Miss Kentucky a deserving favorite in Prairie Rose Stakes

Bred in Kentucky, based in Kentucky, and named for Kentucky, Miss Kentucky is going to Iowa to try and add a stakes win to her resume.

Miss Kentucky drew the rail, has high-percentage jockey Ramon Vazquez named to ride, and is the likely favorite Thursday night at Prairie Meadows in the $50,000 Prairie Rose, a six-furlong stakes race for older fillies and mares.

Five others were entered – and the Prairie Rose is no gimme – but Miss Kentucky deserves to be favored. A Preston Maddon homebred by Blame, Miss Kentucky is trained by Rusty Arnold, who has taken his time running the filly through her conditions. Miss Kentucky got a look in the Dream Supreme Stakes last fall at Churchill, fading off the scene after contesting a hot pace, but otherwise Arnold has kept her to allowance competition. Miss Kentucky won a third-level allowance race at Churchill in her most recent start and now that she’s essentially out of conditions, it’s time to explore various stakes books. The Prairie Rose is a good fit for Miss Kentucky’s talents and Vazquez figures to deploy his mount’s natural speed from the start.

Mythical Tale won a race last September at Churchill in which Miss Kentucky finished third, and she could beat the morning-line favorite again. With a 4-3-1 record from 11 starts, Mythical tale is far better than a last-start slop flop at Oaklawn Park suggests, and she won well enough two races ago making just her second start for trainer Brad Cox to give Miss Kentucky all she wants Thursday night.

There is a hole somewhere in Honey Bunny, who has been claimed this year for $17,500, $10,000, and most recently $16,000, but the 4-year-old filly keeps performing. She has won three in a row and after being haltered for $16,000 two races ago by trainer John Ortiz she won for a $40,000 tag in a race also open to allowance horses on April 21 at Indiana Grand. The Prairie Rose is not out of her range.

Jersey Heist has tailed off in her last two starts, Julerette appears to need more distance to show her best, and Soliloquy is overmatched. Post time for the Thursday feature is 9:07 Central.