Hillbilly Royalty Seeks Iowa Derby Crown

After cruising to a clear victory in the prep race for the $250,000 Iowa Derby (gr. III), Hillbilly Royalty will take aim at the top Prairie Meadows race for 3-year-olds June 27.

A homebred for country music star Toby Keith's Dream Walkin' Farms, Hillbilly Royalty enters off a 1 1/2-length victory in the Prairie Mile Stakes May 30 at Prairie Meadows. In that mile race, the Langfuhr   gelding opened a four-length advantage in the stretch and easily held off runner-up Paid Admission, who, along with third-place finisher Allied Air Raid, will be back for the Iowa Derby.

The Iowa Mile marked the first stakes win for Hillbilly Royalty, who has won three of his six career starts and placed second in this year's Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

Jerry Namy's Lucky Stranger, a stakes-placed son of Lookin At Lucky  , and Bourbon Lane Stable's Bent On Bourbon both enter Saturday night's race off back-to-back victories. 

The expected field of 10 also includes grade III-placed Phenomenal Phoenix and Private Prospect. Mellon Patch Inc.'s Private Prospect enters off a third in the Matt Winn Stakes (gr. III) June 13 at Churchill Downs, while Harlow Stables' Phenomenal Phoenix finished third in the Illinois Derby (gr. III) two starts back.