McCraken Stretching Out Again in Cornhusker Handicap

Trainer Ian Wilkes believes he knows where McCraken's wheelhouse lies.

He knows what race conditions are needed to get the best out of the multiple graded stakes-winning son of Ghostzapper , and he has identified the areas the 4-year-old needs to improve upon if the endgame is a Breeders' Cup victory beneath the Twin Spires this November.

What Wilkes hasn't been able to do in recent weeks is find a spot in a condition book he thinks is most suited to the bay colt's top attributes. So in the name of keeping a path to progress in motion, he's calling upon some of McCraken's back class this week.

When Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred McCraken made his seasonal bow in May, Wilkes said the main 2018 objective for the colt would be the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Churchill Downs with a mix of races around eight furlongs on the path to November. With time ticking on the second half of the year, however, and only two seasonal starts under McCraken's belt, Wilkes is going back to stretching McCraken out in the 1 1/8-mile, $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) July 6 at Prairie Meadows.

"The deal is, he's only had two races this year. We got started late this year and there are no other races right now," Wilkes said of the decision to go in the Cornhusker. "Where do I run him? Find me a mile race, find me a seven-eighths race. I'd have to sit and wait until the end of Saratoga, and that doesn't make sense.

"My horse needs racing. He needs to get a little better, he needs to improve, and I think he will. I think he is improving."

McCraken actually is well-versed at handling a route. Though all three of his graded stakes wins have come at 1 1/16 miles, he was inches away from taking the 2017 betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) last July, falling just a nose short of Girvin at the wire of that nine-furlong race.

It is at a mile, though, that Wilkes thinks the colt's closing kick can be most explosive—as evidence by his seasonal debut at Churchill May 5 when he threaded the needle between horses in the stretch and notched a half-length victory. He was most recently sixth in an especially deep edition of the June 9 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park, but impressed Wilkes with the way he kept fighting on despite some traffic issues.

"I thought he ran better than what it looks on paper," Wilkes said. "They went the first quarter in :23 and I said before the race, 'If you let these horses get an easy lead, you're not going to beat them.' I was actually encouraged because he didn't get beat that far from third and I thought he had some traffic trouble and still kept running."

With his victories in last year's Sam F. Davis (G3) and Matt Winn (G3) stakes, McCraken teased his connections by repeatedly getting to the cusp of the top level only to trip over the last hump in his path. If he can run back to his best form Friday, Wilkes hopes the colt's next achievement will be following through on the ability he believes is right beneath the surface.

"He's got the talent, that's not the problem," Wilkes said. "I believe he's got the talent but mentally, he's got to get tougher against these horses and know how to handle these horses. And that will come with some racing. But if I keep him in the barn, it's not going to come."

McCraken has been installed as the 7-2 morning-line second choice in the Cornhusker and will break from post 4 under regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. The Bob Baffert-trained Dr. Dorr is the 2-1 morning line favorite, but Baffert said he likely will scratch the son of Lookin At Lucky  and run him instead in the July 7 Suburban Handicap (G2) at Belmont.

Among the biggest threats to McCraken in the Cornhusker is recent allowance winner Irish Freedom from the red-hot barn of trainer Brad Cox. Irish Freedom won going 1 1/8-miles in an allowance test at Churchill June 2 and was second in last year's Native Diver Stakes (G3).

The Cornhusker is joined on the Friday card by the $250,000 Iowa Derby and $100,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap, and Wilkes will be represented in those tests as well. Fort Peck, who broke his maiden at Churchill May 12, takes on the likes of graded stakes winner The Tabulator and Cox-trained stakes winner High North in the Iowa Derby going 1 1/16-miles, while his stablemate Done Deal will head into the Iowa Sprint Handicap having dead-heated for the win going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf at Churchill May 18, his first start following nearly a two-year layoff.

"Done Deal, how can you not be happy with this horse coming off  a two-year layoff?" Wilkes said. "He's a fast horse and we're stepping up in class, but he's a fun horse. He works like a nice horse. I'm happy with all three of them."

Entries: Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H. (G3)

Prairie Meadows, Friday, July 06, 2018, Race 8

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 9:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Irish Freedom (KY)	Florent Geroux	115	Brad H. Cox	5/1
2	2Matrooh (KY)	Santo Sanjur	117	Cipriano Contreras	10/1
3	3Dr. Dorr (KY)	Joseph Talamo	123	Bob Baffert	2/1
4	4McCraken (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	119	Ian R. Wilkes	7/2
5	5Thirstforlife (KY)	Robby Albarado	116	Wesley E. Hawley	8/1
6	6Dalmore (FL)	Kent J. Desormeaux	116	Robert B. Hess, Jr.	6/1
7	7Remembering Rita (KY)	Alex Birzer	113	Doug L. Anderson	15/1
8	8Hence (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	115	Steven M. Asmussen	12/1
9	9Krewe Chief (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	114	Michael J. Maker	15/1

Entries: Iowa Derby

Prairie Meadows, Friday, July 06, 2018, Race 7

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 3 yo
• 8:57 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1High North (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Brad H. Cox	5/2
2	2Battle At Sea (LA)	Tyler Gaffalione	119	Michael J. Maker	12/1
3	3Believe in Royalty (KY)	Terry J. Thompson	113	J. Larry Jones	15/1
4	4The Tabulator (KY)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	116	Larry Rivelli	9/2
5	5Mr Freeze (KY)	Robby Albarado	119	Dale L. Romans	5/1
6	6Lionite (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	119	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
7	7Cool Bobby (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	113	Peter Eurton	10/1
8	8Fort Peck (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	116	Ian R. Wilkes	8/1

Entries: Iowa Sprint H.

Prairie Meadows, Friday, July 06, 2018, Race 6

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 8:24 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Cash Bonus (KY)	John Bisono	111	Timothy E. Martin	15/1
2	2Apprehender (KY)	Alex Birzer	117	Gene Jacquot	5/1
3	3Done Deal (KY)	Chris Landeros	114	Ian R. Wilkes	4/1
4	4Eurobond (OK)	Ramon A. Vazquez	116	Federico Villafranco	10/1
5	5Wilbo (KY)	David Cabrera	119	Chris A. Hartman	3/1
6	6Heartwood (KY)	T. D. Houghton	113	James K. Chapman	12/1
7	7Unbridled Outlaw (KY)	Robby Albarado	114	Dale L. Romans	15/1
8	8Westfest (KY)	Floyd Wethey, Jr.	114	Boyd Caster	9/2
9	9Cool Arrow (KY)	Adam Beschizza	115	Joe Sharp	8/1