Mixed meet: $140,000 a day

ALTOONA, Iowa - The Prairie Meadows Thoroughbred-Quarter Horse mixed meeting, which begins Monday, offers record purses.

Purses will average $140,000 per day (not including Iowa-bred supplements) for the 45-day meet, about $15,000 per day more than last year's meet. The meet ends Sept. 28.

Track management hopes to build on the momentum established during the 53-day Thoroughbred meeting, which ended on July 6. All-sources handle at that meeting increased more than 17 percent from last year's meet.

Glenn Corbett will go for his fourth straight mixed meet riding title. Several jockeys, including Terry Thompson, who just won his third straight Thoroughbred meet title here in a runaway, will race here until Hoosier Park opens in late August.

Dick Clark, Prairie Meadows's all-time leading trainer, looks to defend his mixed meet title. Clark, who finished third in the Thoroughbred meet standings, has won the mixed meet title in four of the past five years.

Clark's main competition could come from Ray Tracy Jr., who finished second during the Thoroughbred meet.

The highlight of the meet will once again be Iowa Classic Night Aug. 31, which consists of 10 stakes races for statebreds.

Racing will be conducted four days a week. Most race days will consist of six or seven Thoroughbred and four Quarter Horse races. First post on Monday and Tuesday is 4 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, first post is 6:45 p.m.