Preview Racing


Twenty-Fifth Challenge Championships Set for Saturday at Prairie Meadows
American Quarter Horse racing will be celebrated at Prairie Meadows on Saturday night with the 25th Bank of America Challenge Championships.

Twenty-Fifth Challenge Championships Set for Saturday at Prairie Meadows

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

ALTOONA, IA—OCTOBER 13, 2017—The best in American Quarter Horse racing will be celebrated at Prairie Meadows on Saturday night, as the suburban Des Moines track will host the 25th Bank of America Challenge Championships.

Post time for the first race at Prairie Meadows is set for 6 p.m. (CDT). Post time for the first of five Challenge Championship races, the 870-yard, $105,000 AQHA Distance Challenge Championship (G1), is set for 8:12.

Following is a preview of all five Challenge Championship stakes.

AQHA Distance Challenge Championship (G1)

Trubador Dan, a 4-year-old son of the Shazoom stallion Pool trained by Kasey Willis for owner Pat Hybarger, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for this race.

Trubador Dan has won all four of his races at the 870-yard distance, including the September 24, $35,000 AQHA Will Rogers Distance Challenge in Oklahoma. The gelding drew the rail post and will be ridden by Alfredo Triana Jr.

Zoomin Racer, a 4-year-old Jess Zoomin gelding owned and trained by Fernando Carrete, brings a three-race winning streak into this race. Zoomin Racer is coming off of a clear 2 1/2-length victory in the 870-yard, $20,000 AQHA Lone Star Distance Challenge (G3) on September 29.

Zoomin Racer drew post 4 and will be ridden by Ricky Ramirez.

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

  1. Trubador Dan (Alfredo Triana Jr.), 5-2
  2. Juno Dat Timber (Stormy Smith), 12-1
  3. Thespeedprofessor (Mario Delgado), 6-1
  4. Zoomin Racer (Ricky Ramirez), 7-2
  5. Rare Ed (Luis Flores Gonzalez), 5-1
  6. Rock A Billy (Benito Baca), 3-1
  7. Cjs Rocksolid (Oscar Delgado), 10-1

Boehringer Ingelheim Distaff Challenge Championship (G1)

A field of nine fillies and mares has been entered in this 400-yard, $105,000 stakes.

Michael A. Pohl’s Jess Paint Your Lips, a homebred 4-year-old daughter of champion Jess Louisiana Blue trained by Stacy Charette-Hill, has won six of her seven outs and has earned $71,950. The mare has won two stakes, and she is coming off of a half-length victory on a muddy and sealed track in the 400-yard, $25,000 Lone Star Distaff Challenge on September 29.

Jess Paint Your Lips drew post 7 and will be ridden by Jorge Torres. The mare’s eight opponents include Pete Scarmardo’s Time For Wine, a 5-year-old Mr Jess Perry mare who will be making her first start since June 3, when she scored a half-length victory as the 13-10 favorite in the 400-yard, $100,000 Junos Request Stakes (G2) at Remington Park.

Time For Wine drew post 5 and will be ridden by James Flores for trainer Charlton Hunt.

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

  1. Bye Bye Birdy (Stormy Smith), 10-1
  2. Honeymoon Candy (Ricky Ramirez), 6-1
  3. Jr Rock Star (Brayan Velazquez), 10-1
  4. Tic Tac Attack (Nakia Ramirez), 12-1
  5. Time For Wine (James Flores), 3-1
  6. Ablurrforsure (Ramiro H. Garcia), 10-1
  7. Jess Paint Your Lips (Jorge Torres), 2-1
  8. Blacks Cartel (Raul Gutierrez), 12-1
  9. Gone Fast (Jake Samuels), 8-1

John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2)

Reliance Ranches LLC’s Sc Vapor Trail will make her first-ever start at Prairie Meadows in this 350-yard, $130,000 stakes for 2-year-olds.

A homebred brown daughter of Corona Cartel trained by Cody Noel, Sc Vapor Trail ships in from Los Alamitos Racecourse in California, where the filly won the August 19, $44,000 John Deere California Juvenile Challenge and was a finalist in the June 18, $1-million Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1). The filly drew post 11 and will be ridden by Ricky Ramirez.

George and Peggy Cobb’s Apollitical Approach will also be making his local debut on Saturday, as the homebred Apollitical Jess gelding is coming off of a victory in the 350-yard, $60,000 John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge (G3) in New Mexico on July 29. Apollitical Approach will be ridden by Cesar Gomez for trainer John Hammes from post 2.

