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Bank of America Racing Challenge Stakes Take the Weekend Spotlight at Prairie Meadows
Heritage Place Oaks winner Mrs Kvn is entered back in Friday's 400-yard, $44,226 Adequan Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge Stakes.

© Dustin Orona Photography
Bank of America Racing Challenge Stakes Take the Weekend Spotlight at Prairie Meadows

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

ALTOONA, IA–AUGUST 17, 2023–Prairie Meadows Racetrack near Des Moines, Iowa, will host four Bank of America Racing Challenge regional stakes this weekend.

Ten sophomores, led by Thomas J. Scheckel's Mrs KVN, are entered back in Friday's 400-yard, $44,226 Adequan Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge Stakes.

The third-fastest qualifier from two trials on July 30, Mrs KVN has won her last two races, including the 400-yard, $270,000 Heritage Place Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at Remington Park on June 3. Shawna Manriquez trains the gray daughter of champion KVN Corona.

Mrs KVN drew post 5 and will be ridden by Daniel Torres.

Saturday's 350-yard, $66,666 John Deere Prairie Meadows Juvenile Challenge Stakes is led by NSM Sugars Cartel, a homebred son of Coronado Cartel racing for Nancy S. McCoy. Trained by Charley Hunt, the Kansas-bred gelding posted the fastest qualifying time with his half-length victory in the second of three trials on July 31.

Other contenders include Thomas J. Scheckel's Sheza Famous Candy, a brown daughter of One Famous Eagle trained by Jason Olmstead. Sheza Famous Candy has earned $69,924 from four races, and the filly was a finalist in Oklahoma's richest horse race, the June 3, $1.208-million Heritage Place Futurity (G1) at Remington Park.

Sheza Famous Candy drew post 9 and will be ridden by Edwin Escobedo.

Prairie Meadows' Sunday program features two regional Challenge stakes. Bradbury Racing's Nothin Like You is the early favorite for Sunday's 440-yard, $51,425 Bank of America Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge Stakes (G2).

A homebred 4-year-old son of the Favorite Trick (TB) stallion Favorite Cartel trained by John Hammes, Nothin Like You will be stretching out in distance off of his half-length win in the 350-yard, $35,000 Keokuk Stakes (G3) on July 1. The Colorado-bred gelding was coming off of a Remington Park spring campaign during which he ran second in three graded stakes, including the June 3, $275,000 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship (G1).

Nothin Like You drew the rail post and will be ridden by Stormy Smith.

Jess Give Mea Reason drew post 4 for Sunday's 400-yard, $39,270 Q-Racing Video Prairie Meadows Distaff Challenge (G3) for fillies and mares.

A 4-year-old daughter of Good Reason SA, Jess Give Mea Reason is owned and trained by Stacy Charette-Hill. The mare prepped for this race with a three-quarter length victory in a 330-yard, $17,500 open-condition allowance dash for fillies and mares at Prairie Meadows on August 5.

Jess Give Mea Reason will be ridden by Cristian Esqueda.

All Prairie Meadows races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.