Prairie Meadows: McPeek gets stakes double with Our Double Play, Hitechnoweenie

ALTOONA, Iowa – Our Double Play, in his first start around two turns, put forth a strong effort on the front end and fended off a rallying Bashaar for a 1 1/2-length win in the $60,000 Prairie Mile on Saturday night.

The Churchill Downs shipper, trained by Ken McPeek, went straight to the front under jockey Shane Laviolette and put away his pursuers, Muppet Man and previously undefeated 7-5 favorite Black Bear, on the far turn. Bashaar, who had the length of the stretch to catch Our Double Play after advancing menacingly, was unable to get on even terms while finishing 14 lengths ahead of Black Bear, who held on for third.

Our Double Play ($6.60), a 3-year-old Grand Slam colt who won a seven-furlong allowance race by 5 1/4 lengths on the May 4 Kentucky Derby undercard, earned $36,000 on Saturday for his owners, J C M Racing. Laviolette's win left him just three shy of the 2,000-win milestone for his career going into Sunday's card. The pair covered the distance in 1:36.19 on a fast track.

McPeek also scored in the night’s next race, the $60,000 Panthers Stakes, when Hitechnoweenie rallied from just off the pace for a three-length win.

Ridden by Terry Thompson, Hitechnoweenie ($8.40) rated kindly and found enough when asked to comfortably pick up second-place finisher Canticle, who had bounded clear at the top of the stretch. Touch Magic, the 2.30-1 favorite in the field of 10 3-year-old fillies, plugged on for third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Canticle.

Hitechnoweenie, a Harlan's Holiday filly, earned $36,000 for owner Peter J. Callahan and covered the mile in 1:37.14.