Navajo Warrior Primed for Cornhusker Handicap

With nine wins from 17 starts, Navajo Warrior  has proven to be a relentless warrior on the racetrack. Living up to his name, he will look to continue his strong form in the 1 1/8-mile, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap (G3) July 11 at Prairie Meadows.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Navajo Warrior enters the field with a 2-for-3 record this year and will seek his third consecutive victory. Starting his 5-year-old campaign, he stormed into the winner's circle March 21 when taking an allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park, where he finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of 2025 Preakness Stakes (G1) runner-up Gosger . 

He showed further improvement when scoring in the May 15 Pimlico Special Stakes (G3) at Laurel Park, his first try against graded stakes company. The gelded son of veteran sire Candy Ride   wired the field to win by 2 3/4 lengths for owners BAG Racing Stables, Miller Racing, Dr. Derek Paul, Mathis Stable, Paul Braverman, and Timothy Pinch.

Navajo Warrior is out of the multiple graded stakes-producing Storm Cat mare Crosswinds, making him a half brother to grade 1 winner Weep No More . 

Also entering off a grade 3 win is Heroic Move , who Robertino Diodoro trains for Arnold Bennewith, Rick Wiest, Clayton Wiest, Lana Wiest, Norman Tremblay, R 6 Stable, and Sheila Regan. 

The 6-year-old son of Quality Road   was second by a neck in the Cornhusker last year to fellow entrant Cornishman . His last-out victory came in the May 25 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) at Lone Star Park, where he rallied from last to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Neoequos . 

Heroic Move sports a 9-5-4 record from 30 starts with earnings of $1,267,081.

The Dan McFarlane-trained Cornishman will look to defend his Cornhusker title for owner Joseph Schumer.

Cornishman, a 5-year-old gelded son of Curlin  , is coming off consecutive black-type stakes wins, which include the April 25 Gus Fonner Stakes at Fonner Park and the June 13 Jim and Sandra Rasmussen Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

Heroic Move is one of two entrants with millionaire status, the other being Gigante , who was third to Heroic Move in the Steve Sexton Stakes. 

Gigante, a 6-year-old son of Not This Time  , has achieved two wins from seven starts this year, and enters off a third-place finish in the Texas Turf Classic Stakes June 27 at Lone Star Park. 

Render Judgment  enters the race off a June 13 allowance victory at Churchill Downs after back-to-back runner-up finishes for trainer Kenny McPeek. 

Other entries include Spenard , Spellmaker , San Siro , and Bullard . 

The race preceding the Cornhusker is the $250,000 Iowa Derby, highlighted by the well-traveled Desert Gate , who Baffert intends to scratch from the Indiana Derby (G3) to run in Iowa. 

The 3-year-old son of Omaha Beach   is coming off a fourth-place effort in the June 20 Ohio Derby (G3). Before that start, he scored a victory by 6 1/4 lengths in the May 25 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park.