'Wildwood' back at favorite track

Wildwood Royal, a multiple stakes winner over the track, heads a field of eight entered in Saturday's $50,000 Prairie Rose Stakes for filly and mare sprinters at Prairie Meadows.

Trained by Jimmy Zook, Wildwood Royal has shipped into Prairie Meadows numerous times over the past two years and has won 5 of her 6 starts here, including the 2003 Iowa Oaks and last year's $125,000 Iowa Breeders' Cup Distaff.

In her career, the 5-year-old Wildwood Royal has earned $377,958, with a 11-4-2 record from 27 starts.

In her only start of the year, Wildwood Royal stalked the pace and finished a close third, beaten a half-length, in a six-furlong overnight stakes at Hawthorne on March 5.

Danush Sukie, who has ridden Wildwood Royal to all of her stakes wins here, is reunited with her after a two-race absence. Wildwood Royal gets in light at 113 pounds under the allowance conditions of the Prairie Rose.

Miss Elsie, a winner of 4 of her 5 career starts, looms the main threat. Miss Elsie began her career with two straight wins at Oaklawn Park last winter before being shipped to Prairie Meadows by trainer Larry Jones.

Miss Elsie finished second by a length in last April's Goldfinch Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Miss Elsie then went to the sidelines for more than eight months.

Returning against allowance company at Oaklawn on Jan. 29, Miss Elsie stalked the pace and rallied to score a three-quarter-length win in a six-furlong two-other-than allowance.

In her most recent start, Miss Elsie once again stalked the pace and rallied to score, this time by 1 1/2 lengths on March 2 against allowance rivals at Oaklawn.

Terry Thompson, who has ridden Miss Elsie in all five of her starts, has a return call in the Prairie Rose for owner-breeder Nelson McMakin. Miss Elsie carries co-highweight of 120 pounds.

Caviar Emptor will be a late threat for trainer Randy Oberlander. She enters the race off an allowance victory around two turns at Oaklawn on April 6.

Caviar Emptor is winless in three career starts at Saturday's six-furlong distance but did rally from well off the pace to finish second in this event last year. Ken Shino picks up the mount.