Prairie Meadows track report

ALTOONA, Iowa - Seven 2-year-olds searching for their first career stakes score will meet in Friday's $50,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

Figuring out who will go favored in the five-furlong Juvenile is not an easy task. Cherniavsky, the 5-2 morning line favorite, is still a maiden after three starts and is facing winners for the first time. On the plus side, Cherniavsky finished second to eventual Kentucky Breeders' Cup winner Cuvee in a maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs on May 2. He has also hit the board in each of his starts and trainer Greg Fox has obtained Terry Thompson, this meet's leading rider. Cherniavsky gets in at 112 pounds under the allowance conditions of the Juvenile.

Others likely to attract wagering attention in the Juvenile include Ghazi's Impala, who rallied to score a 1 1/4-length victory against maiden special weight company here for trainer Bill Helmbrecht. That race followed two off-the-board finishes in Kentucky to start his career.

Iowa-bred filly Walks Lik'n Angel scored an eight-length victory against statebred special weight company here last out while being timed in a solid 58.87 seconds for five furlongs.

Walks Lik'n Angel's trainer, Fred Falldorf, has a successful history running Iowa-bred juvenile fillies against open company here. In 1999 he sent out Nut N Better to an upset victory in the Prairie Gold Lassie and she went on to become one of the leading Iowa-bred mares of all time. Kelly Murray, who was Nut N Better's regular rider, will once again be aboard Walks Lik'n Angel.