Challenge


Striver, Tough To Figure, Twisted Sifter Win Challenge Undercard Stakes
Striver(#4) defeating Tac Me Up (#2) in the $25,000 Stotz Equipment Stakes the first of three undercard stakes on Saturday's Bank of America Challenge Championship Night.

© Scott Martinez
Striver, Tough To Figure, Twisted Sifter Win Challenge Undercard Stakes

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 17, 2018—Three under-card stakes worth $75,000 were contested at Los Alamitos Race Course Saturday night prior to the main Challenge Championship card (see related stories in Racing Section).

Stotz Equipment Stakes

Striver, a solid stakes performer all season, got her first stakes win noon Saturday when she defeated Tack Me Up by neck in the $25,000 Stotz Equipment Stakes.

Scott Willoughby saddled the daughter of Foose for owner Juan Carlos Chavez. Bred in California by Edward Allred, Striver completed the 350 yards in :17.725 seconds, a 91 speed index, to pick up the winners' purse valued at $13,000.

Out of the A Classic Dash mare Motherless, Striver has compiled a (9) 2-3-1 record and banked $116,828 this season. Second in the Kindergarten Futurity(G2) in May, the filly also qualified for the Ed Burke Million Futurity(G1) and the Governors' Cup Futurity(G2).

Coming off a win in the Autumn Handicap in his last start, Tac Me Up had to settle a second-place effort worth $5,750. Christopher O'Dell saddled the bay son of Kiddy Up for owners Ruth Barbour, Colten O'Dell and Wendy O'Dell. Garret Firth bred the $52,275 earner in California from the Tac It Like A Man mare. Eduardo Nicasio was up.

Delayed Steal finished two-lengths off the leaders to earn $2,875 for third. Trainer Roman Figueroa saddled the Stel Corona gelding for owner Ronne Brooks Keller. Edward C. Allred is the breeder and Ramon Sanchez riding the 2-year-old out of Hot To Hit by Walk Thru Fire.

Cava Yee Tah was fourth. Jodee B Valiant was scratched.

Stablewood Farm Stakes

Ed Allred's homebred Tough To Figure got her first career stakes win in the $25,000 Stablewood Farm Stakes Saturday night. The daughter of leading sire Walk Thru Fire got up at the wire to defeat multiple stakes winner Maggie Durant by a nose.

Tough To Figure completed the 400 yards in :19.932 seconds.

Tough To Figure, under jockey Vinnie Bednar, noses Maggie Durant to win the $25,000 Stablewood Farm Stakes on Saturday at Los Alamitos Race Course. © Scott Martinez
Saddled by trainer Scott Willoughby, the 4-year-old from the Raise A Secret mare Big Jan, was ridden by jockey Vinnie Bednar. The $12,000 winners' purse pushed her earnings total past $100,000 to $111,383.

Spackman Racing and Lin Melton's graded winner Maggie Durant picked up $5,125 for second. Saul Ramirez, Jr. had the riding call aboard the One Sweet Jess mare from the First Down Dash mare Up Down Dash. The 5-year-old has earned $114,930. Spackman Racing bred the mare in Idaho.

Ima Dashin Follie, under jockey Roberto Valero, bumped at the break but got third for owner William Joe Geditz. Robert Don Johnson trains the Ivory James filly out of Dimples Dash O Denim by First Down Dash. Rodney Ruzsa bred the 4-year-old in South Dakota. She picked up $1,500 for the effort.

Precious Dominique, Stel Cancey-DH, One Sweet Winner-DH, Late N Dirty and You Can Fly completed the field.

Dreams Come True Ranch Stakes

Twisted Sifter, under jockey Jonathan Roman, proved the best in the $25,000 Dreams Come True Ranch Stakes Saturday night by posting a one-length win over Jess Bet Me.

The son of world champion sire FDD Dynasty covered the 400 yard course in :19.868 seconds, a 90 speed index, run his win streak to four.

Twisted Sifter, under jockey Jonathan Roman, easily winning the $25,000 Dreams Come True Ranch Stakes on Saturday at Los Alamitos Race Course. © Scott Martinez
Trainer Roman Figueroa saddled the bay 3-year-old for owner Ronnie Brooks Keller. Bred in Arkansas by Corner K Quarter Horses LLC, Twisted Sifter boosted his earnings mark to $67,677 after pocketing the $13,000 winner's purse.

Following an allowance win in August, Twisted Sifter won the Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap and the Chingaderos Handicap prior to taking the Dreams Come True Ranch Stakes.

Jess Bet Me, a One Sweet Jess gelding from the Sum Fun To Bet mare Miss Kittys Bar Bet, earned $5,750 for second. Rodolfo Viramontes trains the brown gelding for the partnership of Jose Gutierrez, Salvador Hernandez and Herasmo Hernandez. Steve D. Burns, DVM bred the earner of $34,605.

Jose and Silva Pantoja and Jorge Verduzco's Down For Debate finished one-length back in third. Jockey Ruben Lozano had the riding call aboard the Tres Seis gelding for trainer Clement Hurtado. Thomas Bradbury and Vaughn Cook bred Down For Debate in Oklahoma. He earned $2,875 for the effort.

Missmerizing and Babe Can Fly completed the field.