Han Sense wins Iowa Cradle Stakes in career debut

Prairie Meadows concluded its summer Thoroughbred meet Saturday with seven stakes for Iowa-breds on Iowa Classic Day, which was highlighted by the successful debut of Kentucky shipper Han Sense, a Hansen juvenile who took the Iowa Cradle Stakes despite a slow start.

With jockey Ramon Vazquez saving ground after his colt’s poor beginning, Han Sense ($4.40) recovered to advance from ninth on the turn and through the stretch, showing more professionalism than is typical of a first-time starter by closing right up the fence through the lane. He raced six furlongs in 1:12.07 and provided his sire with his first stakes winner.

Han Sense shares similar connections to Hansen, including trainer Mike Maker and owner Dr. Kendall Hansen, who owned the horse in partnership with Shychai Racing.

One race later in the sister race to the Cradle, the Iowa Sorority, Theperfectvow raced a bit faster than Han Sense, completing six furlongs in 1:11.90 under Scott Stevens, leading from start to finish despite stumbling at the start.

Theperfectvow was one of four front-running winners in the seven stakes Saturday, with the others being Matchlock ($10.40) in the Gov. Terry E. Branstad Stakes; One Fine Dream ($2.40), a dominant winner of the Iowa Breeders’ Derby; and Mywomanfromtokyo ($3.60), who dueled early and kicked away from the opposition to win the Iowa Breeders’ Oaks by 5 3/4 lengths.

Along with Han Sense, those stakes winners who rallied from off the pace included Foxy Fleda ($33.40), who closed wide from seventh to win the Donna Reed Stakes, and the midpack-rallying You Funny Man ($26.60), the Dan Johnson Sprint Stakes winner.

The meet ended with Vazquez edging Alex Birzer for the jockeys’ title, notching 84 victories, one more than his counterpart. Karl Broberg was the leading trainer and Danny Caldwell the leading owner.