Cyclones Handicap has familiar look to it
The first five finishers from last year’s Cyclones Handicap are back for Saturday night’s $65,000 renewal at Prairie Meadows. The race that drew seven horses shares a card with the $65,000 Hawkeyes Handicap.
The stakes are both restricted to 3-year-olds and up bred in Iowa. They will each be conducted over 1 1/16 miles.
Minecraft Maniac was a 4 3/4-length winner of last year’s Cyclones, over runner-up Net Gain, third-place finisher Shweet Persuasion, fourth-place finisher Tin Badge, and fifth-place finisher Kauai.
Kauai comes into this year’s running off a win in the allowance prep July 17. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81, which is the best last-race number in the field Saturday. Minecraft Maniac finished second in the prep, beaten just a half-length. The horses are co-highweighted at 120 pounds Saturday.
Minecraft Maniac will break from the rail. Ken Tohill has the mount for Warren L. Bush and trainer Doug Anderson.
Kauai drew post 3. Elvin Gonzalez has the mount for Poindexter Thoroughbreds and trainer Lynn Chleborad.
Snapy Girl is the 121-pound highweight in the six-horse Hawkeyes and will spot her rivals between two and nine pounds each Saturday. She won the allowance prep July 17 at Prairie Meadows. Snapy Girl earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 77, which is the best last-race number in the Hawkeyes.
Cindy Murphy has the mount from post 4 for owner and trainer Travis Murphy.
The chief threat could be multiple stakes winner Kela’s Turn. She is removing blinkers one start after finishing third to Snapy Girl in the allowance prep July 17. Kela’s Turn is weighted at 117 pounds. She will break from post 5 under Shane Laviolette.