Challenge


Evergreen Park Presents Challenge Stakes Tripleheader
Stripsteak, is one of five aged runners entered in Friday’s 440-yard, $39,457 Bank of America Grande Prairie Championship Challenge at Evergreen Park.

© Coady Photography
Evergreen Park Presents Challenge Stakes Tripleheader

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALB—AUGUST 22, 2019—Stripsteak, a multiple stakes winning 4-year-old son of Gone To The Mountain owned by Charles G. Stojan, is one of five aged runners entered in Friday’s 440-yard, $39,457 Bank of America Grande Prairie Championship Challenge at Evergreen Park.

A California-bred gelding trained by William Leech, Stripsteak has won nine of 15 starts and has earned $44,926, and he ended his 3-year-old campaign with a head victory as the 2-1 favorite in the 400-yard, $36,000 Canada Cup Derby (R) on October 21. Stripsteak drew post 3 and will be ridden by Ricardo Moreno.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

  1. JD Wagon Boss (Jose O. Rocha), 7-2
  2. Gone To Be Bright (J.B. Botello), 2-1
  3. Stripsteak (Ricardo Moreno), 3-1
  4. Good Kiddy (Dwight Lewis), 5-2
  5. Walters Cartel (D.I. Benitez), 4-1

Two other Challenge regional finals will be contested on Friday. Double Cruise, a homebred son of the Separatist stallion Bd Cruiser owned and trained by Tom Kenway, heads a full field of eight 2-year-olds entered in the 350-yard, $34,595 John Deere Evergreen Park Juvenile Challenge. A stakes winner at Century Downs on July 11, the sorrel colt has earned $21,134 from three races. Double Cruise drew post 6 and will be ridden by Trevor Simpson.

Also on Friday, True Copy is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the 400-yard, $22,253 ARC Evergreen Park Distaff Challenge. Trained by William Leech for owner Charles G. Stojan, the gray 4-year-old daughter of Tr Dasher has won two of three starts and has banked $6,342 this season, and she was the runner-up to Stripsteak in last year’s Canada Cup Derby. True Copy drew post 3 and will be ridden by Ricardo Moreno.