by Mike Curry

Wayzata Bay powered to a 3 1/2-length victory at 38.40-to-1 odds in the $295,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G2) on Saturday night at Prairie Meadows Racetrack to earn his first career graded stakes victory in his 42nd start.

The six-year-old Roar horse had amassed six stakes wins entering the 1 1/8-mile Prairie Meadows Cornhusker, including four previous stakes victories at Prairie Meadows.

Trained by Judi Hicklin for owner World Thoroughbreds Racing, Wayzata Bay entered off a runner-up finish on May 31 at Prairie Meadows in the Jim Rasmussen Memorial Handicap, won by Prairie Meadows Cornhusker contender Sumac.

Pacesetter Encaustic was pressed by Temporary Saint through a half-mile in :47.59, while Israel Ocampo rated Wayzata Bay in third in the seven-horse field. Multiple graded stakes winner Zanjero, who finished 12th in the 2007 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), was reserved in sixth as the 1.30-to-1 favorite under Robby Albarado.

Temporary Saint seized command from Encuastic on the turn but his lead was short-lived as Wayzata Bay closed with a rush from three wide and powered to a 2 1/2-length advantage in early stretch. Wayzata Bay cruised to a victory in 1:48.47 on a track rated as fast.

Sumac rallied from sixth to finish second, one length clear of third-place finisher Temporary Saint. Zanjero did not respond when called upon and finished a nonthreatening fourth.

Wayzata Bay has won 11 races and boosted his earnings to $570,748. He is out of the winning Personal Flag mare Beauty Is.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor