Ain't Life Grand, Butterbean Shine in Iowa
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Photo: Coady Photography
Ain't Life Grand wins the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows
Iowa homebred Ain't Life Grand defended his home track July 9, closing from off the pace to run down 1-2 favorite Conagher in the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows.
The 3-year-old son of Not This Time has made five of six career starts at the Iowa oval, including wins last year in the Iowa Cradle Stakes and the Richard Radke Memorial Stakes for trainer Kelly Von Hemel.
A third in the June 11 Prairie Mile Stakes gave bettors some hesitation and they sent the colt off at 11-1 odds in an eight-horse field, but Ain't Life Grand found just what he needed in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile test—added ground.
Closing under jockey Elvin Gonzalez, Ain't Life Grand cut into Conagher's advantage with every stride and sailed past en route to a 1 1/2-length victory. That rival gave way after pressing a quick pace set by Rome , who posted a :22.71 quarter, a :46.14 half, and three-quarters in 1:10.19 with Ain't Life Grand racing seventh, sixth, and fifth at those markers.
After swinging four wide in upper stretch, Ain't Life Grand reeled in a tired Conagher in a final time of 1:42.65 on a fast track. He returned $25.20 on a $2 win ticket.
Ain't Life Grand was bred by and races for RPM Thoroughbreds. He improved his record to 4-0-2 from seven starts, with earnings of $347,621. He is out of the unraced Medaglia d'Oro mare Cat d'Oro, who has a 2-year-old colt by Munnings named Iowa Club and a Goldencents filly foaled Feb. 2.
Video: Iowa Derby (BT)
Butterbean Wins Iowa Oaks
As the weather heated up this year, so did Butterbean .
Winless over her first five starts through early May, the 3-year-old Klimt filly notched her third consecutive victory Saturday in the $225,000 Iowa Oaks (G3) at Prairie Meadows, defeating favored Falconet with a second-turn and stretch-run blitz under jockey Glenn Corbett. The score followed victories in the June 11 Panthers Stakes at Prairie Meadows and a May 27 maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs.
Frontrunning Free Like a Girl faded third in the Iowa Oaks, followed by Candy Raid in fourth.
Last of eight over the first half of the race, as Free Like a Girl set splits in the 1 1/16-mile Iowa Oaks of :23.50 and :47.18, Butterbean began to get in gear down the backstretch. Still sixth after six furlongs in 1:11.57, she quickly began picking off rivals and struck the front inside the eighth pole before widening her advantage of three lengths at the finish. She raced 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.72.
Bred by Woodgate Farm in Kentucky, Butterbean was a $22,000 yearling purchase by McPeek from the 2020 September Yearling Sale at Keeneland. She races for Sherri McPeek's Magdalena Racing and William Klimashousky.
Butterbean, who paid $9.80 on a $2 mutuel ticket, is one of three winners and lone stakes winner from four foals to race out of the Johannesburg mare Letting Go . The dam also has a yearling full sister to Butterbean.