Carve takes Prairie Meadows Cornhusker

ALTOONA, Iowa -- Carve, responding to a prolonged drive from jockey Jesus Castanon, ground out a gritty neck win in Saturday night's Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap.

Tracking the steady pace set by the eventual second=place finisher Right to Vote, Carve ($10.20) was sent after the pacesetters while three wide on the far turn. The 4-year-old First Samurai gelding found just enough under stiff pressure over a sloppy surface.

Right to Vote traveled comfortably through fractions of 23.50, 47.36, and 1:11.14 with third-place finisher Ground Transport stalking him throughout.
Favored Golden Ticket, who was sent off at $1.30-1 in the eight-horse field, broke a shade tardily from his outside post and was forced to play catch-up. His closing bid emptied out in the last sixteenth and he ended up fourth, a neck behind Ground Transport.

Carve, based at Churchill Downs with trainer Brad Cox, had impressively won a tough June 14 allowance race on his home track's Stephen Foster undercard in his previous try.

Owned by Michael Langford for whom he collected $180,000, Carve covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.56.