Ajs Favorite Ia, under jockey Cristian Esquada, easily won the $40,000 Cy-Hawk Stakes on Saturday at Prairie Meadows.

© Jack Coady Photography

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

ALTOONA, IA–AUGUST 2, 2025–Ajs Favorite Ia surged to a convincing 1¼-length victory in Saturday’s $40,000 Cy-Hawk Stakes at Prairie Meadows, covering 350 yards in a fast 17.835 seconds.

Under jockey Cristian Esqueda, the 3-year-old sorrel gelding performed sharply while racing over a fast track in calm conditions with no wind.

Bred in Iowa by Darling Farms, Ajs Favorite Ia is a multiple stakes winning son of leading sire Favorite Cartel out of the Apollitical Jess mare Df Aj Green Leaves.

The win marked a highlight for owner Stephen Moyle and trainer Alex Wessels, with the gelding earning the winner’s share of $19,600 while picking up his third consecutive victory. He won the Cyclone Derby in his last start and has earned $104,788. Sent off at 7.50-1 odds, he returned $17.00 to win, $9.80 to place, and $3.60 to show.

The winning connections of Ajs Favorite Ia accept the Cy-Hawk Stakes trophy on Saturday.

Second-place finisher Officer Smith, a 4-year-old sorrel gelding by Apollitical Jess out of Heros Queen by Valiant Hero, was bumped between horses at the start but rallied strongly to finish a head in front of the show horse.

Bred by Kirk K. Wessels and owned by B/B Wessels LLC, Officer Smith was also trained by Alex Wessels and ridden by Gonzalo Valles Jr. He earned $8,000 for the runner-up effort and paid $17.80 to place and $5.80 to show. He has banked $58,547 in 12 career starts.

Heavy favorite Ab Boogie, who went off at odds of 0.40-1, settled for third after a mild bid under Alfredo Triana Jr. The 4-year-old brown gelding is by champion Apollitical Blood out of Boogie Wagon, by Lil Kool Wagon.

The multiple stakes winner was bred by Ruben Mojica and races for Boogies Legacy Racing Stables LLC. Ab Boogie, trained by Manuel Campos, collected $4,400 for his third-place finish to boost his bankroll to $194,568. He returned $2.10 to show.

Call A Runaway finished fourth after bobbling and bumping at the start, followed by Cowboy 123 in fifth and Perrys Special K in sixth.
 

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