News


Prairie Meadows Releases First 2020 Condition Book, Stall Application
Prairie Meadows released Condition Book 1, of the 2020 Mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing season at Prairie Meadows.

© Coady Photography
Prairie Meadows Releases First 2020 Condition Book, Stall Application

ALTOONA, IA—FEBRUARY 4, 2020—Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel announces the release of Condition Book 1, which covers the first 18 racing days, May 1 - June 1, of the 2020 Mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing season at Prairie Meadows.

Thoroughbred racing will lead off the 84-day season from May 1 - June 8. Quarter Horse racing will join the daily program starting June 12 through the remainder of the season, which ends September 26.

Condition Book 1, available at prairiemeadows.com or Prairie Meadows’ Racing Office, includes two Iowa-bred stakes races for three-year-olds and five open overnight stakes to kick off the 84-day racing season for Thoroughbreds.

The first day of entries will be on Sunday, April 26 for opening night Friday, May 1. Entries for Saturday, May 2 (Kentucky Derby Day) will be on Monday, April 27. The normal entry schedule will then begin with entries being taken a full week out from race day starting on Friday, May 1 for the races on Friday, May 8.

Overnight purses will remain very lucrative with the bottom level purse at $10,000 for maiden $5,000 claimers or beaten $3,500 claimers and the top-level allowance purse at $36,000. Maiden Special eight races will be $32,000 for open runners. Iowa-bred overnight purses will follow suit in the lucrative status due to breed supplement funds and will range from $13,104 to $47,174 this season.

The 2020 Thoroughbred Stakes Program will feature 32 stakes races - including overnight stakes - worth an estimated $1.94 million and is highlighted by the Iowa Festival of Racing scheduled for July 4 and 5 with two festival stakes and two Iowa-bred stakes to open the Festival of Racing on July 4, and on July 5 concluding with four festival stakes including The Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (GIII), The Iowa Oaks (GIII), The Iowa Derby (L) and The Iowa Sprint (BT). Another signature event on the Thoroughbred Stakes Program is the Iowa Classic on September 26. The season closing event will feature seven Iowabred Thoroughbred stakes races worth an estimated $665,000. The Iowa Classic will return to its traditional style of featuring Iowa bred runners for both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses with four Iowa-bred Quarter Horse stakes joining the festivities in 2020.

Stall applications for the 2020 live racing season are due back to the Racing Office by Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Application forms are available at prairiemeadows.com as well as Prairie Meadows’ Racing Office.

Prairie Meadows’ backside stable area will open to horses on Friday, April 3. Training is scheduled to begin Sunday, April 5, weather permitting.

Condition Book 1, Stall Application, 2020 Live Racing Calendar, 2020 Stakes Schedules and other racing related documents can be found by CLICKING HERE.

For breed specific information for Thoroughbreds: CLICK HERE.

For breed specific information for Quarter Horses: CLICK HERE.

To continue receiving information about our 2020 live racing season, please visit prairiemeadows.com/signmeup.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

About Prairie Meadows
Prairie Meadows began operations as a nonprofit organization in 1989 with the goal of promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa. Through taxes, grants, and charitable donations, Prairie Meadows has given more than $1.8 billion to the state of Iowa. Prairie Meadows offers more than 1,700 slot machines, table games, live and simulcast racing, hotel accommodations, entertainment, and more.

Prairie Meadows released 2020 Quarter Stakes information today.