HOUSTON, TX—APRIL 3, 2013—Trainer Jonathan Castaneda will saddle two runners in Friday night's trials for the $100,000 Bank of America Texas Challenge Championship (G1).

In the first trial, defending champion Kool Country Man returns in his second start of the year. The 5-year-old son of Country Chicks Man, bred by Ramiro Lopez and Bob Gaston, has special meaning to the 24-year-old Castaneda, as he was his first Grade 1 winner. After triumphing last April in Houston, he advanced to the $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) at Prairie Meadows on October. 27, running fourth to 2012 AQHA Champion Aged Horse of the Year, Rylees Boy.

"It was a great feeling," said Castaneda about winning the Bank of America Texas Challenge. "This horse had always run well in trials, but never came back as good in the finals."

Kool Country Man, owned by Jose Socorro Vera, Jr. and Juan Manuel G. Barbosa, will be ridden by Luis Vivanco. He will face six rivals in the 440-yard trial.

Castaneda hopes for a good effort from Jessa Kool Perry in the second trial, which will run as the third race on the Friday evening card. The 5-year -old son of Mr Jess Perry, also bred by Lopez and Gaston, broke his maiden at Sam Houston last April. Vivanco has the call in the six-horse trial.

The ten fastest qualifiers will return to action on Saturday, April 20 for the final and the opportunity to represent Texas in the $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1). The 2013 Bank of America Challenge Championships will take place at Los Alamitos in Cypress, California on Saturday, November 9.