The Polar Vortex, under jockey Jesus Salazar, winning the $26,430 ARC Prairie Meadows Distaff regional Challenge qualifier on Saturday evening.

© Coady Photography

ALTOONA, IA—AUGUST 15, 2020—The Polar Vortex upset the field in the $26,430 ARC Prairie Meadows Distaff regional Challenge qualifier on Saturday evening to win her first career stakes race.

The Polar Vortex ($25.20) and jockey Jesus Salazar came home in :19.711 in the 400-yard event to earn a 95 speed index.

The 5-year-old Iowa-bred mare is trained by Jason Olmstead for owner and breeder Tom Lepic. She is by Carters Cartel and is out of the Shazoom mare Signs Zoomer.

Though she had competed in multiple stakes, The Polar Vortex had not yet won a stakes race prior to Saturday’s qualifier. She was second in the Cy-Hawk Stakes, her previous start, and qualified to multiple other stakes in her career, including the Polk County Derby and the Iowa Double Gold Derby.

Last year, The Polar Vortex was second in the ARC Canterbury Park Distaff and competed in Albuquerque in the AQHA ARC Distaff Challenge Championship (G1). She is now eight for 26 lifetime with $130,799 in earnings.

From the outside, El Oh El and Uriel Cervantes closed well to finish in second place for trainer Bob Johnson. George Seward owns and bred the 4-year-old Apollitical Jess filly in Colorado, out of Cute Ivory Girl, by Ivory James.

El Oh El spent her 2-year-old season at Los Alamitos before travelling to Arapahoe, Remington and Prairie Meadows. She has competed in multiple stakes, including a second-place finish in the Lucille Rowe Derby at Arapahoe last July and a third-place finish in the Dolls Prodigy stakes at Arapahoe in June.

As The Polar Vortex upset the field, it was the other Jason Olmstead trainee that was backed by bettors, Apollitical Mogul. The post-time favorite is multiple stakes placed with over $144,000 in earnings.

Apollitical Mogul was ridden by Ramiro Garcia for owner Tom Maher. She was bred in Texas by Mercy Hinklins Horse Farm, LLC, out of Cash Cartel, by Corona Cartel.

Apollitical Mogul was last seen running third behind Lynnder 16 in the ARC Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge in July; prior to that, she was fifth in the Bob Moore Memorial (G2) at Remington.

Last summer, Apollitical Mogul won the Adequan Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge and competed in the Grade 3 final at Albuquerque. She has also qualified to the Canterbury Park Derby and Valley Junction Futurity.

Completing the field were Fosse and Show Me Girl. Streakin Jesszee was scratched.