Bo Cruz might look like a need-the-lead type on paper, but trainer Al Stall Jr. believes the colt is versatile and his theory could be tested Saturday night in the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. The four-stakes card is topped by the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap. The 1 1/16-mile Iowa Derby drew a number of speed horses. One in Vermillion is moving back to dirt in search of his fifth stakes win. Big Luke, Heroic Move, and West Coast Cowboy are all stretching out around two turns. Eyeing Clover was prominent throughout last time when just edged in the Texas Derby. Bo Cruz wired his rivals in both a maiden special weight he won by 12 lengths in March at Fair Grounds and a first-level allowance in May at Churchill Downs. Last out, Bo Cruz set the pace in the Matt Winn at Ellis Park and finished third behind Disarm and Verifying. “We knew he’d be on the lead last time, just the way it looked on paper,” Stall said. “I thought he ran a good race. The jock said he went slow enough early and he punched late. But the two horses that went past him weren’t coming out of [first-level allowance]. They were coming out of the Kentucky Derby, so they had a distinctive edge over us on seasoning.” For his second stakes start, Bo Cruz will break from post 6 under Cristian Torres. “He’s a smart horse – he’s not like running off or anything,” Stall said. “He didn’t break too well sprinting in his first race and he closed nicely. In his second start, he was in with a group of maidens that he obviously outclassed. He found himself in front. And in the [first-level allowance], he found himself in front that day. :: Get ready for summer racing with a DRF Formulator Quarterly PP plan “So, I don’t know how he ended up being a front-runner like that, but I’m 99.9 percent sure he certainly could lay off of a fast pace and relax and finish up. So, maybe this is where he’ll get a chance to do that.” Bo Cruz raced over 1 1/8 miles in the Matt Winn, another factor that could place him behind horses Saturday. “He shortening up,” Stall said. “There’s some speed horses to his inside that might just go on out the gate full speed and so maybe can he can – I don’t know about tucking in – but certainly lay off of the speed. “That’s up to Cristian and the break. But he’s not just a one-dimensional, ‘I can’t get looked in the eye, I’m going to fold my tent kind of horse.’ He seems like he’s got some class and some sense to him, and I think we might hopefully see that this weekend.” Bo Cruz owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, a 93 for his Matt Winn. Raise Cain, a Grade 3 winner who was fourth in the Matt Winn, is entered in the Iowa Derby but will instead run in the Indiana Derby. Georgie W also is cross-entered in the two races Saturday. A quick pace would benefit Denington, who was fifth in the Matt Winn. “That was a good group,” said trainer Kenny McPeek, who has given the mount to David Cabrera. “I’d like to think this race sets up a little better for him.” West Coast Cowboy enters off an allowance win at a mile at Gulfstream Park. “He’s the kind of horse, he tries,” said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. “He’s on the improve.” Heroic Move adds blinkers off a third-place finish in a mile allowance at Churchill. “He’s a horse that still runs very greenly, so hopefully, he keeps developing,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said. Big Luke has won both of his races this year, including an Iowa-bred stakes at six furlongs on June 3. “The colt has really improved since last year,” trainer Kelly Von Hemel said. “As well as he ran last year, we still thought there was more. It’s an awful tough race, a big field, and he’s going to have to work out a trip. We’re excited to see how he runs against this caliber of horse. We think a lot of him.” :: Bet the races on DRF Bets! Sign up with code WINNING to get a $250 Deposit Match, $10 Free Bet, and FREE DRF Formulator.  Iowa Oaks Imonra will be making her stakes debut in the Grade 3, $225,000 Iowa Oaks off a pair of impressive wins at Gulfstream. She was an 11 3/4-length maiden winner at a mile in her fourth career start April 27 and came right back to win a first-level allowance at the same distance May 26. “She’s progressing,” Joseph said. “Obviously, stretching out, going longer, she got better. Now, we’re stepping up to graded stakes company. It seems like if she fires her best shot, she should have a say.” Imonra earned a Beyer of 82 for her win in the first-level allowance. It’s the co-highest last-race number in the Iowa Oaks, shared with Crypto Mo and Stellar Lady. “She won well,” Joseph said. “She beat a nice filly named Flakes who came back and won a stakes. She sat a few lengths off of it and won the race quite decisively.” ◗ Reaper, a debut winner at Gulfstream, moves back to dirt in the $100,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile. – additional reporting by Marcus Hersh :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.