2017 Cornhusker Handicap Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa will play host to the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap on Saturday, July 8. Horses three years old and upward will be featured when they take to Prairie Meadows dirt track and race 1 1/8 miles for the winner's share of the $300,000 purse.

A competitive field of nine will line up in the Cornhusker Handicap - race 9 on Prairie Meadows Saturday schedule. Post time is 7:50 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all nine entries for this G3 stakes.

2017 Cornhusker Handicap Entries at Prairie Meadows

Dolphus 2-1

James Jerkens trained colt has four wins, a second and a third-place finish in his 11 career starts. He made his graded stakes debut January 14 where he finished a distant last of nine in the G3 Hal's Hope Stakes at Gulfstream and has three starts since - a very respectable second last time out in the G3 Pimlico Special May 19 followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score in wire-to-wire fashion and a fourth in the minor Stymie Stakes March 12 where he actually ran well - both at Aqueduct. He had an Allowance Optional Claiming score by an incredible nine lengths with a 101 Beyer Speed Figure at Gulfstream December 11 which followed consecutive fourths - an Allowance at Keeneland October 27 and the minor Grover Buddy Delp Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park in August. Dolphus has been trending upward ahead of this weekend and will chase a first stakes score from post 3 Saturday. Rajiv Maragh rides the morning line favorite and 118 pound co-highweight.

Texas Chrome 5-1

JR Caldwell trained colt has been good so far in his 18-race career - eight wins, three seconds and three third place finishes including wins in his first three career starts (two stakes). He enters off a disappointing sixth in the G1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs June 17 after a respectable second in the G3 Lone Star Park Handicap May 28 and another OK second in the G3 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes on that track May 7. Before that were two disappointing results - a sixth in the G2 Oaklawn Handicap April 15 and a ninth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Last summer he had a nice three race win streak - The G3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park September 25, the G3 Super Derby September 10 and the $100,000 minor Super Derby Prelude Stakes August 6. He also posted a good second in the G3 Iowa Derby here last July 1, a decent third in his graded stakes debut - the G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs June 18, 2016 and a win by an incredible 10 1/2 lengths in the minor Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone Star last May. Texas Chrome tries for his first graded stakes score in 10 months Saturday and enters in decent form. Alex Birzer will try to accomplish that goal from the outside post 9 as the morning line second choice.

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Iron Fist 6-1

Has placed in 14 of 19 career starts for trainer Steve Asmussen - six wins, four seconds and four third place finishes. He enters having placed in his last four starts overall - a win last time out in the minor Evangeline Mile June 3 followed a third in the G3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star May 7, another third in the G2 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds April 1 and a nice win in the minor Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston in February. In 2016, he had an Allowance Optional Claiming score in November and a decent second in the G3 Ack Ack Handicap at Churchill Downs in October. Iron Fist has been decent lately and hopes for a first ever graded stakes score from gate 8 Saturday. Ricardo Santana Jr. will be in the saddle of the co-third choice.

Conquest Windycity 6-1

Brendan Walsh trained colt has 11 career starts with three wins, two seconds and two third place finishes. He enters off an OK third, right behind Dolphus in the G3 Pimlico Special May 19 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score by 4 1/2 lengths at Keeneland April 13, a second in a similar race at Gulfstream February 22, a fifth in the minor Toronto Cup at Woodbine last July and a third in the minor James W. Murphy Stakes last May. He has quietly placed in three straight races and will be after a first graded stakes score from gate 4 Saturday. Brian Joseph Hernandez has the mount on the other co-third betting choice.

Shotgun Kowboy 8-1

Defending runner-up in this race, CR Trout trained gelding has eight wins, five seconds and two third place finishes in 20 career starts. He won a couple of minor stakes races in 2014 and in 2015 won the G3 Oklahoma Derby and minor Oklahoma Classics Cup at Remington Park. In 2016, he posted three straight runner-up finishes in graded stakes action - the G3 Texas Mile and G3 Lone Star Park Handicap (both at Lone Star) and the 2016 G3 Cornhusker Handicap. Last time out was an OK third in the 2017 G3 Lone Star Park Handicap May 28 which followed a slightly disappointing fourth in the G3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star May 7, a sixth in the minor Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park March 18 and two straight Allowance Optional Claiming scores to start 2017 on that track as well. Shotgun Kowboy has been up and down in his career and will chase a first stakes score in 19 months Saturday from the rail. Luiz Quinones rides.

Hawaakom 8-1

Defending sixth place finisher in this race, Wesley Hawley trained gelding has 35 career starts with eight wins, seven seconds and seven third place finishes. He has placed in six of nine starts since but has looked just OK in his last two overall. Last time out was a hard-luck fourth in the G1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs June 17 which followed a fifth in the G2 New Orleans Handicap April 1. Before that was an OK second in the G3 Razorback Handicap February 20, a nice win in the minor Louisiana Stakes at Fairgrounds and a fifth in the G1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in November. He placed in his four previous starts including a win in the minor West Virginia Governor's Stakes last August. Hawaakom has been OK in his career but still has yet to post a graded stakes score. Miguel Mena will try to change all of that from gate 2.

Code West 10-1

Winner of the 2013 G3 Matt Winn Stakes finished fifth in this race last year and has seven wins, nine seconds and six third place finishes in 32 career starts. He enters off an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track June 16, a third in the minor Jim Rasmussen Memorial here May 29 (a race he won in 2016), a fourth in the minor Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park in January and a nice win in the minor Zia Park Championship Handicap. Code West has placed in three of his last four starts overall and shoots for a fist graded stakes score from post 7. Ramon Vazquez is scheduled to ride.

American Dubai 12-1

Won his debut for trainer Rodney Richards and went on to a pair of thirds including the G3 Southwest Stakes February 15, 2016. He won four straight races to start his 2017 campaign including the minor Sunland Park Handicap April 16 and three Allowance Optional Claiming races and has been decent in two starts since. Last time out was an OK second in the minor Jim Rasmussen Memorial Stakes on this track May 29 after a fifth in the G3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star May 7. American Dubai now has five wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 13 career starts but has yet to record a graded stakes score. Jockey Ken Tohill will try to change all of that from post 5.

December Seven 15-1

Has placed in six of eight career starts for trainer Paul McGee - four wins and two second place finishes. Last time out was a sixth in the G2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs May 5 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score April 7, a fifth in the G3 Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds February 25 and two straight Allowance victories. December Seven has been good against lesser company but has yet to hit the board in stakes action. He tries to change his fortunes around Saturday with Corey Lanerie aboard from gate 6.

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2017 Cornhusker Handicap Odds & Entries

Race 9 on Prairie Meadows's Saturday card with a Post Time of 8:50 PM.