Challenge


Three Sets of Challenge Trials Saturday at Remington
Michael C. Teel’s AJs High will make his season debut in the first of three Bank of America Oklahoma Challenge Championship (G2) trials at Remington Park on Saturday.

© Coady Photography
Three Sets of Challenge Trials Saturday at Remington

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—APRIL 28, 2017—Michael C. Teel’s AJs High, a multiple graded stakes winner during his 4-year-old campaign, will make his season debut in the first of three Bank of America Oklahoma Challenge Championship (G2) trials at Remington Park on Saturday.

A homebred son of Apollitical Jess trained by Charley Hunt, AJs High will be making his first start since December 10, when he ran fourth, three-quarters of a length behind winner Zoomin For Spuds, in the 440-yard, $600,000 Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos, American Quarter Horse racing’s richest and most prestigious race for aged horses. The gelding won five of eight races last year, including the 440-yard, $354,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) at Los Alamitos.

AJs High drew post 6 and will be ridden by Stormy Smith.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the $100,000-added Bank of America Oklahoma Challenge Championship final on May 14.

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Also on Saturday, 19 fillies and mares have been entered in two 400-yard Merial Oklahoma Distaff Challenge (G3) trials.

Pete Scarmardo’s Time For Wine, a 5-year-old Mr Jess Perry mare trained by John Weghorst, will make her first-ever start at Remington Park in the second of two trials. Time For Wine is coming off of a 4-year-old campaign during which she earned $76,953 from five starts and scored a clear 1 1/2-length victory in the 400-yard, $125,000 Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1) at Los Alamitos.

Time For Wine drew post 9 and will be ridden by James Flores.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will face off in the May 14, $40,000-added Merial Oklahoma Distaff Challenge final.

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Saturday’s 870-yard AQHA Oklahoma Distance Challenge (G3) trials have drawn 11 entries, topped by Louis Howard’s Jessa Little Rusty. A 7-year-old Mr Jess Perry gelding trained by John Stinebaugh, Jessa Little Rusty ran second, 1 3/4 lengths behind winner Rare Ed, in last year’s $125,000 AQHA Distance Challenge Championship (G1) at Los Alamitos.

Jessa Little Rusty will be ridden by Ricky Ramirez from post 3 in the first of two trials.

The eight fastest qualifiers from Saturday’s trials will meet in the $50,000-added AQHA Oklahoma Distance Challenge final on May 14.

All Remington Park races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.