Racing


Country Boy 123 Proved The Best For Alex Picov Memorial Championship
Country Boy 123 wins his third consecutive Alex Picov Memorial Championship Monday afternoon at Ajax Downs.

© New Age Media / Clive Cohen
Country Boy 123 Proved The Best For Alex Picov Memorial Championship

AJAX, ONT—OCTOBER 14, 2019—Multiple stakes winner Country Boy 123 got his second stakes win of the year on Monday when he defeated Express Your Desire by half-a-length in the $43,399(US) Alex Picov Memorial Championship.

The match between Country Boy 123 and multiple stakes winner Had To Be Ivory failed to develop after the later broke out and finished last in the four horse field.

Racing for owner-trainer Ruth Barbour, County Boy 123 completed the 440 yards in :21.980 seconds, equaling a 96 speed index into a 12 mph crosswind. Jockey Ed Walton rode the 6-year-old son of champion Country Chicks Man to his 22nd win from 34 career starts. The $22,258(US) winners' purse boosted his lifetime mark to $344,930.

"To be honest I thought Had to Be Ivory would be in front of us and we'd have to chase him down, but I was in front doing it kind of easy," said Walton. "He was razor sharp, opening up on them early, that surprised me."

The 11-time stakes winners has won three consecutive Alex Picov Memorial Championships, taking both the 2017 and 2018 races. Carolyn Bay bred the bay gelding in Michigan from the Dash Thru Traffic mare Very Dashin 123.

Runner-up Express Your Desire earned $11,128(US) for owner Renee K. Wilson. Tom Dunlap saddled the 4-year-old son of champion sire Desirio from the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Midnight Express B. German Rodriguez had the riding call aboard the $68,239 earner.

Multiple stakes-placed Maryland Magic finished a head back in thrird for owner Milena Kwiecien and trainer Jason Pascoe. Shanley Jackson rode the Pyc Paint Your Wagon horse out of Purley Un Social, by All Mitey Dash. He earned $5,564(US) for the effort. Stephen Harris is the breeder.

Had To Be Ivory, a winner of 11 of 14 career starts, finished a neck back in fourth. Zoomn Blue was scratched.

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The 46th Picov Championship highlighted a holiday Thanksgiving card complete with a pumpkin giveaway for kids, a management-in-costume running race and the Headless Horseman charging down the stretch in mid-afternoon.

Ajax Downs wraps up its 50th anniversary season of Quarter Horse racing Monday, October 21 with a 12:55 post time.

News, photos, events and race picks can be found on: Ajax Downs' website at ajaxdowns.com, Twitter (@AjaxDowns), Instagram and Facebook.

If you want to learn more about owning a Quarter Horse or a share in a Quarter Horse, contact qrooi.com', the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario, Inc.

You can also watch and wager on Ajax Downs' exciting card of Quarter Horse Racing through HPIBET.COM and the Champions teletheatre network..