ALTOONA, Iowa – Bobcat Jim capped a great night for the Kenny Smith stable when he rallied strongly to get past Delaunay for a neck victory in the $73,500 Ed Skinner Memorial on Saturday at Prairie Meadows.
After breaking sharply and controlling the pace, Delaunay looked set to resume his winning ways until Bobcat Jim's well-timed move under jockey Shane Laviolette. Delaunay finished 4 3/4 lengths clear of Broadway Empire, who had been fractious in the paddock beforehand.
Unjustifiably ignored by the bettors, Bobcat Jim returned $27.20 as the biggest price in the five-horse field. The 5-year-old Sharp Humor gelding stepped up considerably from his May 3 allowance win here by a nose.
Bobcat Jim covered the six furlongs in 1:09.19 and collected $45,000 for Toby Keith's Dream Walkin Farms Inc.
Yucca wins Prairie Rose
Less than an hour earlier, Smith celebrated a first stakes win for his 4-year-old filly Yucca when she won the $50,000 Prairie Rose by 1 1/4 lengths.
Guided by jockey Glenn Corbett, Yucca ($13.80) advanced smoothly on the turn before sweeping past her rivals with a four-wide bid in the stretch. The pacesetter Beau Ravelle held on for second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of the favored Electric Temptress.
By defeating five fillies and mares, Yucca earned $30,000 for her breeder-owner Al Horton. The Cactus Ridge filly raced six furlongs in 1:10.58 over a fast track.