Basic Chance draws clear in John Wayne Stakes

In the end there was no shootout in the $58,800 John Wayne Stakes. After setting a sizzling half-mile split of 44.43 seconds, Hilton Magic dropped his revolvers and headed for the next town down the road as Basic Chance stormed to the front and, for one afternoon at least, became the sheriff of Prairie Meadows.

Hilton Magic was the 4-5 morning-line favorite, but some significant segment of the betting public was wise to the ways of the John Wayne. Basic Chance, 9-5 on the morning line, went off as the 4-5 favorite and won by 2 1/2 lengths under a busy, pace-tracking ride from Walter de la Cruz. About Our Time finished second, 5 1/4 lengths in front of Sure Fire Friend, with Itsallaboutyou fourth and Hilton Magic fading to last in the five-horse field.

Basic Chance stopped the timer in 1:10.10 for six furlongs on a fast track and paid $3.80 to win in this statebred-restricted stakes. William N. Martin trains Basic Chance for Gene Burkholder and the Iowa-bred son of Yes It’s True and Swede, by Yankee Victor, won for the 10th time in 27 starts.

Mywomanfromtokyo sprints to Eisenhower win

The 11th time was the charm for Mywomanfromtokyo. Beaten her first 10 tries in six-furlong races, Mywomanfromtokyo finally broke through at the distance with a 1 1/4-length victory Friday night at Prairie Meadows in the $60,000 Mamie Eisenhower Stakes for Iowa-bred fillies and mares.

Trained by Kelly Von Hemel for Crimson King Farm and Christine Rhiner, Mywomanfromtokyo kept up nicely with a quick early and middle pace, pushing past early leader Queans Altar in midstretch and inching away in the final half-furlong under Glenn Corbett . Mywomanfromtokyo ran six furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.90 and paid $6 as the favorite. My Sister Madi finished second, well clear of third-place Queans Altar.

Mywomanfromtokyo is a 6-year-old by Neko Bay out of Plumlake Lady, by Carson City, and she has built a mighty Iowa resume. Mywomanfromtokyo is a nine-time winner from 25 starts, and at Prairie Meadows, where all her wins have come, she’s now 20-9-6-1.