Bobby Cox's homebred Hawkeye enters Sunday's Bank of America Canterbury Park Championship Challenge off a win in the Grade 2 $50,000 Sam Houston Classic Stakes.

© Coady Photography

SHAKOPEE, MN—JULY 5, 2019—Canterbury Park is proud to continue its support of the AQHA Bank of America Challenge Program and will host three regional qualifying races on Sunday, July 7.

2019 will mark the fourth year that Canterbury has hosted the Bank of America Canterbury Park Championship Challenge and the ARC Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge; new for 2019 is the Canterbury Park Distance Challenge.

The Bank of America Canterbury Park Championship Challenge could be a showdown between local champion Pyc Jess Bite Mydust and Texas invader Hawkeye.

Hawkeye, owned and bred by Bobby Cox, is trained by Josue Ponce and is ridden by Manuel Gutierrez. He is in search of his fourth consecutive win; most recently, he won the $50,000 Sam Houston Classic Stakes (G2) and earned a career best speed figure. Hawkeye is a 4-year-old colt by One Dashing Eagle, out of the Runaway Winner mare No Fees. His last three wins have been at 400 yards or longer.

The local favorite is Pyc Jess Bite Mydust. The 5-year-old Apollitical Jess gelding is a multiple stakes winner who has never finished out of the money in 11 starts at Canterbury. This will be his first start in a Challenge race and his second start at 440 yards; his closing style suggests the extra distance will be welcome.

Winners of the previous Canterbury Park Championship Challenge stakes have performed well in the Challenge Championship finals. Ajs High and The Fiscal Cliff each won the Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) in 2016 and 2017, respectively, as the Canterbury regional winners. In 2018, Canterbury representative Kowboy Jim was third in the final.

In 2020, the Bank of America Canterbury Park Championship Challenge will be a Grade 3 event.

The $45,000 Bank of America Canterbury Park Championship Challenge is Race 7 on Sunday at Canterbury Park. Estimated post time is 3:52 pm CT.

The field, by post position, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:

1. Let Bull Fly, Manuel Mojica Campos, Froylan Ramirez, 10-1
2. Hawkeye, Josue Ponce, Manuel Gutierrez, 5-2
3. Three Olives N Smoke, John Hammes, Stormy Smith, 5-1
4. Faster Than Hasta, Bob Johnson, Mark Jasso, 4-1
5. Political Candy, Clinton Crawford, Cody Smith, 15-1
6. High Rate of Motion, Clinton Crawford, Josh Romero, 7-2
7. Quick Dashin Perry, Shawna Manriquez, Marcus Swiontek, 8-1
8. Drt Dynasty, Jerry Livingston, Patrick Canchari, 12-1
9. Pyc Jess Bite Mydust, Jason Olmstead, Cristian Esqueda, 9-2

The ARC Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge features eight fillies and mares seeking a spot in the final during the Challenge Championships in Albuquerque this fall.

Painted Dynasty, who is five for seven in the money at Canterbury Park, looks to return to the Challenge Championships after finishing third in the 2018 Adequan Derby Challenge (G3) at Los Alamitos. Since then she has finished second in the Bob Moore Stakes (G2) this spring at Remington. The FDD Dynasty filly was bred my Michael Teel out of Tygers Painted Girl, a half-sister to Ajs High.

Curls Happy Wagon, recent winner of the Decketta Stakes (G3) at Remington Park, is entering her first career Challenge race. The Pyc Paint Your Wagon filly was also second in the Texas Classic Derby (G1) and qualified to the Oklahoma Derby (G3) last year.

The $25,000 ARC Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge is Race 6 on Sunday at Canterbury Park. Estimated post time is 3:22 pm CT.

The field, by post position, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:

1. Silky Senator, Jason Pascoe, Stormy Smith, 12-1
2. Our Lady Wagon, Stacy Charette-Hill, Froylan Ramirez, 6-1
3. The Polar Vortex, Jason Olmstead, Ry Eikleberry, 8-1
4. Weetonas Lafawn, Clinton Crawford, Cody Smith, 7-2
5. Painted Dynasty, Jason Olmstead, Cristian Esqueda, 9-2
6. Paint Me Southern, Jason Pascoe, Shanley Jackson, 5-1
7. Pretty and Big, Ed Hardy, Eugenio Navarette, Jr., 10-1
8. Curls Happy Wagon, Stacy Charette-Hill, Jorge Torres, 5-2

A competitive field of six entered the Canterbury Park Distance Challenge, including the return of 9-year-old multiple stakes winner Hastabeleader. Hastabealeader, unseen since 2017, is graded stakes placed and excels at the 870-yard distance, with five wins around the turn. He has only missed the board in a hook race twice in his career, and he has 11 wins in 40 lifetime starts.

He’ll face morning-line favorite Edelman on the outside for trainer John Hammes. Edelman recently won an 870-yard allowance at Remington Park and has two 660-yard works since arriving at Canterbury Park. Edelman is by Favorite Cartel and is out of Katie Katella, by Separatist.

American Hat offers value on the rail; also a son of Favorite Cartel, American Hat has not missed the board in two starts since joining the Stacy Charette-Hill barn and is six for eight in the money at 870 yards.

The $20,000 Canterbury Park Distance Challenge is Race 3 on Sunday at Canterbury Park. Estimated post time is 1:52 CT.

The field, by post position, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:

1. American Hat, Stacy Charette-Hill, Jorge Torres, 8-1
2. Hastabealeader, Bob Johnson, Stormy Smith, 7-2
3. Virgin Cole, Jerry Livingston, Froylan Ramirez, 12-1
4. Rock Wit Cha Baby, Stacy Belt, Chya Johnson, 15-1
5. Bout Tree Fiddy, Patrick Swan, Nik Goodwin, 2-1
6. Edelman, John Hammes, Ry Eikleberry, 5-2

The 2019 Canterbury Park Quarter Horse stakes schedule includes 17 stakes races worth over $700,000.

Live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing continues through Saturday, September 14, 2019. The 70-day race meet offers racing on Thursday and Friday evenings at 6:00 pm CT and Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 12:45 pm CT. in June and July. Quarter horse racing is held at the beginning of each race card.