John Wayne Stakes likely to come down to trip

They’re probably better than you think, these Iowa-breds, and there are several of them that, with luck, look good enough to win the $50,000 John Wayne Stakes on Saturday at Prairie Meadows.

The John Wayne is carded for six furlongs on dirt and restricted to Iowa-bred males. Four of the nine entrants are 3 or 4 years old, but it’s still surprising none of the entrants raced in the 2017 John Wayne.

Three of them, however, raced April 29 in an allowance-race prep for the John Wayne: Itsallaboutyou won, followed by Basic Chance and Scrutinizer. But that result came down mainly to trip, as Itsallaboutyou stalked and pounced on a quick, contested pace that had swept up the eventual second- and third-place finishers. Four-year-old Basic Chance drew the rail for the John Wayne and just might be quick enough to make a clear early lead this time.

Worth considering is No Holds Barred, who makes his first start since Sept. 24, when he set the pace and held admirably for fourth in the $100,000 Remington Green Stakes. The Remington Green is a turf route, but the versatile No Holds Barred – bred, owned, and trained by Lynn Chleborad – does dirt sprints, as well.