Challenge


Million Dollar Kiss Wins Markel Invitational Bonus Challenge
Million Dollar Kiss, under jockey Jesus Rios Ayala, winning the $75,000 Markel Invitational Bonus Challenge Stakes at Los Alamitos.

© Scott Martinez
Million Dollar Kiss Wins Markel Invitational Bonus Challenge

Q-RACING JOURNAL—OCTOBER 29, 2016—A sharp break from her rail post helped Jerry D. Chapman's Million Dollar Kiss score her first stakes win in more than two years in Saturday's 350-yard, $75,000 Markel Invitational Bonus Challenge Stakes at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala for trainer Bret Vickery and sent to post at odds of 9-2, Million Dollar Kiss defeated 18-1 longshot CC Tres by a half of a length in :17.557.

The 4-year-old mare was winning for the fifth time in 19 starts, and the $36,750 winner's share of the purse from her second lifetime stakes victory pushed her bankroll to $119,745.

Million Dollar Kiss was bred in Texas by her owner, and she is a daughter of champion Jess Louisiana Blue and Stoli Kiss, a winning 13-year-old daughter of champion Stoli. Her resume includes a neck victory in the 2014 John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge at Sam Houston Race Park.

Also a Texas-bred, Cc Tres races for owner Ralph Young. Bret Vickery saddled the Tres Seis filly out of Shaded In Gray, by Chicks Beduino. Bred by Evans and Evans and Burnett Ranches LLC, Cc Tres earned $15,750 for her effort. Juan Ramirez was up.

Matthew Fales saddled third place finisher Design Tobe a Winner for owner James Lynn. Adrian Ramos rode the Winners Version mare out of Designers Splash, by Splash Bac. Bred in Colorado by Russell Vicchrilli, the 6-year-old earned $7,875.

Million Dollar Kiss returned an $11.60 win mutuel and teamed with CC Tres for a $2 exacta payoff of $122.80. Design Tobe A Winner, a 13-1 longshot, ran third to complete a $425.10 ($1) trifecta.

First Prize Chicks, the 3-5 favorite, ran fourth and was followed by Time For Jesse Lee, Chicks R Gone, and Dk The Nacho Lady.

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