Challenge


Jess Good Reason Heads 10-Horse Field in Merial California
Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap winner Jess Good Reason will face nine rivals in the Merial California Distaff Challenge on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

© Scott Martinez
Jess Good Reason Heads 10-Horse Field in Merial California

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—AUGUST 10, 2017—After winning the Adequan Derby Challenge Championship at Los Alamitos in 2016, Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap heroine Jess Good Reason will look to rule the mare division once again when she takes on nine rivals in the Merial California Distaff Challenge on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

The winner of the 400-yard Merial final will earn a berth to the Grade 1 Merial Distaff Challenge Championship to be held at Prairie Meadows in Iowa later this year.

Trained Paul Jones for Cina and John Sperry, Jess Good Reason will enter the Merial California two months after perhaps the most troubled outing of her career. The daughter of champion Good Reason SA was the 2-1 second choice in her trial to the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity, but she bumped and then lost her racing path on the way to surprising seventh place finish.

Jess Good Reason has since posted a strong 350-yard gate work in :17.80 on July 29 and figures to return to the form that has seen her win or place in 13 of her 18 career starts. With top rider Jesus Rios Ayala aboard, she’ll start from post nine.

Trainer Lin Melton will send out his two star mares, Maggie Durant and Time For Jess, in the Merial California final. Owned by Melton in partnership with Spackman Racing, the daughter of One Sweet Jess will enter after winning the California Breeders Matron Stakes at 44-1 odds.

Spackman Racing’s Time For Jess is a winner of over $295,000 and five of 22 starts. Kelly, Yearsley and Yother’s Jess Envision, an All American Derby finalist in 2016, will be among the mares also in action here. Both are by leading sire Apollitical Jess.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.