Butterbean, Strobe Lead July 7 Races at Prairie Meadows

Four $100,000 stakes races July 7 kick off the 2023 Iowa Festival of Racing at Prairie Meadows, which continues July 8 with another quartet of stakes, topped by the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3).

The first day of the two-day festival includes the Iowa Distaff at 1 1/16 miles, the Iowa Sprint at six furlongs, the Prairie Gold Lassie at 5 1/2 furlongs and the Saylorville Stakes at six furlongs.

The Iowa Distaff is led by Butterbean , a Kentucky-based filly who is perfect in three starts when shipping in to race at Prairie Meadows. Last year she won the Panthers Stakes and Iowa Oaks (G3) and this year added the Jack Bishop Stakes. Kenny McPeek trains the Magdalena Racing and William Klimashousky-owned 4-year-old daughter of Klimt  .

Godolphin's Strobe , coming off a third-place finish to reigning champion male sprinter Elite Power  in the June 10 True North Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, is dropped in class by trainer Brad Cox into the Iowa Sprint, where the opposition includes Albizu  and Dean's List .

Arindel's Kiss , trained by Robertino Diodoro, is favored in the Prairie Gold Lassie after a second-out victory at Ellis Park, matched against recent Horseshoe Indianapolis maiden graduates Crown Imperial  and Tx Women for Arts .

The Saylorville then wraps up Friday evening's stakes action with a competitive 12-horse lineup. First On Time, Yuugiri , and Adaline Julia  are the headliners.