Purple Route One Travels to Prairie Meadows for Cornhusker

Winchell Thoroughbreds’ homebred Purple Route One  ran under expectations when fourth at 2-1 odds in a slow-paced Pimlico Particular (G3) Might 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

A month and a half later, nonetheless, his effort seems to be higher than it did on race day, buoyed by return performances from the race’s 1-2 finishers, Pyrenees  and Kingsbarns . They not too long ago accomplished one other exacta, this time with Kingsbarns ending first, within the $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) June 29 at Churchill Downs.

The obvious power of the Pimlico Particular—in addition to Purple Route One’s accomplishments and $1.6 million bankroll—will doubtless make him the favourite over 10 rivals July 6 within the $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap (G3) at Prairie Meadows. He’s considered one of three graded stakes winners within the 1 1/8-mile contest, the others being Hit Present , who took the 2023 Withers Stakes (G3), and the 2023 Clark Stakes (G2) winner Trademark . The latter is cross-entered within the $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Cristian Torres, who rode Purple Route One to win the West Virginia Derby (G3) final summer time, is reunited aboard the 4-year-old son of Gun Runner   for Corridor of Fame coach Steve Asmussen. Purple Route One carries prime weight of 120 kilos.

Asmussen and Winchell Thoroughbreds additionally begin the up-and-coming Unload , one other homebred son of Gun Runner whose customary front-running fashion ought to guarantee tempo and complement the late-running methods of Purple Route One. Walter De La Cruz is aboard Unload.

A winner of 4 of 20 begins, Purple Route One scored most not too long ago in late March at Truthful Grounds Race Course & Slots when he rallied to defeat Touchuponastar  in a fast-paced New Orleans Traditional (G2). Between that begin and the Pimlico Particular, he was third within the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) behind Skippylongstocking , who confirmed within the Stephen Foster.

Gary and Mary West’s homebred Hit Present , a 2 1/4-length winner of an allowance elective claiming race Might 11 at Churchill Downs, looms Purple Route One’s main adversary. Along with profitable the Withers final 12 months, the Brad Cox trainee ran a number of prime races in defeat, akin to when second within the Wooden Memorial Stakes (G2), fifth within the Kentucky Derby (G1), and a dead-heat fourth within the Belmont Stakes (G1).

Purple Route One additionally competed in two legs of the Triple Crown, operating fourth within the Preakness Stakes (G1) and eighth within the Belmont.

Only a Contact Heads Iowa Derby

The Cornhusker anchors a four-stakes card Saturday evening at Prairie Meadows that additionally consists of the $100,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes, the $225,000 Iowa Oaks, and the $250,000 Iowa Derby.

Only a Contact , runner-up within the Blue Grass Stakes (G1)  and Gotham Stakes (G3) earlier than ending final on this 12 months’s Kentucky Derby, prime the 11-horse Iowa Derby.

The Cox-trained Impel  seems a short-priced favourite over Shimmering Attract  within the Iowa Oaks if Impel’s connections don’t decide to run her as a substitute within the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3), additionally on Saturday.