Sir Bear captures the Cornhusker Handicap during the Iowa Festival of Racing

He is a homebred by a little-known sire, and he sometimes bleeds through Lasix. But with his victory in the $414,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap (G3) at 1 1/8 miles on July 5, Barbara Smollin's Sir Bear made it clear that he is still one of the country's top handicap horses.

Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders' Cup H. (G3)
Prairie Meadows, July 5, $414,000, 11/8 miles, good, 1:48.49
1-SIR BEAR, g. 7, Sir Leon-Spicy Pearl, by Bet Big.
2-Skimming, c. 4, Nureyev-Skimble, by Lyphard.
3-Ecton Park, c. 4, Forty Niner-Daring Danzig, by Danzig.

"He's an amazing horse," trainer Ralph Ziadie said of the durable Florida-bred seven-year-old gelding by Sir Leon out of Spicy Pearl, by Bet Big. "He's never taken a bad step in his life. I'm going to be honest with you. I think he has an angel protecting him from above. I really do."

Breaking from the inside post in the field of five, Sir Bear trailed the field for three-quarters of a mile through fractions of :23.09, :46.50, and 1:10.56 set by Iowa-bred Deputy Flag.

"I took him back in the first turn because I knew there was a lot of speed," jockey Eibar Coa said. "I was saving ground, and from the half-mile pole I was trying to watch Pat Day (aboard 1-to-2 favorite and 117-pound highweight Ecton Park) because I thought that was the horse to beat. And when he started moving, I did the same thing."

Sir Bear, who toted one pound less than Ecton Park, angled to the outside at the three-sixteenths pole and drew off to win by 1 1/2 lengths in final time of 1:48.49 over a track that had been upgraded from good to fast just before the race.

Juddmonte Farms' Skimming, who had stalked the pace throughout, finished second, a head in front of Ecton Park. "We had no excuse," said Ecton Park's trainer, W. Elliott Walden. "He just didn't bring his 'A' game today."

Iowa Festival

The Cornhusker was part of a six-day Iowa Festival of Racing, which featured $1.1-million in stakes purses.

In other festival action, Mike Pegram's Grade 1 winner, Captain Steve, went to the winner's circle for the first time this year when capturing the $250,000 Iowa Derby on July 3. On July 2, James Hines Jr.'s Ruby Surprise, trained by Bob Holthus and ridden by Joe Judice, took the inaugural $100,000 Iowa Distaff at 1 1/16 miles.

In the Iowa Derby, Captain Steve, the 3-to-10 favorite ridden by Shane Sellers, stayed close to the early pace set by Bravo Bull, took command inside the quarter pole, and won by 1 3/4 lengths over Miner's Prize, with Bet On Red third.

"When I go on the road, if I'm going to get beat, I want to get beat on the lead or close to it," said Captain Steve's trainer, Bob Baffert. "The track was a little heavy, and when I saw the fractions (:22.98, :46.44, and 1:10.94), I thought 'It's a good thing I have him ready.' "

Pegram said he thought the son of Fly So Free out of Sparkling Delite, by Vice Regent, looked the best he had ever seen him.

"He usually gets real washy in the paddock but not today," Pegram said. Baffert and Pegram are considering the Swaps Stakes (G1) at Hollywood Park on July 23 and possibly the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1) at Monmouth Park on August 8 for Captain Steve. "He needed a race like this to get him going again," Baffert said. "Now I have to see if I can get him back to that (last year's) level." Captain Steve ran the 11Ú16 miles in stakes record time of 1:42.35 over a good track.

The stakes record also fell in the $150,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap on July 4, when Sabine Stable's Salty Glance drew off from four rivals to win by 5 1/4 lengths over Chindi, with Abajo third, in final time of 1:08.46, just one-fifth of a second slower than the track record. Salty Glance, a five-year-old son of Salt Lake, out of Only a Glance, by Proud Appeal, is conditioned by South Florida trainer Steve Standridge and was ridden by local leading rider Terry Thompson.

The festival also featured two $75,000 stakes for older state-breds. On July 4, River Ridge Ranch's homebred Eighty Below Eve upset heavily favored Lady Tamworth to win the Hawkeyes Stakes, and on July 5, Sure Shot Biscuit extended his winning streak to six and took his third stakes of the year in scoring an easy win in the Cyclones Stakes.

Officials at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino were elated at the success of this third renewal of the festival. Although separate attendance figures for racing are not available, crowds and handle were good for each day of the festival, with wagering topping $1.6-million on the final day.

"It was a great six days of racing," said Deron Heldt, director of racing. "We got great support from trainers locally and throughout the country. We were able to showcase racing at its best."