Quick pace could favor closing trio in Cornhusker
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There could be a decent pace in the Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap Saturday night at Prairie Meadows and such a scenario would benefit co-highweights Skippylongstocking and Frosted Grace, as well as local favorite Ain’t Life Grand.
The Cornhusker, which is for 3-year-olds and up over 1 1/8 miles, is one of four stakes on the final night of the Iowa Festival of Racing. Purses for the stakes total $875,000.
The Cornhusker field of 10 includes such quick horses as Fleetridge, the runner-up to Officiating in this race a year ago; Giant Game, a wire-to-wire allowance winner last out at Churchill Downs; and Grade 3 winners Warrant and Promise Keeper, who are cross-entered in stakes in Delaware and Indiana.
Skippylongstocking, weighted at 120 pounds, could settle just off a few of his rivals when he breaks from post 5 under Edgard Zayas.
“He likes a stalking trip,” said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. “If he can sit a couple of lengths off it, it’s kind of his trip. He seems to run his best races that way.”
Frosted Grace could be a little farther back when he starts from post 7 under Cristian Torres.
“I think there’s a little bit of speed for him,” said trainer Robertino Diodoro. “There should be a solid pace for him to run at – three on the inside and one outside of him have all got speed. I think that definitely helps.”
Ain’t Life Grand could settle in behind both highweights when he breaks from post 10 under Elvin Gonzalez.
“He drew a post where we can let him run away from the gate, see how the race goes into the first turn and tuck in,” said trainer Kelly Von Hemel.
Skippylongstocking is seeking to give Joseph his second straight Cornhusker win and if he does the 4-year-old will go over $1 million in career earnings.
“We bought him inexpensively, bought him at the sale,” Joseph said of the $37,000 purchase owned by Daniel Alonso. “He’s been a very productive horse for us. He’s won three graded stakes, was third in the Belmont, third in the Wood. He’s been a horse that just tries.”
Skippylongstocking is cutting back in distance off a fifth-place finish in the Ben Ali at 1 3/16 miles April 22 at Keeneland. Prior to that start, he won a pair of Grade 3 stakes over 1 1/16 miles, including the Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream with a Beyer Speed Figure of 106.
“A mile and a sixteenth to a mile and an eighth seems to be where he runs his best races,” said Joseph.
Frosted Grace comes off a win in the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile on May 29 at Lone Star Park. One start prior he was second to Ain’t Life Grand in the Lake Ouachita at Oaklawn. Following that race, Ain’t Life Grand won the Jim and Sandra Rasmussen in June at Prairie. For his last two races, Ain’t Life Grand has earned career-best Beyers of 100 and 101.
“He seems to have matured from last year,” Von Hemel said. “He’s training better than he ever has and his last two efforts, he’s earned huge Beyer numbers. He just couldn’t be doing any better.”
Ain’t Life Grand, who won last year’s Iowa Derby, is 7 for 9 at Prairie.
Call Me Fast is a chief contender off runner-up finishes in the Blame and Ben Ali.
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