Trainer Ray Ashford Jr. sometimes refers to Wildatlanticstorm – who launches his 3-year-old season Saturday night in the $100,000 Iowa Breeders’ Derby at Prairie Meadows – as Big Red. The operative word here is big. The strapping chestnut weighed in at more than 1,200 pounds last year at 2, when he won the $400,000 Springboard Mile on Dec. 17 at Remington Park. The Breeders’ Derby will be his first start in nine months. During that time, Wildatlanticstorm has grown. :: Bet the races with a $250 First Deposit Match + $10 Free Bet and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets. “I’m going to guess he’s about 1,300 pounds, something in there,” said Ashford. Wildatlanticstorm is among 125 horses entered on the Iowa Classics card of 14 races for Iowa-breds that closes out the meet. First post is 4 p.m. Central. The card opens with four stakes for Quarter Horses and follows with seven $100,000 stakes for Thoroughbreds. Highlights include Minecraft Maniac, who is a half-brother to all-time leading Minnesota-bred earner Hot Shot Kid – going for a fourth win in the Governor Terry E. Branstad for Linda Bush, trainer Doug Anderson, and jockey Ken Tohill. Wildatlanticstorm is part of a field of eight in the Breeders’ Derby, which will be run over 1 1/16 miles. Despite the recency he gives up to his rivals, he is listed at 7-5 on the morning line. Warren L, a half-brother to Minecraft Maniac and the winner of the Prairie Mile in June, is another chief contender, as are last-race allowance winners Succession and Palace Guard. Wildatlanticstorm was sidelined because of bone bruising, said Ashford. The horse has since been working regularly at Prairie Meadows, among his moves a bullet five furlongs in 59.60 seconds Aug. 26 and six furlongs in 1:12.20 on Sept. 13. “It’s a long layoff, but the horse has worked really, really forward,” Ashford said. “There’s no easy races, but our thought process was that this would be a little bit softer, starting back with Iowa-breds, as opposed to the Oklahoma Derby. “The horse is doing fantastic.” Ashford said another appeal behind the Breeders’ Derby was the cooler weather in Iowa and the track surface at Prairie Meadows. It tends to be a tighter type of surface, which would serve the large, forward-running Wildatlanticstorm. “The racetrack, it’s a little speed favoring and I think that will be in his favor,” Ashford said. “I think he’ll be closer. I don’t anticipate being on the pace, but closer. Hopefully, it all works in our favor when race time comes.” Ashford said a good performance from Wildatlanticstorm could set him up for a start in the $300,000 Zia Park Derby on Nov. 28 in New Mexico. Alex Birzer has the mount from post 5 on the son of Stormy Atlantic, who is seeking to win his third straight stakes race for breeder and owner Jim Jorgensen. Prior to the Springboard Mile, Wildatlanticstorm won the $100,000 Clever Trevor at Remington. Earlier on Saturday’s card, Jorgensen will be represented by a half-brother to Wildatlanticstorm named Specialsortastorm. The 2-year-old homebred goes in the Iowa Cradle, a six-furlong race in which Birzer has the mount for Ashford. “He’s big, a good-size 2-year-old,” said Ashford. Specialsortastorm is by Midnight Storm and has won his last two races by a combined 21 3/4 lengths. He won his maiden in his third career start Aug. 21, then came back for a 12-length victory in a first-level allowance for Iowa-breds in his most recent out Sept. 11. “That horse, he took a minute to kind of come around,” Ashford said. “When we added blinkers on him, it’s like the light came on at the same time. He ran really good races back-to-back. Specialsortastorm and Wildatlanticstorm are out of the Big Brown mare Imsortaspecial. “She throws a good baby,” said Ashford, noting the mare has a yearling filly by Midnight Lute who has just started her early training lessons. As for the Cradle, other leading contenders in the field of seven include Dawson’s Storm, who comes off a runner-up finish in the Prairie Meadows Freshman. The third-place finisher from the race, Good Like Magic, came back and won the $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes on Sunday at Remington. In the Cradle’s counterpart, the Iowa Sorority for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs, Jorgensen, Ashford, and Birzer will team with Shezawildstorm. She was second by a neck last out in a first-level allowance Sept. 8 at Prairie Meadows. “We’re hoping to get her a little black type,” Ashford said. “She’s coming into the race well.” ◗ Birzer has another notable mount on the card in My Happiness, who starts as a leading contender in the Iowa Breeders’ Oaks at a mile and 70 yards. ◗ Flat Out Stormin will be going for her fourth consecutive win when she faces nine others in the Donna Reed for fillies and mares at a mile and 70 yards. ◗ Mollies Rocket is back at one turn for the Dan Johnson, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up in which he finished second in 2022. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.