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

  1. Tempting Annee GL (Mario Delgado), 7-2
  2. Apollitical Approach (Cesar Gomez), 10-1
  3. JD Wagon Boss (Jose O. Rocha), 8-1
  4. Syms TLC (G.R. Carter Jr.), 12-1
  5. CM Boom Shakalaka (Luis F. Gonzalez), 10-1
  6. High Valley Girl (Cristian Esqueda), 15-1
  7. Carneros (Oscar Delgado), 20-1
  8. Feature Me Gorgeous (Benito Baca), 12-1
  9. Carris Cartel (Santos Carrizales), 8-1
  10. Vallerro (Stormy Smith), 9-2
  11. SC Vapor Trail (Ricky Ramirez), 4-1

Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3)

Jose Cervantes’ JC Wild Rose will risk her three-race win streak in this 400-yard, $180,000 stakes for sophomores.

A homebred daughter of Apollitical Jess trained by Luis Villafranco, JC Wild Rose was a prompt even-money favorite in the 400-yard, $45,000 Adequan Will Rogers Derby Challenge on September 24. The filly drew post 10 and will be ridden by Mario Delgado.

Rock About It, a gelded son of Rock Solid Jess trained by Tammy Johnson for owner Rockin J Running Horses, will be shortening in distance off of his third-place finish, a neck behind winner Paint My Pilot, in the 440-yard, $213,000 Dash For Cash Derby (G3) at Lone Star Park on September 30. Rock Solid Jess drew post 6 and will be ridden by Benito Baca.

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

  1. Eye Eye Captain (Omar Reyes), 12-1
  2. Faster Than Hasta (Alfredo Triana Jr.), 8-1
  3. Rock About It (Benito Baca), 6-1
  4. Kowboy Jim (Oscar Delgado), 10-1
  5. Dauns First Desirio (Cesar Gomez), 7-2
  6. Gustafame (Rodrigo Vallejo), 6-1
  7. LS Prince (Stormy Smith), 15-1
  8. Genuine Version (Cristian Esqueda), 4-1
  9. Downside Embezzler (Elliot Bachicha Jr.), 15-1
  10. JC Wild Rose (Mario Delgado), 5-1

Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1)

AJs High, an eight-time winner at Prairie Meadows, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite for this 440-yard, $330,000 stakes, which offers its winner a berth in this year’s Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos.

Trained by Charlton Hunt for owner Michael C. Teel, AJs High has earned $74,542 from four outs this season, and his two wins include a 1 1/2-length score as the 4-5 favorite in the September 16, $74,000 Bank of America Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge (G2). Competing at Remington Park during the spring, the homebred 5-year-old Apollitical Jess gelding ran third, 1 1/2 lengths behind winner Zoomin Effortlessly, in the 440-yard, $250,000 Remington Park Invitational Championship (G1) on June 3.

AJs High drew post 7 and will be ridden by Stormy Smith.

Flash N Bling will make his Prairie Meadows debut from post 4 under jockey G.R. Carter Jr. A 4-year-old son of First Down Dash trained by Cody Noel for owner Reliance Ranches LLC, the sorrel gelding ships in from Los Alamitos, where he won the 440-yard, $76,000 Bank of America California Championship Challenge (G3) on August 3 and finished second, 1 3/4 lengths behind Heza Dasha Fire, in the September 3, 400-yard Go Man Go Handicap (G1).

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

  1. Sky Bo Dash (Ricky Ramirez), 12-1
  2. The Fiscal Cliff (Benito Baca), 8-1
  3. Three Olives N Smoke (Cesar Gomez), 15-1
  4. Flash N Bling (G.R. Carter Jr.), 9-2
  5. Mals First Down (Jose O. Rocha), 15-1
  6. Okeyfreight (Alfredo Triana Jr.), 15-1
  7. AJs High (Stormy Smith), 3-1
  8. Air Force Won (Ramiro H. Garcia), 10-1
  9. Sign Of Corona (Oscar Delgado), 12-1
  10. Mr Pyc To You (Rodrigo Aceves), 8-1
  11. Fast Man Vic (Cristian Esqueda), 20-1
  12. Rockin Disco (Juan Pulido), 15-1

All Prairie Meadows races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.