Curls Magic Wagon, winner of the Grade 3 Keokuk Stakes, returns Friday as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the Grade 2, $53,856 AQHA Racing Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge at Prairie Meadows.

© Dustin Orona Photography

By Louanne Wainscott, StallioneSearch

ATLOONA, IA–AUGUST 12, 2026–The Friday evening card at Prairie Meadows will spotlight championship-caliber Quarter Horse racing, with an 11-race program beginning at 5:00 p.m. The card features three stakes’ finales: the Grade 2 $53,856 AQHA Racing Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge, the Grade 3 $38,148 Cox Ranch Prairie Meadows Distaff Challenge, and the $75,650 Iowa Stallion QH Futurity.

The stakes action kicks off early in the second race with the 29th running of the Grade 2 $53,856 AQHA Racing Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge. A field of seven 3-year-olds and older will line up for the 440-yard test, led by recent stakes winner Curls Magic Wagon and defending champion Hooked N Gone.

Curls Magic Wagon has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite following his victory in last month's Grade 3 Keokuk Stakes. The gelding went gate to wire in the 400-yard event and held off Hooked N Gone by three-quarters of a length. Prior to that victory, Curls Magic Wagon had consistently finished in the money in each of his starts this season.

An Oklahoma homebred for Martin Stacy, Curls Magic Wagon is by Pyc Paint Your Wagon and out of the Spit Curl Jess mare Eye a Spit Curl Girl. Trainer John A. Stinebaugh will send him from post two, with Cristian Alvarado aboard for the first time.

Directly to his inside will be Regina Laymon's Hooked N Gone, who returns looking to turn the tables on his Keokuk Stakes rival. The six-year-old gelding endured a troubled start in that race before making a strong late surge to finish second.

The reigning AQHA Racing Champion Aged Gelding brings the richest résumé to Friday's field, with career earnings of $865,171. Hooked N Gone also knows his way to the Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge winner's circle, having captured the race last year.

The son of Pyc Paint Your Wagon is out of the Pretty Boy Perry mare Pretty Girl Kate. John D. Hammes conditions the veteran, who will break from post one with jockey Jesus R. Ayala aboard.

The stakes action continues in race three, featuring the 23rd running of the Grade 3 $38,148 Cox Ranch Prairie Meadows Distaff Challenge. Seven fillies and mares will compete at 400 yards, with the race scheduled for approximately 5:50 p.m.

Leann J. Burns' Oklahoma homebred Catchn Southern Rays leads the field as the 8-5 morning-line favorite. The four-year-old mare enters following a start against males in the Grade 3 Keokuk Stakes, where she was bumped shortly after the start and never had a chance to settle into her best stride.

Earlier this season, Catchn Southern Rays proved herself among the top older mares at Remington Park, winning two of four starts, highlighted by a victory in the Grade 1 $100,000 Junos Request Stakes. She has earned eight career victories and two second-place finishes, for a total of $390,299.

The daughter of Apollitical Jess is out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Mary Paintyourwagon. Stacy Charette-Hill trains Catchn Southern Rays, who will break from post six with her regular rider, Cristian R. Esqueda, aboard.

Flying Bandida will be another major threat at 3-1 on the morning line. The four-year-old mare opened her season in impressive fashion with a two-length victory in the Grade 2 Decketta Stakes at Remington Park. She later finished third in the Grade 2 Easy Date Stakes before being pinched back in the Grade 1 Junos Request Stakes, which was won by Catchn Southern Rays.

Flying Bandida encountered additional trouble in her most recent start against an open allowance field, bobbling and losing her footing. Despite those setbacks, she brings six career victories and earnings of $206,660 into Friday's Distaff Challenge.

Flying Bandida, an Oklahoma homebred, races for Shari Burger and Vickie McBee. She is by Flying Cowboy 123 and out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Meaningful Memories. Trainer Jason L. Olmstead will send her from post two with regular rider Ramiro H. Garcia aboard.

With proven champions, Grade 1 winners, and familiar rivals meeting early on the card, Friday's stakes program will quickly deliver its biggest matchups. The Championship Challenge and Distaff Challenge will set the stage, and the evening's stakes action will conclude with the $75,650 Iowa Stallion QH Futurity.

Please see the related story for complete coverage of the fourth race and the $75,650 Iowa Stallion QH Futurity event.

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

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