S'maverlous is Cornhusker Highweight

Grade II winner S'maverlous will be chasing his third stakes victory in four starts this year July 2 in the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (gr. III).

Gata Racing Stable's 6-year-old gelded son of Tiz Wonderful—A.P. Petal, by A.P. Indy, broke into the top tier of the handicap division back in March, when he won the New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) at 20-1.

He followed his New Orleans coup with a lackluster fifth place in the Charles Town Classic Stakes (gr. II) but bounced back June 4 to take the 1 1/8-mile Mountainview Handicap at Hollywood Casino at Penn National by a neck over grade II winner Red Rifle.

S'maverlous, bred by Spendthrift Farm, is trained by Mike Maker and will be ridden by Florent Geroux. The gelding is the nine-horse field's highweight with a 118-pound assignment. 

The only other horse in the 1 1/8-mile Cornhusker who has won a graded stakes in 2016 so far is Spendthrift Farm's Cyrus Alexander, who comes into the race off a 2 1/2-length win in the Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III). Cyrus Alexander is a 4-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro—Supercharger, by A.P. Indy, and bred by WinStar Farm. He is a half brother to 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Super Saver   (Maria's Mon) and grade III stakes winner Brethren   (Distorted Humor  ).

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Cyrus Alexander will be ridden by Martin Garcia and tote 117 pounds.

Among the others in Cornhusker to watch is graded stakes winner Shotgun Kowboy, who has placed in two graded stakes this year—behind Cyrus Alexander in the Lone Star Park Handicap and behind Great Minds in the grade III Texas Mile Stakes. Shotgun Kowboy is owned and trained by C.R. Trout, who also bred the 4-year-old son of Kodiak Kowboy—Shotgun Jane, by Siphon. 

Code West appears to have a bit of momentum. He didn't see the winner's circle in 2015 but placed in three stakes and heads into the Cornhusker off a win in the 1 1/16-mile Jim Rasmussen Memorial Stakes at Prairie Meadows, where he beat Domain's Rap by a neck. Domain's Rap has also been entered in the Cornhusker. Code West is the only entrant in the race with a stakes win at the track.

A 6-year-old Lemon Drop Kid  —Charitabledonation, by Saint Ballado, ridgling bred by the late Edward P. "Ned" Evans, Code West is owned by Bryan Hawk, Leo Hawk, and Tim Hawk. The horse is trained by Boyd Caster and will be ridden by Israel Ocampo, who was in the irons for the Rasmussen Memorial Stakes. 

Other top races this weekend at Prairie Meadows include the $250,000 Iowa Derby July 1 at 1 1/16 miles. The Derby morning-line favorite at 2-1 is Keene Thoroughbreds' Texas Chrome, who finished third in the June 18 Matt Winn Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs. The Texas-bred colt by Grasshopper   is trained by J.R. Caldwell.

The close 5-2 second choice and field highweight at 122 pounds is Gary and Mary West's American Freedom, who ships in from the East Coast following a win in the LARC Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico. The son of Pulpit is trained by Bob Baffert and will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano.

Baffert also sends a contender to the June 30 Iowa Oaks in Zayat Stables' recent maiden winner Emmzy, where she will meet multiple graded stakes-placed Thrilled from Todd Pletcher's barn.