Chleborad sends four in Hawkeyes Handicap

Trainer Lynn Chleborad will have numbers on her side Friday night when she saddles four of the nine fillies and mares entered in the $75,000 Hawkeyes Handicap at Prairie Meadows.

But she’s taking nothing for granted.

“It’s a very nice field of horses,” Chleborad said. “They all have their merits.”

Chleborad trainee Bossy Moment, who could vie for favoritism with Kela’s Turn in the 1 1/16-mile race restricted to Iowa-bred fillies and mares, will be joined in the starting gate by stablemates Rebel Rising, Topless, and Tapthatluck. Chleborad’s horses, which start as separate betting interests, all race for Poindexter Thoroughbreds.

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“There’s only so many times you can run those mares once they get older, and then get retired and they get bred,” Chleborad said of stakes options. “You’ve got to give each one an opportunity to try, so that’s what we’re doing.”

Bossy Moment was a three-quarter-length allowance winner at this distance July 17 at Prairie Meadows. She will be looking for her second stakes win behind last year’s Iowa Breeders’ Oaks when she starts from post 2 under regular rider Elvin Gonzalez.

“I thought she ran a great race,” Chleborad said. “She’s doing really well. All of them are doing well. She’s got a little bit more age and experience and probably back class. It’s just a matter of which one shows up on game day, runs on game day, how the race sets up, and other factors.”

Bossy Moment could get a stalking trip Friday.

“I think she’ll come from off of it and try to run them down,” Chleborad said.

The other stakes winner among the Chleborad four is Topless, who won last year’s Donna Reed at two turns at Prairie Meadows. The closer will break from post 4 under Alex Canchari.

“With her, it’s how the race sets up,” Chleborad said.

Rebel Rising owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, a 76 for a first-level allowance route win July 15 at Prairie Meadows. She was prominent throughout for a 6 3/4-length win. It was a career performance for the daughter of Oxbow.

“She seems to have matured,” Chleborad said. “She seems like she really likes the game.”

Kylee Jordan has the mount from post 5.

Tapthatluck starts from the rail under Kevin Roman. She won over Rebel Rising in June, Chleborad noted.

The barn’s starters all have one thing in common heading into the Hawkeyes, which Chleborad won in 2020.

“All these fillies are extremely friendly,” the trainer said. “You go by, talk to them, they nicker. They’re just happy. They’re all happy horses. Like people, if you’re happy, you’re going to perform better. I think that goes a long way with horses. They kind of have to feel somebody likes them and appreciates them, just like people, I think.”

Kela’s Turn will be making her first two-turn start of the year in the Hawkeyes and is the 124-pound highweight. She is a five-time stakes winner and will break from post 3 under Alex Birzer. Bossy Moment is the second highweight at 122.