Entry hard to look past at Prairie

ALTOONA, Iowa - Trainer Paul Pearson's entry of Take Me Up and Le Numerous will be favored when they face six other Iowa-bred colts and geldings in Sunday's $70,000 Cyclones Handicap at Prairie Meadows.

Take Me Up is the 121-pound highweight in the Cyclones. Take Me Up, a 5-year-old gelded son of Take Me Out, rallied to score a two-length upset win over Cowboy Stuff in the six-furlong John Wayne Stakes here in his 2003 debut May 17.

Take Me Up was then stretched out around two turns and finished second, beaten one length, in an open allowance going one mile and 70 yards June 6, his prep for the 1 1/16-mile Cyclones.

Take Me Up is proven around two turns, having finished second, beaten a half-length, in last year's Cyclones. He also won the 1 1/16-mile Ralph Hayes against statebreds here last year and finished second in the $100,000 Prairie Mile against open company. Overall, Take Me Up sports a 7-7-1 record from 19 starts and has $270,864 in earnings for his owner-breeder Sandra Rasmussen. Pearson has given jockey John Jacinto a return call Sunday.

Rasmussen's Le Numerous, also has the credentials to win. Le Numerous, a 5-year-old gelded son of Numerous, finished second behind Take Me Up in last year's Ralph Hayes. He won his only two-turn race this year beating open allowance company here in a one-mile race in April. Le Numerous has won 8 of his 34 career starts and earned more than $265,000. Jacinto was also named aboard Le Numerous, who will carry 117 pounds.

Canaverous seems to have the best chance of upsetting the entry Sunday. In his last start, Canaverous scored a gate-to-wire win by two lengths in an open allowance race June 2. The on-mile race was his first around two turns. Prior to that the Dave Mc Shane-trained Canaverous dueled and weakened to finish third, beaten five lengths by Take Me Up in the John Wayne. Canaverous figures to battle with Le Numerous for the early lead on Sunday under jockey Alex Birzer. Canaverous will carry 119 pounds.