Cornhusker Handicap 2014 Contenders & Odds

Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap is on tap for Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa this Saturday, June 28. Horses three years old and upward will take to Prairie Meadows main track and race 1 1/8 miles looking for the winner’s share of the $300,000 purse.

A field of eight will line up in the Cornhusker Handicap – race 9 on Prairie Meadows Saturday schedule. Post time is 10:15 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all eight entries for this Grade 3 stakes.

Golden Ticket – 2012 Travers winner – Kenneth McPeek trainee won the minor Prairie Meadows Handicap July 27, 2013 by eight lengths and had an Allowance Optional Claiming score in May and a second in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap sandwiched in there. He has continued to be a tad inconsistent since then – a good second behind Goldencents after racing tenth for most of the way in the Breeders’ Cup Mile came after a fourth in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes here in September. Golden Ticket has four starts in 2014 – a disappointing fifth last time out in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster followed a good second in the Grade 2 Alysheba May 2. He also had a fourth this year in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap and a decent second behind Palace Malice in the Gulfstream Park Handicap March 8. Golden Ticket has five wins, eight seconds and three third place finishes in 24 career starts and has been a bit tough to figure out the last year or so. Despite the inconsistencies Golden Ticket is the 3-1 morning line favorite and will have Robby Albarado aboard from the outside post Saturday.

Carve – Brad Cox trainee is coming off an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Churchill Downs June 14 after an ugly seventh in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special May 16. Before that was a respectable third in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap April 12, an Allowance Optional Claiming score on that track and a second in the minor Zia Park Derby. He also had a third in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby in September. Carve has four wins, a second and four third place finishes in 11 career starts and has placed in five of his last six starts overall. Jesus Lopez Castanon gets the mount from post 7 as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line.

Ground Transport – Michael Stidham trained colt enters off a fifth in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Invitational Stakes June 7 after a tidy two race win streak – both minor stakes races. He had a win in the Drosselmeyer Stakes in May at Belmont Park and another score in the Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at Laurel Park in March after a fourth in the Grade 3 Mineshaft Handicap in February. Ground Transport has three wins in his last five starts overall and will be looking to place in graded stakes company for the first time – in his fifth try. David Mello gets the call aboard the 4-1 third choice from post 6.

Cornhusker Handicap betting online at Prairie Meadows with OffTrackBetting.com

Coin Broker – Dale Romans trained colt has looked good recently – a third last time out in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs May 2 followed a nice two race win streak – an Allowance Optional Claiming in March and a MSW in February. He has just five career starts with two wins and two third place finishes and looks like a contender for the Cornhusker. Corey Lanerie will be in the reins from the 5-hole Saturday at 5-1 odds.

Right to Vote – Ron Moquett trained gelding is coming off a nice win on this track – the minor Jim Rasmussen Memorial May 24 after failing to place in two graded stakes races at Oaklawn Park. He was sixth two back in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap and fourth in the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap after two wins to start his 2014 campaign. Right to Vote has won three of his last five starts overall and will be looking to place for the first time in four career graded stakes starts. Ricardo Santana has the call from gate 4 at 6-1 odds.

Bellarmine – has three wins and three third place finishes in his last six starts for trainer Kenneth McPeek and is coming off an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track May 23. He has yet to place in graded stakes action – a fifth in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes in June, 2013 and a tenth in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx in September but he has been very competitive as of late. Bellarmine has 14 career starts with five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes and will have Alan Garcia in the saddle at 8-1 odds from post 3.

Lent – Ian Wilkes trained colt races in stakes company for the first time Saturday. He has six career starts with just two wins – the last coming two back in an Allowance at Churchill Downs May 8. He steps up in sketchy form having failed to place in three of his last four starts. Brian Joseph Hernandez gets the call from post 2 at 10-1 odds.

Eriugena – Michael Maker trained gelding is coming off a somewhat disappointing seventh in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park June 7 after a nice two race win streak – an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs in May and an Allowance at Fair Grounds in March. He has 14 career starts with five wins, two seconds and a third place finish and will be looking for a breakthough in his second career graded stakes start. Cornelio Velasquez rides the 12-1 longest shot from the rail Saturday.

Race 9 on Prairie Meadows’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 10:15 PM.