Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows 2011 –
Headache defeats favourite Awesome Gem
Ramsay’s Headache cruised past favourite, Awesome Gem, to win the $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows on 25 June, 2011.
The five-year old grey horse got his first graded stakes win at the Iowa Festival of racing, which traditionally lasts two days. Headache covered the distance of 1 1/8 miles in a rapid 1 minute and 47.83 seconds.
Awesome Gem did not get a chance and never looked in contention to win the Grade 3 stakes race that was sent at 9 to 5 to win the Cornhusker Handicap but Headache spoiled the party for the favoured eight year old chestnut gelding.
Headache, the son of Tapit’s was teamed once again with jockey, Miguel Mena, and together they ripped the racecourse apart and won over Awesome Gem by a smashing 2 ½ lengths. The winner of the Cornhusker Handicap also won the Claiming Crown Jewel last summer
where he defeated Smarten Destiny by a neck.
Miguel Mena and Headache paired once before the Cornhusker at Churchill Downs when they registered a massive 7 ½ length lead and won the 1 1/16 mile event on 21 May.
Trained by Mike Maker, Headache broke the stakes barrier and with it won the $180,000 purse money and made a name for him in this year’s older handicap division.
Certainly a force to be reckoned with, Handicap was drawn at 9-to-2 as a second favourite to win the race. Breaking from the rail, Handicap assumed a nice position and carved the path for himself to save ground behind the eleven horses.
The pace maker, Victory Pete, zipped through, maintained a sharp pace, and contested the eventual fourth place finisher, Cryptolight. Miguel Mena took the cue from the pace maker and got off the rail swapped places at the outside where he could get ready
for the burst.
Meanwhile, the classy eight year old gelding Awesome Gem took his time to get to top speed and maybe biding his time was the only mistake the favourite made and probably left it too late.
When it came to Awesome Gem and Headache, the latter couldn’t match the pace of the former and Headache just drifted away from Awesome Gem after each stride. Headache took on the experienced Awesome Gem and showed his class by his impressive turn of foot.
A stellar run from a potential future star, Headache made it clear that he can win important races and should start more often for trainer Michael J Maker.
Michael Maker would be ecstatic after the five-year old’s fine performance in the Cornhusker Handicap and he would be bound to assess more options for Headache. Maker also won the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with Furthest Land and impresses with his success.
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