It's All Right, Chi Town Prince have tactical edge in Prairie Meadows Freshman

It’s All Right and Chi Town Prince might be more versatile than some of the competition they face Saturday night and that quality could serve them well in the $100,000 Prairie Meadows Freshman.

There is no shortage of speed in the six-furlong race for 2-year-olds. And while It’s All Right and Chi Town Prince are both quick, there are reasons to believe the unbeaten runners could sit just off the pace if the fractions are hot.

It’s All Right has won both of his starts, taking a maiden special weight June 15 at Lone Star Park and a division of the $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity at the same track July 5.

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“The first race he drew the one-hole and didn’t break real good and came rolling late and ran really well,” said Ray Ashford Jr., who trains It’s All Right. “In the Futurity, he broke well and was just kind of in control the whole way.

“After watching the first race, I think if he wants to sit off the speed he’ll be fine. I don’t think he has to have the lead. The other day, he just broke so good, was sitting there so easy, [jockey] Iram [Diego] just let him run. I think if he needs to, he can sit right off of them, track, and be fine.”

It’s All Right has the sort of temperament that suggests as much, said Ashford, who trains the son of Cairo Prince for Ron Stolich.

“He’s really laid back, easy to keep,” he said. “You can do anything with him. It seems like those smart ones are the good ones. He catches on quick.”

Diego has the mount from post 5 on It’s All Right, who was flattered earlier this month when TTA Futurity runner-up Mor Force came back to win a division of the D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity at Evangeline Downs.

Chi Town Prince, who won his debut last out in a maiden special weight at Hawthorne, will start from post 7 in the field of eight Saturday.

“He’s got a good post and he can sit outside those horses,” said trainer Larry Rivelli. “He doesn’t have to be on the lead. He’s fast enough, but we’ll probably just be right off of it.”

Chi Town Prince, a son of American Freedom, was a 3 1/4-length winner of his debut. He will be ridden by Jareth Loveberry.

“We definitely didn’t get to the bottom of him in his first race, so there’s more to come, I think,” Rivelli said. “He’s progressing, and he’s getting better.”

Rivelli is looking for his third stakes win of the meet at Prairie Meadows.

Others of interest in the Freshman include Smarty Hardy, who is coming off a 10-length win in a division of the Iowa Stallion Futurity on July 25 at Prairie Meadows. Prior to the race, he won a maiden special weight over open company. Kylee Jordan has the mount from post 8 for trainer Todd Jordan.

Q’s Topnotch invades from Horseshoe Indianapolis, where he’s won the first two starts of his career by a combined margin of 12 lengths.

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