Prairie Meadows will host three straight days of trial races beginning Saturday.

© Jack Coady Photography

By Stallionesearch / Louanne Wainscott

ATLOONA, IA–September 5, 2025–Prairie Meadows is gearing up for a blockbuster weekend of Quarter Horse action, with three straight days of trials leading into some of the track’s richest futurity and derby finals later this month.

The action begins Saturday, September 6, with five heats of the estimated $175,000 Iowa Bred Jim Bader Futurity in races one through five. Sunday’s card on September 7 showcases seven divisions of the estimated $250,000 (G3) Valley Junction Futurity, while Monday, September 8, features four heats of the estimated $125,000 Iowa Bred Polk County Derby.

Jim Bader Futurity Trials – Saturday, September 6

Thirty-seven juveniles will line up in the Jim Bader Futurity trials, with two accomplished fillies drawing into the third heat.

Chew Bac Cah (2-1) headlines as the morning-line favorite after capturing the $95,000 Hawkeye Futurity. The daughter of Apollitical Jess, bred and owned by Lunderborg, LLC, has three wins in four starts and the field’s leading bankroll of $62,709. Trained by Jason L. Olmstead, she will break from the outside post eight with Ramiro H. Garcia aboard.

Her main rival is Rebas First Kiss, winner of the $73,000 Iowa Stallion Futurity. The Kiss Me Anywhere filly, bred and owned by Robert S. and Sandra L. Brown, owns two wins and a second from four starts with $40,605 earned. After a troubled trip in the Hawkeye Futurity, she looks to turn the tables from post two under Angel O. Ramirez for trainer Tony Dean Jones.

The top ten fastest qualifiers from all five 350-yard heats will return for the September 27 final.

Valley Junction Futurity Trials – Sunday, September 7

A deep group of sixty-one two-year-olds is set for the seven divisions of the Valley Junction Futurity, with several standout runners to watch.

Trainer John D. Hammes sends out multiple contenders, including Margarets Cowboy, winner of the $70,000 Prairie Meadows Juvenile Challenge Stakes. The son of Flying Cowboy 123, owned and bred by Bradbury Racing and Hammes, has two wins and a third from five starts with $48,214 earned. He races from post seven in the second heat with Miguel J. Ramirez aboard.

Later in race four, Hammes will also saddle Dassault, the $209,000 Prairie Meadows Gold Futurity winner in July. Purchased for $25,000 at Heritage Place, the Mpshinning gelding has banked $97,411, making him the top money earner in the trials. Bred in California by Steve D. Burns, DVM, Dassault will start from post nine with Ramirez again in the irons.

The ten fastest times across the seven heats will qualify for the 350-yard Valley Junction Futurity final on September 26.

Polk County Derby Trials – Monday, September 8

The weekend wraps with thirty-two sophomores competing in four divisions of the Polk County Derby, with some of the region’s top three-year-olds in action.

Relentless Purrsuit, winner of the $118,000 Prairie Meadows Gold Derby, headlines the final heat. The Hes Relentless gelding, bred and owned by Charles and Elizabeth Horton, has earned $163,214 from six wins. Jason L. Olmstead conditions the runner, who will have Armando Alvidrez in the saddle.

Olmstead also sends out Relentless Rocket in the third trial. The Hes Relentless colt, bred from the Corona Cartel mare Mai Corona, captured the $42,000 Canterbury Derby earlier this summer. With seven career victories and $116,430 in earnings for owner Tom Maher, he will start from post five with Alvidrez up.

The ten fastest qualifiers will advance to the 400-yard Polk County Derby final on September 27.

With nearly 130 quarter horses entered over the three-day trial schedule, Prairie Meadows is set to deliver a thrilling preview of some of the Midwest’s best Quarter Horses, leading up to rich championship finals later this month.

The Pairie Meadows Races can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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