Iowa-Bred Sophomores Take Center Stage In The $57,575 Iowa Stallion Derby
By Louanne Wainscott
ATLOONA, IA—August 15, 2026
The Saturday evening card at Prairie Meadows will feature another night of championship-caliber Quarter Horse racing, with a ten-race program starting at 5:00 p.m. Three stakes’ events headline the card: the $48,714 Adequan Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge, the $56,006 John Deere Prairie Meadows Juvenile Challenge, and the $57,575 Iowa Stallion Derby.
The stakes action kicks off early in the evening with the $57,575 Iowa Stallion Derby, set for the second race on the card. A field of eight Iowa-bred sophomores will line up for the 400-yard distance, highlighting the state's breeding program in one of the night's featured events.
Rebas First Kiss leads the field as the 4-5 morning-line favorite. The three-year-old filly enters off a runner-up finish in the $68,000 Cyclone Derby. After a poor start, she gained ground with every stride and rallied to secure second by a half-length.
Robert S. and Sandra L. Brown's Iowa homebred filly is by Kiss Me Anywhere and out of the Teller Cartel mare Tellher to Fly. She is trained by Jason L. Olmstead, who will saddle her from the outside post eight, with her regular rider, Armando Alvidrez, returning to the saddle.
Kwik Fast Prize enters as the second choice at morning-line odds of 3-1. The lightly raced filly arrives at the Derby after a hard-fought allowance victory against non-winners of two, where she battled from the outside and got up by a nose at the wire.
Kwik Fast Prize has shown consistency in her first four career starts, recording two victories and a third-place finish without ever finishing off the board. That consistency makes her a strong contender as she steps into the Iowa Stallion Derby.
The daughter of Kiss Me Anywhere is out of the Tac It Like a Man mare Fast Prize Tacita. She was bred in Iowa by Craig J. Kirby and races for owner Paul Tonderum. Trainer Alex Wessels will saddle her at post two, with jockey Cristian R. Esqueda aboard.
Iowa-bred stallions are well represented among the field of eight sophomores, adding another showcase for the state's breeding program as the three-year-olds compete for their share of the $57,575 purse.
For a complete preview of the $48,714 Adequan Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge and the $56,006 John Deere Prairie Meadows Juvenile Challenge, see the related story in the Challenge News section.
The races at Prairie Meadows can be watched on Q-Racing Video.
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