Hooked N Gone, the 2025 AQHA Champion Aged Gelding, headlines the Grade 3 $50,000 Keokuk Stakes at Prairie Meadows on Friday.

© Dustin Orona Photography

By Louanne Wainscott, StallioneSearch

ALTOONA, IA–JULY 2, 2026–Friday evening at Prairie Meadows features a nine-race program highlighted by a pair of stakes races, with first post at 4:00 p.m. The Grade 3 $50,000 Keokuk Stakes and the $50,000 Hawkeye Futurity bring together accomplished older runners and promising juveniles for one of the meet's strongest cards.

The Grade 3 $50,000 Keokuk Stakes, carded as race two, features a competitive field of nine Quarter Horses, 3-year-olds and older, who will sprint 350 yards.

Leading the field is the 5-2 morning-line favorite, Hooked N Gone. The six-year-old gelding was honored as the 2025 AQHA Champion Aged Gelding and continues to compete at the highest level. In his 2026 campaign, he has faced Grade 1 company in every start, recording second-, third-, and fourth-place finishes while remaining among the nation's elite older horses. With eight career victories, ten runner-up finishes, five thirds, and earnings of $856,171, he brings the strongest resume into the race.

Owned and bred in Oklahoma by Regina Laymon, Hooked N Gone is sired by Pyc Paint Your Wagon and out of the Pretty Boy Perry mare Pretty Girl Kate. He is trained by John D. Hammes and will break from post eight with Jesus R. Ayala aboard.

Five Oklahoma-breds are entered in the Keokuk Stakes, including 7-2 second choice Catchn Southern Rays. The four-year-old mare entered in top form after capturing the Grade 1 Junos Request Stakes with a determined late rally, winning by a head. She has compiled eight career victories and earned $388,799 and will be the lone mare taking on the boys.

Owned by Leann J. Burns, Catchn Southern Rays is sired by Apollitical Jess and out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Mary Paintyourwagon. Trained by Stacy Charette-Hill, the horse will break from post five with Cristian R. Esqueda aboard.

The third race features the $50,000 Hawkeye Futurity, with the ten fastest qualifiers from the June 14 trials returning to compete over 330 yards.

Ts Cyber Flash has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite after an impressive trial victory, in which he pulled away by 1½ lengths and recorded the second-fastest qualifying time. The gelding has won two of his three career starts and earned $22,958 as he seeks his first stakes victory.

Bred and owned in Iowa by Thomas J. Scheckel, Ts Cyber Flash is sired by Cyber Monday and out of the First Moonflash mare Stylish Flash. Fernando Manriquez trains the gelding, who will break from post three with Francisco Calderon aboard.

With a champion aged gelding, a Grade 1-winning mare, and a competitive group of emerging juveniles sharing the spotlight, Friday's card at Prairie Meadows features an evening of quality Quarter Horse racing as stakes veterans and rising stars compete for black type and valuable purses.

The races at Prairie Meadows can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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