ALTOONA, IA—OCTOBER 27, 2012—In advance of the six marquee races in the Bank of America Racing Challenge Championships at Prairie Meadows on Saturday night, five undercard stakes events were contested for Challenge-enrolled horses.

In the $25,000 Farnam Stakes for 3-year-olds and up going 440 yards, Larry Toombs’ Barackazoom prevailed by a neck with Mark Luark up for trainer Amber Blair. Bred in Oklahoma by the William Y./Betty R. Toombs Trust, Barackazoom picked up his fifth career win and first stakes victory.

The 4-year-old Azoom gelding has placed in three other stakes, including the Heritage Place Derby (G2), and this victory boosted his bankroll to $132,149. Barackazoom covered the quarter-mile in :21.636.

Mary Passmore Kirby’s three-time stakes winner Jesse In Town, a gelding by Feature Mr Jess, put in a game effort and finished well clear in second. It was another two lengths back to LMR 2011’s High Rate Of Return, the 5-2 favorite and winner of last year’s Heritage Place Futurity (G1).

The $25,000 John Deere Stakes for 3-year-olds went to Bowen Arrow Farms’ The Sunday Assassin, who came running late on the outside to score by a half-length in :19.809 for 400 yards. G.R. Carter Jr. had the mount for conditioner Wayne Garner.

A gelding by FDD Dynastry bred in Arkansas by Corner K Quarter Horses LLC, The Sunday Assassin finished third in this year’s Adequan Will Rogers Derby Challenge and second in last year’s John Deere Will Rogers Juvenile Challenge. This marked his first career stakes win and improved his earnings to $53,647.

Hugo Barron Sierra’s homebred Wave Good Bye Baby, the runner-up in the Adequan Arapahoe Derby Challenge, rallied for second with the Jess Louisiana Blue gelding Mr Corona Blue in third for owner Nancy McCoy.

Fillies and mares competed in the $25,000 AQHA Members Plus Stakes, and Terry and Mary Louise Pursel’s Cruzin The Wagon came through with a half-length victory as the 4-5 favorite with Stormy Smith in the irons for trainer Brent Clay. Cruzin The Wagon, a 3-year-old daughter of PYC Paint Your Wagon bred in Oklahoma by Michael Pohl, won for the 11th time in 15 trips to the post and recorded her fifth stakes victory. She dashed 400 yards in :19.758, and her earnings now stand at $314,825.

Matt Whitekiller’s Dont Look Ethel, who won the Prairie Meadows Bonus Challenge in her last start, ran a solid race to take second. Nancy McCoy’s Wave Corona crossed the wire third.

In the $25,000 Markel Stakes for 2-year-olds, Gloria Myers’ Hastabealeader earned a hard-fought victory by three-quarters of a length with a clocking of :17.871 for 350 yards. Clyde Smith rode the Hasta Be Fast gelding for trainer Robert Johnson. Bred in Wyoming by Wardell Quarter Horses, Hastabealeader spent most of the year at Canterbury Park, where he won the Northern Plains Futurity (R) and placed in two other stakes. He has hit the board in eight of nine starts with earnings of $44,489.

John Lawless’ Notdonebaby, a FDD Dynasty filly stepping up in class off a maiden win, rallied to take second-place. Starlet Hunt and David Tolle’s Huntin Ivory, the third-place finisher in the Heartland Futurity at Hoosier Park, took third.

The $25,000 Nutrena Starter Allowance Stakes went to Oscar Andrade’s Lord Azoom, who battled for the lead early before drawing clear to win by a length under Ramon Sanchez. The Ricardo Martinez trainee, who was bred in California by Robert Hart, sprinted 350 yards in :17.745. The 4-year-old gelding by Azoom started the season in California for a $2,000 claiming tag and went on to race at Indiana Downs and Fairmount Park before shipping to Prairie Meadows. His record now stands at 15-4-4-1 with a bankroll of $35,643.

Zevi Powered, a Streak And Dash gelding running for Wesley Oulton, came on late for second with Im A Rare Gambler in third for owner Noel Prieto.