Winchell Thoroughbreds' homebred Red Route One ran below expectations when fourth at 2-1 odds in a slow-paced Pimlico Special (G3) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.
A month and a half later, however, his effort looks better than it did on race day, buoyed by return performances from the race's 1-2 finishers, Pyrenees and Kingsbarns. They recently completed another exacta, this time with Kingsbarns finishing first, in the $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) June 29 at Churchill Downs.
The apparent strength of the Pimlico Special—as well as Red Route One's accomplishments and $1.6 million bankroll—will likely make him the favorite over 10 rivals July 6 in the $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap (G3) at Prairie Meadows. He is one of three graded stakes winners in the 1 1/8-mile contest, the others being Hit Show, who took the 2023 Withers Stakes (G3), and the 2023 Clark Stakes (G2) winner Trademark. The latter is cross-entered in the $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Cristian Torres, who rode Red Route One to win the West Virginia Derby (G3) last summer, is reunited aboard the 4-year-old son of Gun Runner for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Red Route One carries top weight of 120 pounds.
Asmussen and Winchell Thoroughbreds also start the up-and-coming Unload, another homebred son of Gun Runner whose customary front-running style should ensure pace and complement the late-running ways of Red Route One. Walter De La Cruz is aboard Unload.
A winner of four of 20 starts, Red Route One scored most recently in late March at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots when he rallied to defeat Touchuponastar in a fast-paced New Orleans Classic (G2). Between that start and the Pimlico Special, he was third in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) behind Skippylongstocking, who showed in the Stephen Foster.
Gary and Mary West's homebred Hit Show, a 2 1/4-length winner of an allowance optional claiming race May 11 at Churchill Downs, looms Red Route One's leading adversary. In addition to winning the Withers last year, the Brad Cox trainee ran several top races in defeat, such as when second in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2), fifth in the Kentucky Derby (G1), and a dead-heat fourth in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Red Route One also competed in two legs of the Triple Crown, running fourth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and eighth in the Belmont.
Just a Touch Heads Iowa Derby
The Cornhusker anchors a four-stakes card Saturday night at Prairie Meadows that also includes the $100,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes, the $225,000 Iowa Oaks, and the $250,000 Iowa Derby.
Just a Touch, runner-up in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and Gotham Stakes (G3) before finishing last in this year's Kentucky Derby, top the 11-horse Iowa Derby.
Shimmering Allure appears imposing in the Iowa Oaks with the cross-entered Impel likely to run instead in Saturday's $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3) at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Prairie Meadows, Saturday, July 6, 2024, Race 9Entries: Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Mine That Star (KY) Ken S. Tohill 116 H. Ray Ashford, Jr. 12/1 2 2Escapologist (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 116 Kenneth G. McPeek 12/1 3 3Unload (KY) Walter De La Cruz 114 Steven M. Asmussen 20/1 4 4Velocitor (ON) David Cohen 118 Gary M. Scherer 8/1 5 5Red Route One (KY) Cristian A. Torres 120 Steven M. Asmussen 5/2 6 6Hit Show (KY) Florent Geroux 119 Brad H. Cox 3/1 7 7Guntown (KY) Jareth Loveberry 115 Michael J. Maker 15/1 8 8Ain't Life Grand (IA) Elvin Gonzalez 117 Kelly R. Von Hemel 10/1 9 9Trademark (KY) Fernando De La Cruz 118 Victoria H. Oliver 6/1 10 10Heroic Move (KY) Harry Hernandez 119 Tanner Tracy 5/1 11 11Speed Bias (KY) Rafael Bejarano 117 Ron Moquett 15/1
Prairie Meadows, Saturday, July 6, 2024, Race 8Entries: Iowa Derby
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Mugatu (KY) Joe Bravo 116 Jeff Engler 8/1 2 2Kitty Hawk (KY) Fernando De La Cruz 116 Victoria H. Oliver 20/1 3 3Henro (KY) Rafael Bejarano 116 Chris A. Hartman 12/1 4 4Northern Flame (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 120 Kenneth G. McPeek 8/1 5 5Zatara (KY) Alex Birzer 116 Doug L. Anderson 20/1 6 6Okie Clipper (KY) Kevin Roman 116 Travis Swan Murphy 20/1 7 7Next Level (KY) Jareth Loveberry 116 J. Keith Desormeaux 7/2 8 8Dimatic (KY) Cristian A. Torres 120 Steven M. Asmussen 5/1 9 9Just a Touch (KY) Florent Geroux 116 Brad H. Cox 9/5 10 10Save the Trees (KY) Elvin Gonzalez 116 Michael J. Maker 10/1 11 11Cascade Cruiser (KY) Alexis Centeno 116 Louie J. Roussel, III 20/1
Prairie Meadows, Saturday, July 6, 2024, Race 7Entries: Iowa Oaks
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Shimmering Allure (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 116 Kenneth G. McPeek 3/1 2 2Deviletta (KY) Cristian A. Torres 116 Steven M. Asmussen 4/1 3 3In Just My Heels (KY) Rafael Bejarano 116 Ron Moquett 5/1 4 4Just Basking (KY) Chris Landeros 116 Ian R. Wilkes 8/1 5 5Impel (KY) Florent Geroux 120 Brad H. Cox 6/5 6 6Just Be Quiet (KY) Fernando De La Cruz 116 Robert M. Gorham 8/1
