L D's Shes Special romps in sloppy Hawkeyes

Friday evening's torrential downpours turned what was already a wide-open renewal of the $70,000 Hawkeyes Handicap at Prairie Meadows into a sloppy quagmire. Moreover, demanding early fractions, set by 7-2 second choice Sakakawea, of 22.59 and 46.75 seconds ensured that the 1 1/16-mile race for Iowa-bred fillies and mares would be a test of stamina.

Wisely, jockey Tim Doocy guided Larry Dunbar's homebred L D's Shes Special through an advantageous wide trip, and the 6-year-old mare swooped past her 11 opponents to win going away by six lengths. Fellow longshot Courtney J, trained and co-owned by Ray Tracy in partnership with Lloyd DeBruycker, managed a trouble-free passage along the inside to garner the place spot from Thekatcamehome by 1 1/4 lengths.

However, it was owner-trainer Dunbar and L D's Shes Special's night to shine. Unraced since a rallying second in a six-furlong $15,000 conditioned claiming event on May 5, the Evansville Slew-sired mare had exhibited her readiness last Friday morning when breezing a bullet five furlongs in just over a minute.

Collecting $42,000 for Dunbar's small stable of Iowa-breds, L D's Shes Special returned $42.40 to win. The difficult to predict 3-1 quinella returned a mammoth $786.80 to just one fortunate bettor.