Father's Day, Sunday June 15, marks the start of the mixed meet format at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, with a combination of Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing on the schedule for the duration of the current live racing season through September 27.
The transition to a mixed meet also kicks off a busy stretch of racing activity at Prairie Meadows over the next four weeks that will include a special day of live racing and fireworks on Thursday, July 3 and the always popular Iowa Festival of Racing for Thoroughbreds on Friday, July 4 and Saturday, July 5.
The post time for Monday, June 16, has been changed to 3:00 PM CT. The race card will feature a total of 15 races, including seven Quarter Horse trials for the Prairie Meadows Gold Futurity, which are scheduled as Races 2 through 8.
"Our Quarter Horse stall applications were strong again on numbers this year with nearly 600 stall requests from over 30 trainers," said Quarter Horse Racing Secretary Chad Keller. "When we took entries for Sunday, June 15, we had just over 360 Quarter Horses stabled on grounds and I expect the remaining spots to fill up in the coming week when the final batch of trailer loads arrive, which should put us around 400 Quarter Horses by June 15 or shortly thereafter."
According to Keller, nomination numbers for the Prairie Gold Futurity and Derby continued to be strong again in 2025 with the estimated purses expected to be over $205,000 for the Futurity and over $115,000 for the Derby. Hawkeye Futurity nominations were up over 50% versus last year with three trials scheduled on Sunday, June 15. Looking ahead on the Iowa bred side, the Jim Bader Futurity nominations currently show a 35% increase as of the June 1 deadline compared to last year and if those nomination numbers hold up after July 1 and August 1 that race could approach $200,000 estimated final purse.
For older horses on the stakes schedule, Keller urges Quarter Horse owners and trainers to consider the following races with excellent purses and graded status during the upcoming season: the Keokuk Stakes (GIII) on July 6 with a purse of $50,000 guaranteed, the PRM Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge (GIII) on August 16 with an estimated purse of $40,000 added, the PRM AQHA Racing Challenge Championship (GII) on August 17 with an estimated purse of $60,000 added, the Covered Bridges (GIII) for 870-yard specialists on August 31 with a purse of $45,000 added, and the Two Rivers Stakes (GIII) on September 26 with a purse of $50,000 guaranteed.
On the Thoroughbred side, nominations for the 2025 Iowa Festival of Racing stakes races close on Saturday, June 21.
The festival opens on Friday, July 4 with three black type stakes races: The $100,000 Saylorville for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, at six furlongs, the $100,000 Iowa Sprint for three-year-olds and up at six furlongs, and the $100,000 Iowa Distaff for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, at one and one-sixteenth miles.
The festival continues on Saturday, July 5 with the listed $250,000 Iowa Derby for three-year-olds at one and one-sixteenth miles, the $225,000 Iowa Distaff for three-year-old fillies at one and one-sixteenth miles, and the Grade III $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap for three-year-olds and up at one and one-eighth miles.
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