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Prairie Meadows Ends 2021 Meet with Iowa-Bred Stakes Bonanza
B/B Wessels LLC’s Iris Royal Jess will look to defend his title in Saturday’s 400-yard, $50,000 Terrace Hill Stakes (R).

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Prairie Meadows Ends 2021 Meet with Iowa-Bred Stakes Bonanza

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

ALTOONA, IA—SEPTEMBER 21, 2021—Prairie Meadows will end its 2021 race meet with a 12-race program that includes four Quarter Horse stakes restricted to Iowa-breds. Post time for the first race is set for 4 p.m. (CDT).

B/B Wessels LLC’s Iris Royal Jess will look to defend his title in Saturday’s 400-yard, $50,000 Terrace Hill Stakes (R). A 6-year-old son of the Mr Jess Perry stallion Captain Courage trained by Alex Wessels, Iris Royal Jess is coming off of a second-place finish, a half of a length behind winner CR Appollitical Joe, in the 350-yard, $25,000 Cy-Hawk Stakes (R) on July 31.

Iris Royal Jess has won 10 of 16 starts and has earned $211,533 while racing exclusively at Prairie Meadows, and his three stakes wins over the track include last year’s Terrace Hill Stakes. The gelding drew post 2 and will be ridden by Stormy Smith.

Also on Saturday, a dozen Iowa-bred distaffers are entered in the 350-yard, $50,000 Future of Iowa Stakes (R). Trainer Alex Wessels will send out four contestants, including Jeff State’s Streakin Jesszee. An earner of $81,351 from 15 starts -- all at Prairie Meadows -- and her four wins include a one-length victory in last year’s Future of Iowa Stakes.

Streakin Jesszee is a 5-year-old daughter of champion Mr Jess Perry. The mare drew the rail post and will be ridden by Stormy Smith.

CR Appollitical Joe, a two-time stakes winner during the current Prairie Meadows meet, drew post 3 for Saturday’s 400-yard, $99,260 Polk County Derby (R) for state-bred sophomores. A homebred son of world champion Apollitical Jess trained by Jason Olmstead for owners Curt Tobin and Dick Tobin, CR Appollitical Joe will be stretching out in distance off of his half-length victories in the July 10, 350-yard Cyclone Derby (R) and July 31, 350-yard Cy-Hawk Stakes (R).

CR Appollitical Joe was a finalist in the May 29, $361,000 Heritage Place Derby (G2) at Remington Park. The gelding will be ridden by Edwin Escobedo.

Fastest qualifier TS Jess Watch Me Fly is one of 10 Iowa-bred 2-year-olds entered back in Saturday’s 350-yard, $153,340 Jim Bader Futurity (R). A homebred Apollitical Jess filly trained by Jason Olmstead for owner Thomas J. Scheckel, TS Jess Watch Me Fly broke her maiden with a two-length victory in the second of four Jim Bader Futurity trials on September 4.

TS Jess Watch Me Fly drew post 3 and will be ridden by Edwin Escobedo.

All Prairie Meadows races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.