Shipmate has edge in Iowa Stallion Futurity
There is not a lot of form to be found in the $60,000 Iowa Stallion Futurity on Friday night at Prairie Meadows, a race for 2-year-olds in which only three of the 11 entrants have made as many as two starts. That’s all the more reason bettors figure to gravitate toward Shipmate, who should go postward a strong favorite.
Shipmate found the winner’s circle in his career debut, going straight to the front and winning off by nearly three lengths June 5. He was 6-1 in that start but will be a small fraction of that price Friday since Shipmate earned the highest Beyer Speed Figure in the field and is trained by Karl Broberg.
This is Broberg’s third year racing at Prairie Meadows, but his stable has been much more active this season – active to the tune of 41 winners from 159 starters, making him the leading trainer by 13 wins entering this week’s racing. Shipmate could wind up at Canterbury Park at some point this summer since he’s a Minnesota-bred, but he did just fine debuting in open company and should be formidable in this restricted race under Broberg’s go-to Prairie Meadows rider, Sasha Risenhoover.
Dancing With Eve – a filly facing males – and Little Timmy both showed speed in winning their career debuts in Iowa-bred competition. Fools Rushin, a second-out winner, did things a different way, rallying from eighth to beat Iowa-breds last month. None ran as well in winning as did Shipmate, who has room to improve now with ample rest between starts.