Lady Apple wins Iowa Oaks; D' Rapper takes Iowa Sprint

Lady Apple outlasted Ulele by a half-length as the two strong favorites dominated the Grade 3, $200,000 Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows on Friday night.

Ulele, the 11-10 second choice, immediately went to the front from post 1 under Florent Geroux as even-money favorite Lady Apple and Ricardo Santana Jr. took up a pressing a position about one length behind as Ulele set splits of 23.36 and 47.39 seconds. Lady Apple, making her first start since a distant third-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks, edged closer to Ulele around the far turn, got on even terms in upper stretch, and inched away through the final furlong as Ulele, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes runner-up in her last start, stayed on gamely.

Ulele finished 8 1/2 lengths in front of third-place Taylor’s Spirit as Lady Apple ($4) clocked 1:43.33 for 1 1/16 miles on a fast dirt track. Sweet Diane was an early scratch.

Steve Asmussen trains Lady Apple, a 3-year-old daughter of Curlin and Miss Mary Apples, by Clever Trick, for Phoenix Thoroughbred III and KatieRich Stable. KatieRich campaigned Miss Mary Apples and bred Lady Apple, who failed to meet a $100,000 reserve at a yearling sale and finished second in a 2-year-old maiden race in April 2018 at Keeneland for KatieRich and trainer Mark Hubley before Phoenix Thoroughbred bought in and the filly was turned over to Asmussen.

Lady Apple failed to win in four starts at age 2 but began her season with three wins, including the Grade 3 Fantasy at Oaklawn, before a solid performance in the Kentucky Oak, where she finished 7 1/4 lengths behind the victorious Serengeti Empress.

• D’ Rapper ($6.20) won a scratch-devastated renewal of the $100,000 Iowa Sprint.

D’ Rapper, Ramon Vazquez riding for owner Danny Caldwell and trainer Federico Villafranco, dueled for the lead with 2-5 favorite Share the Upside before taking over late and drawing clear to a 1 1/4-length score, running six furlongs in 1:08.78.

Glory Stars finished last of three in a race where place and show betting were canceled following the scratches of Cummings, Do Share, Seven Trumpets, and the Tabulator.