a total of approximately $800,000, while the 14-race card also includes four stakes for Quarter Horses. All of the 120 runners entered for the program were bred in Iowa. Amorosa has won his last four starts by a combined margin of 13 1/2 lengths, with wins in three allowances and the $75,000 Cyclones since July 6. Overall, he boasts a career record of seven wins from nine starts, with all of his races coming at Prairie Meadows. “He was 3 for 3 here last year,” said trainer Kevin Eikleberry, noting that the wins included the Cradle on the Iowa Classic card. “This year, we didn’t have him quite cranked up when he first started here. Once we stretched him out, he’s won his last four pretty impressively. He’s a very nice colt, runs hard every time.” :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Amorosa will start from post 6 in the field of eight. Elvin Gonzalez, who has ridden the son of Sky Mesa throughout his career, has the mount for breeder and owner Allen Poindexter. “I’d love to sit right off of it,” Eikleberry said. “He’s a very kind horse. He’ll do whatever you ask him to do.” Trainer Kelly Von Hemel will counter with Jack’s Time, who has won his last two starts by a combined margin of 9 1/2 lengths. The races have come against older rivals. Jack’s Time captured an allowance sprint July 11 and an allowance route over open company Aug. 15. “He was lightly raced last year and he’s just really getting going, so each race has been a little better,” Von Hemel said. “He’s definitely got his work cut out for him to outrun Amorosa. We better be at the top of our form to outrun him.” Glenn Corbett has the mount for owners Brian Hall, Jason Loutsch, Justin Loutsch, Jason Cline, and Nick Jensen. Jack’s Time will start from post 3. “He can be up front and he can lay a little off the pace,” Von Hemel said. “We’ll just have Glenn see how the horses break, see who’s aggressive leaving there, and leave it up to him whether to be on the lead or a little off of it.” Jack’s Time, who is by Not This Time, has earned Beyer Speed Figures of 88 in his last two starts, while Amorosa comes off a career-high Beyer of 91. Branstad Stakes Ain’t Life Grand, who has run second to Amorosa in each of his last two starts, looks like the probable favorite in the $100,000 Gov. Terry E. Branstad. The 1 1/16-mile race drew a field of seven, including last year’s winner, Seventeen Black. Ain’t Life Grand exits a Sept. 6 allowance in which he broke last of all and came rolling for second. The Beyer of 83 that he earned is the best last-race number in the Branstad. “Last time, he caused his own problems,” said Von Hemel, who trains Ain’t Life Grand for RPM Thoroughbreds. “Right when they kicked the gate, he reared up and hopped out of there and got himself left quite a ways. I’m not sure if he would have beat Amorosa, but it took his chances away because that other colt’s so nice that you can’t give him any advantage. So, that being said, the old guy is doing good and we’re looking for a good race from him.” Ain’t Life Grand, the 2022 Iowa Derby winner who is now 6, is seeking to win a stakes at Prairie Meadows for the fifth year in a row. His streak began as a 2-year-old in 2021. Von Hemel trainee Miss Peach, who goes in the $100,000 Donna Reed, is looking to win a Prairie Meadows stakes for the fourth year in a row on Saturday. “She’s won stakes at 3, 4, and 5, and hopefully we can get her home at 6,” Von Hemel said. “I’m excited for her and Grand. If we could get that done, that would be pretty satisfying for both of them [to] show what kind of caliber, what kind of quality they’ve had , how long they’ve kept it up.” Tyler Bacon has the mount on Ain’t Life Grand, who will start from post 4. Von Hemel said he’d like to see the son of Not This Time “get in a good stalking position” in the Branstad. Eikleberry saddles Seventeen Black. “He’s a game, game horse,” he said. “If he’ll run back to his form last year, he’ll be tough.” Iowa Breeders’ Oaks :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  Eikleberry has several other leading contenders on the card, which has been a focus for his stable. “I came in here about five for six years ago,” he said. “I came from Arizona. I had no Iowa-breds and I knew if I was going to keep coming back here, I had to get some Iowa-breds, and it’s turned out well.” Kanojo will be looking for her fifth straight win when she starts in the $100,000 Iowa Breeders’ Oaks. She’s won the races in her streak by a combined margin of 23 1/4 lengths. “She’s got a huge stride to her, and when she gets everything in gear, she just goes right on with it,” Eikleberry said. “If she gets away good, she’ll be tough.” ◗ Sayucan will be looking for her second stakes win at the meet in the $75,000 Iowa Classic Distaff Sprint. “She’s got a world of speed but will rate also,” Eikleberry said. ◗ In the $100,000 Iowa Cradle, Eikleberry will start front-runner Vandor, stalker Omero, and closer Outmatch. “All three of them got a shot,” he said. Outmatch is moving back into the Iowa-bred ranks off a runner-up finish in the Bison Stride Mile at Prairie Meadows. “The way he’s bred, he wants to stretch on out,” Eikleberry said. “He ran a really game race – didn’t have the best trip in the world and was getting to the winner every jump.” ◗ In the 11-horse $100,000 Sorority for 2-year-old fillies, Eikleberry saddles Sic’ Em’ Sis. She will be looking for her third straight win. “She gives you everything she’s got,” Eikleberry said. Sic’ Em’ Sis faces Glengloria, a full sister to $670,000 earner Glengarry. ◗ Glengarry will be seeking to win his fourth straight race at the meet in the $100,000 Dan Johnson Sprint. He’s defeated open company in his last three starts, a streak that includes a win in the Iowa Sprint. Bacon has the mount for trainer Doug Anderson, who has long been targeting the Dan Johnson with Glengarry. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.