Size, Jessica's Star, and Carve win in Iowa

The weather may not have cooperated on the biggest night of racing at Prairie Meadows, but slop or no slop, three solid graded stakes fields produced three exciting finishes. Size won the Iowa Oaks, Jessica’s Star scored in the Iowa Derby, and Carve took home the top prize in the Cornhusker.

It was ladies first, as the lightly raced Size surprised a full field of nine in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks. Making just her fourth lifetime start, the daughter of First Samurai went right to the lead before settling in second in the early going for rider Junior Alvarado. The Bill Mott charge stayed there until the stretch when she powered by the front running Dream Spinner. From there she was easily able to hold off a late rush from Ria Antonia to win by 1 ¼ lengths. The slight favorite in the field, Ria Antonia was making her first start since finishing last in the Preakness, and finished a half length in front of Dream Spinner for the place.

In winning for the third time, Size rewarded her backers with a robust $28.00 for the win. Her finial time over the sloppy track was 1:43.64, which turned out to be half a second faster than the boys did to complete the Derby. 

The young males took center stage next for the Grade 3 Iowa Derby. Sitting back off the pace under jockey David Mello, not much attention was paid to Jessica’s Star, despite a recent stakes win over the track. While the more highly regarded, and prominent throughout, Vicar’s in Trouble and Embellishing Bob battled it out early in the stretch, the 9-1 shot was just getting going on the outside.  

As Embellishing Bob turned away the challenge of the favored Vicar’s In Trouble, Jessica’s Star and Mello cruised down the outside to victory in the Grade 3, $250,000 Iowa Derby. With the win, the son of Magna Graduate raised his lifetime record to an impressive 6-4-2-0, while completing the distance in 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.12.

In the most competitive field of the night, it was Carve earning the initial stakes victory of his career in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap. The stretch run came down to the early leaders as the winner rallied from third under Jesus Castanon. First getting by Ground Transport, the 4-1 second choice wore down a stubborn pace-setting Right to Vote, who never gave up from between horses, to grab the victory by a measured neck. 

Like Size, Carve was sired by First Samurai, making the young stallion one of the stars of the night from the comfort of his stable at Claiborne Farm.

Ground Transport was game on the rail and held third over the race favorite Golden Ticket, who menaced at the top of the stretch, but could not make up enough ground in the stretch. Final time for the sloppy nine furlongs was 1:50.56, as Carve won his second straight race, and raised his lifetime mark to 14-5-1-4. 

All Photos courtesy of Coady Photography