Iowa Racing Festival contested by 3-year-old sprinters on the first day in the Iowa Sprint Handicap
The hype of the Iowa Racing Festival is on the seventh sky, not worthy to know that the Grade 3 races kick off with a pair of six furlong races by the names of $125,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap, $100,000 Saylorville and $100,000 Iowa Distaff, run over a distance
of one and one sixteenth miles. These races contest three-year-old sprinters.
The Iowa Sprint Handicap is drawing a field of seven contenders and it seems to have the most flare as Atta Boy Roy and Ventana are to make a show of exuberance that is going to soothe the cravings of horse racing enthusiasts. Both are coming to the Iowa
Sprint Handicap in their best form.
Atta Boy Roy won the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap in 2010 and is trained by Valorie Lund.
The six-year-old bay colt recently ran with a feverish speed but got beaten by Noble’s Promise in the Grade 3 Aristides Stakes which was held on June 4, 2011.
Atta Boy Roy is considered as the speediest Washington-bred ridgling and sired by Tribunal.
Lund spoke about his colt’s form, saying “as good as he has ever been in his life”.
His rival, Ventana, is no less of a fiery ball who heads the field, recently giving a superb performance when he defeated Immortal Eyes in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Handicap which was held on May 21, 2011.
Rafael Bejarano will be holding the reins for Ventana in the Iowa Sprint Hnadicap.
Ventana is the five-year-old son of Toccet who resides at Churchill Downs. At Churchill Downs, Ventana has been sported doing three straight work outs ever since he has been victorious in Preakness Stakes.
Baffert, his trainer, commented on the colt’s form, saying “He came out of his Maryland race nicely and has been working well in Louisville”.
So the buildup is uncanny and there is to be a rubber match between Atta Boy Roy and Ventana.
Speaking of Saylorville Stakes, it features mares and fillies, racing over a distance of six furlongs.
This race has Beat the Blues, trained by Bret Calhoun, heading the field as the 8-5 morning line favourite.
She was second in her last attempt at the Grade 3 Wining Colours Stakes which was held on May 30, 2011, defeated by a neck by Sassy Image.
In the Iowa Distaff, Freedom Star is considered as a favourite. Freedom Star is trained by the Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert.
Freedom Star got hold of a win in the Grade 3 Azeri Stakes, held on March 6, 2010. The Bay filly is to face competition from the Calhoun-trained Bella Medaglia.
The first night of the Iowa Racing Festival commences at 6:30 p.m. Central.
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