Prairie Meadows: Several contenders

Valliant Dancer leads a wide-open field of seven fillies and mares, including an entry, in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile, $40,000 Central Iowa Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

Valliant Dancer is unraced since May 1, when she ran third, beaten five lengths, in a one-mile optional claiming event at Churchill Downs for trainer Carl Nafzger.

A 4-year-old daughter of Valiant Nature, Valliant Dancer has run very well off similar layoffs in the past. She is 3-3-3 from 12 career starts, with $121,355 in earnings.

Valliant Dancer runs best from a stalking position and figures to get a contested early pace in the Central Iowa. Terry Thompson rides Valliant Dancer.

The Dick Clark-trained entry of Candybedandy and Switch Lanes also looks formidable in the Central Iowa.

Switch Lanes is a multiple stakes winner who has earned nearly $200,000 since being claimed in July 2004 for $25,000 by her current connections. In her most recent start, Switch Lanes finished second, beaten one length, as the 4-5 favorite in the mile and 70-yard Donna Reed for statebreds here Aug. 27. A front-running mare, Switch Lanes will be ridden Saturday by regular rider Glenn Corbett.

Candybedandy also figures to show early speed in the Central Iowa. She exits a front-running, three-length win in the six-furlong Iowa State Fair Stakes here Aug. 20. A 5-year-old daughter of Holly Bull, Candybedandy earned a career-high 96 Beyer Speed Figure in that race, the highest by any starter in the Central Iowa. Joel Campbell rides.