With a record-breaking year for casino play in 2021, purses for both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses will see increases across the board for the upcoming 2022 live racing season at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Ia.
The 2022 84-day live racing season begins with 22 days of Thoroughbred-only racing May 13 – June 18 with an additional two days of Thoroughbred-only racing on Thursday, Sept. 29 and Sunday, Oct. 2. The 60-day mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse schedule will take place June 19 – Oct. 1.
Live racing will be offered Fridays – Mondays, with post times set for 6:00 p.m. CDT on Fridays and Saturdays, and 4:00 p.m. CDT on Sundays and Mondays. Post times may change for special race days, events, and holidays.
The Thoroughbred purse structure will see an increase of nearly 5 percent across the board. The bottom level purse will be at $10,500 for maiden claiming $5,000 or beaten claiming $3,500 runners. The top-level purses will range from $32,000 for maiden special weights to $37,500 for no conditioned allowance races.
The Thoroughbred stakes schedule will feature a total of 26 stakes worth an estimated $2,000,000 and will be highlighted by the Iowa Festival of Racing scheduled for Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9, and includes the Iowa Classic on Saturday, Oct. 1. Eight overnight allowance stakes worth $50,000 each will be scheduled early in the season mainly as local prep races for the Festival in early July. The Festival will be enhanced this season with two additional stakes added for 2-year-old boys and girls at $100,000 each, The Prairie Gold Lassie and The Prairie Gold Juvenile going 5 ½ furlongs. The main event of the Festival remains the $300,000 Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap which was won last year by the gray superstar Knicks Go. Two new stakes will be added for late August for 2-year-old boys and girls at $100,000 each, The Prairie Meadows Debutante and The Prairie Meadows Freshman going 6 furlongs. The Iowa Classic for Iowa bred runners will now feature all seven stakes worth $100,000 each.
The Quarter Horse purse structure will also see significant increases across the board with a 20 to 25 percent jump in overnight purses for 2022. The bottom level purse at $9,000 for maiden $7,500 to $5,000 races and the top-level purses ranging from $13,500 for maiden special weight to $17,000 for no conditioned allowance races. The Quarter Horse stakes schedule will offer 23 races worth an estimated $1.6 million and continue to feature a strong Futurity and Derby schedule for both open and Iowa bred runners, the Bank of America/Prairie Meadows Regional Challenge qualifiers in August, and finishing the season with Quarter Horse Championship Night on Friday, September 30 with the finals of the Valley Junction Futurity (G3) and Altoona Derby along with the Two Rivers (G3) for older 440-yard campaigners and Iowa Classic on Saturday, Oct. 1 featuring an all Iowa bred stakes card highlighted by the Jim Bader Futurity and Polk County Derby.
Horsemen should note that Condition Book 1 and stall application for the 2022 season has been posted online in the Horseman's Information area of Prairie Meadows' website at www.prairiemeadows.com/racing/horsemens-info and will be available in hardcopy form via mail or at Prairie Meadows Racing Office within the next few days.
Condition Book 1 will feature the first 14 days of the 2022 season (Thoroughbred-only racing) plus a preview section for Quarter Horse racing starting on page 66 of the condition book. This previews the first 10 days of Quarter Horse races offered from June 19 – July 4. Stall applications will be due in the Prairie Meadows Racing Office by Wednesday, April 6 for both breeds.
The barn area is scheduled to open for horses on Friday, April 15 and training is set to begin on Sunday, April 17, weather permitting.
Quarter Horse connections are reminded that Futurity and Derby nomination forms are available online, by mail, or by request through the Prairie Meadows Racing Office. Payment schedules begin March 1 for the Prairie Meadows Gold Futurity and Derby, Hawkeye Futurity, Cyclone Derby, and Iowa Quarter Horse Stallion Futurity and Derby. Payment schedules begin April 1 for the Valley Junction Futurity, Altoona Derby, Jim Bader Futurity, and Polk County Derby.
To continue receiving information about our 2022 live horse racing season, visit https://www.prairiemeadows.com/signmeup
