Giant Game wins Cornhusker; dispute in Iowa Derby

Giant Game showed last time out at Churchill Downs that he could win by leading from gate to wire. He did it again Saturday night in Iowa.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and the Albaugh family, Giant Game (9-1) resisted the late challenge of Skippylongstocking (3-1) to win the Grade 3, $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap.

Trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Martín García, the 4-year-old Giant’s Causeway colt backed up his allowance win last month to get his first stakes victory in three tries.

Click here for Prairie Meadows entries and results.

It was 2021 Peter Pan (G3) winner Promise Keeper (14-1) who kept Giant Game busy early in the 1 1/8-mile race, stalking through early fractions of 47.18 and 1:11.41 for the first half and three-quarters of a mile. A correct, first-quarter time was not immediately available.

By the time the field of 10 turned for home, Promise Keeper was fading, and three-time Grade 3 winner Skippylongstocking, seven-time Prairie Meadows winner Ain’t Life Grand (8-5) and two-time Grade 3 runner-up Call Me Fast (7-2) were closing. But Giant Game, who went the first mile in 1:37.07 had enough in the final furlong to get to the wire three-quarters of a length ahead.

Skippylongstocking finished second, post-time favorite Ain’t Life Grand was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third, and Call Me Fast was yet another 1 1/2 lengths up the track in fourth.

The winning time was 1:49.86 on the fast, dirt track.

Giant Game was a yearling when his owners bought him for $500,000. He has earned $530,500 in purse money from a record of 10: 3-2-2.

Romans won the Cornhusker one other time, getting Roses in May to the winner’s circle in 2004. García rode the 2020 winner Night Ops for trainer Brad Cox.

How Did He Do That wins controversial Iowa Derby

After finishing in a dead heat for first, and after a more than 10-minute inquiry by stewards, How Did He Do That (48-1) was promoted from a share of the win to the full victory in the listed, $250,000 Iowa Derby.

The Good Magic colt owned by Kirk and Judy Robison and trained by Steve Asmussen crossed the finish line at the same time as pacesetter One in Vermillion (7-1), who was to his inside. Heroic Move (21-1) was just to the outside of them a half-length back in third.

Shortly after the stewards ordered the inquiry sign posted, it was announced that Heroic Move’s jockey Stewart Elliott had lodged an objection against both How Did He Do That, who was ridden by Richard Eramia, and One in Vermillion, who was carrying Harry Hernández.

It was finally ruled that Hernández, who using the crop in his left hand, pushed One in Vermillion outward to impede both How Did He Do That and Heroic Move. While the stewards said the interference cost One in Vermillion the victory, they decided Heroic Move would not have finished better than third.

One in Vermillion was placed second. Heroic Move was third and Denington (9-2) fourth. Post-time favorite Bo Cruz (9-5), who finished third to Disarm and Verifying in the Matt Winn (G3), stalked the early pace but withered to finish eighth.

How Did He Do That, who rallied from mid-pack in the 10-horse field, and One in Vermillion went back and forth on the lead in the deep stretch before they finished the 1 1/16-mile race with a time of 1:43.57 after early fractions of 23.22, 47.56, 1:11.84 and 1:37.07.

Bought as a yearling for $190,000 at the 2021 Keeneland fall yearling sale, How Did He Do That had previous wins in a maiden-claiming race in September at Churchill Downs and in the Zia Park Juvenile in November. His record is 11: 3-1-0 with $299,053 in purse earnings.

Crypto Mo gives Murphy historic win in Iowa Oaks

Crypto Mo repeated Saturday night what she had done in her two most recent races. She led from gate to wire at Prairie Meadows, this time winning the $225,000 Iowa Oaks (G3).

The two-length victory gave Cindy Murphy, who rode the first winner at the Altoona, Iowa, track when it opened 34 years ago, the 2,000th victory of her career.

Trained and co-owned by the jockey’s husband Travis Murphy, the Mohaymen filly got to the front going into the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile race. Crypto Mo (7-2) went the first quarter-mile in 24.37 seconds and maintained her 1 1/2-length advantage when she made the half-mile in 48.55 seconds.

Stellar Lady (9-1) took up the challenge going into the second turn, but Crypto Mo would not yield, making three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.05 and holding a one-length edge.

After the field of seven 3-year-old fillies turned into the stretch, post-time favorite Imonra (8-5) drew even with Stellar Lady. By then, though, Crypto Mo had opened her lead to two lengths, getting the mile in 1:37.97. Cindy Murphy had her filly in hand as they crossed the wire with a winning time of 1:44.16.

After Crypto Mo came Imonra in second, Stellar Lady three more lengths back in third and Love Tank (17-1) another 1 1/4 lengths adrift in fourth.

Owned by Travis Murphy, Matt Trent and Triple V Racing, Crypto Mo ran her record to 8: 4-0-1 with earnings of $210,870. It was the second stakes victory for the filly who cost Travis Murphy $20,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale. Crypto Mo also finished first in the $50,000 Panthers Stakes last month at Prairie Meadows.

It was 72 degrees Saturday night, far warmer than the wintry conditions under which the jockey known then as Cindy Noll rode Holmish to victory in a $4,000 claiming race on a snowy opening day at Prairie Meadows on March 1, 1989.