ALBUQUERQUE, NM—JULY 25, 2019—Rock A Billy, a graded stakes placed 6-year-old son of Rock Solid Jess owned by Rockin J Running Horses, is one of eight Quarter Horse distance specialists entered in Sunday’s 870-yard, $52,000 AQHA Albuquerque Distance Challenge Stakes (G3) at Albuquerque Downs.

Rock A Billy is coming off of a 1-½ length victory in an 870-yard, $26,200 open-condition allowance at The Downs on June 28. At Remington Park in Oklahoma City last spring, the gelding won two of six starts and ran second, a half of a length behind winner Madewell, in the 870-yard, $50,000 Remington Distance Championship (G2) on June 1.

Rock A Billy drew post 2 and will be ridden by Enrique Garcia for trainer Tammy Johnson. His seven opponents include Madewell, a homebred 5-year-old Jess Jones gelding trained by Johnson for owners Ray Madewell and Davy Madewell. Madewell will be making his first start since his Remington Distance Championship victory.

Madewell drew post 3 and will be ridden by Alejandro Medellin.

The winner of this race will earn a berth in the October 26 AQHA Distance Challenge Championship (G1) at Albuquerque Downs. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. Highwire Dance (Albert Medrano), 10-1
2. Rock A Billy (Enrique Garcia), 3-1
3. Madewell (Alejandro Medellin), 2-1
4. Zoomin Racer (Martin Felix), 8-1
5. Funny Munny (Paul Nieto), 5-1
6. Jess A Hilbily Bone (Alfredo Sigala), 15-1
7. Flight Force (Ricardo Jaime), 20-1
8. Let There Be Sound (Gilbert Ortiz), 7-2

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Leading trainer Justin Evans will send out three contenders in Saturday’s 1-mile, $20,000 Downs at Albuquerque Marathon Stakes, the first leg of the track’s Marathon Series races.

J Serino, an 8-year-old Malibu Moon gelding trained by Evans for owner Thomas F. Metzger Sr., drew the rail post and will be ridden by Enrique Garcia. The 5-2 morning-line favorite, J Serino will be stretching out in distance off of his wire-to-wire victory in a 6-furlong race for $6,250 claimers at The Downs on July 17.

The Downs Marathon Series continues with the 1 1/16-mile, $20,000 Billy Powell Claiming Stakes on August 17 and concludes with the 1 13/16-mile, $25,000 Con Jackson Claiming Stakes -- New Mexico’s longest horse race -- on September 22.

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NOTES FROM THE DOWNS: The Downs will offer simulcast wagering on this weekend’s Zia Festival races from Ruidoso Downs. A total of 10 New Mexico-bred stakes will be contested, four on Saturday and six on Sunday. Post time each day is 1 p.m. (MDT)….Through the first 16 days of The Downs meet, Justin Evans leads all Thoroughbred trainers with 17 winners from 50 starters. Alfredo Juarez Jr., who scored his 3,000th Thoroughbred win last Saturday, tops all Thoroughbred jockeys with 13 wins from 63 mounts. Jesus Carrete and Tammy Johnson lead all Quarter Horse trainers with six winners from 19 starters each. Alonso Rivera is the The Downs’ leading Quarter Horse jockey with eight winners from 30 mounts.

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Albuquerque Downs Racetrack and Casino is located in the heart of Albuquerque at Expo New Mexico, the home of the New Mexico State Fair, and general admission and parking are always free (via the casino entrance on Louisiana and Central). For more information, visit abqdowns.com and click on the "Racing" link at the top of the homepage.