Challenge


Shockinglyfamous Wins Regional Challenge Stakes, Pirates Coves Hero Earns BOA Berth
Shockinglyfamous, under jockey Jimmy Brooks, winning the $15,000 Regional Challenge Stakes Sunday at Ruidoso Downs.

© Jake Rogers / Ruidoso Downs
Shockinglyfamous Wins Regional Challenge Stakes, Pirates Coves Hero Earns BOA Berth

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 11, 2020---Graded stakes winner Shockinglyfamous rolled a one-length win over Senor Frogs in the $15,000 Regional Challenge Stakes this afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

The New Mexico racetrack agreed to write a $15,000 Regional Challenge Stakes today, giving preference to 10 Rillito Championship Challenge qualifiers who were unable to run the final back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The top Rillito finisher in the race receives the berth to the Grade 1 $300,000-est. Bank of America Challenge Championship to be run October 24th at The Downs at Albuquerque. The other Rillito participants will get preference to Challenge undercard races during the 2020 Bank of America Challenge Championship Night.

Shockinglyfamous, ridden by jockey Jimmy Brooks and was not a Rillito qualifier, completed the 440 yards in :21.702 seconds, equaling an 88 speed index into an 8 mph crosswind. It was the fifth win in 18 starts and the $9,000 Regional winner's purse boosted his lifetime mark to nearly $155,000.

Eddie D. Willis saddled the son of leading sire One Famous Eagle for owners Stone Chase Stables LLC and Alexia Willis. Clarence Scharbauer III bred the 2020 SLM Big Daddy Stakes(G3) winner in Texas from the Langfur (TB) mare Shocktime (TB).

Runner-up Senor Frogs earned $3,000 for his second-place effort. The 3-year-old son of leading third-crop sire Coronado Cartel races for owner Jose Aguilar Mendoza and is conditioned by Eloy Navarro. Raul Valenzuela had the riding assignment on the bay gelding out of Nellie Soprano by Mr Eye Opener. Bred in Oregon by Michael and Shannon McKay, Senor Frogs is a stakes winner of $58,058.

Pirate Coves Hero finished 1-¼ lengths back in third, but still earned the berth to the Bank of America Championship Challenge via the second fastest qualifier at Rillito last February. Trainer Jesus Olivas saddled the son of multiple stakes sire Valiant Hero for owner Julio Francisco Villar Torres. Bred in Oklahoma by Reliance Ranches LLC, from the Feature Mr Jess mare American Feature, Pirate Coves Hero has banked $104,181.

Flying Eagle 07, Valiant Tort, Thisizit, Our Special Legacy, Captain Mazurk, Miss First N Wild and Pirteville Cartel completed the field.