Challenge


Rock A Billy Returns in $35,370 AQHA Will Rogers Distance Challenge
Multiple stakes winner Rock A Billy drew post 5 for Sunday’s $35,370 AQHA Will Rogers Distance Challenge Stakes at Will Rogers Downs.

© Coady Photography
Rock A Billy Returns in $35,370 AQHA Will Rogers Distance Challenge

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

CLAREMORE, OK—SEPTEMBER 21, 2017—Rockin J Running Horses’ Rock A Billy, a graded stakes-winning son of Rock Solid Jess who is undefeated at the 870-yard distance, drew post 5 for Sunday’s $35,370 AQHA Will Rogers Distance Challenge Stakes at Will Rogers Downs.

A homebred 4-year-old gelding trained by Tammy Johnson, Rock A Billy will be making his first-ever start at Will Rogers Downs off of his wire-to-wire, 3 3/4-length victory in the 870-yard, $20,000 Bill Reed Memorial Stakes at Ruidoso Downs on Labor Day weekend. Rock A Billy has won all four of his outs at the 870 trip, including the July 23, $50,000 AQHA Albuquerque Distance Challenge Stakes (G3) at Albuquerque Downs.

Rock A Billy will be ridden by Benito Baca.

Admiral Zoomwalt, a 5-year-old Shazoom gelding trained by John Weghorst for owner Rogelio Marquez Jr., won two 870-yard stakes during the Fair Meadows at Tulsa summer meet, including the $18,000 Walter Merrick Memorial Stakes (R) for Oklahoma-breds on July 28. The gelding drew post 6 and will be ridden by James Flores.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:

  1. Madewell (Daniel A. Torres)
  2. Thespeedprofessor (Mario Delgado)
  3. Stolislilsecret (Benny Landeros)
  4. Country Mans Jazz (Santos Carrizales)
  5. Rock A Billy (Benito Baca)
  6. Admiral Zoomwalt (James Flores)
  7. Trubador Dan (Alfredo Triana Jr.)
  8. Give It To Shaq (Cesar Gomez)
  9. Srd Bobbin Coronas (Richard W. Gonzalez)

Also on Sunday, Famousist will seek his first career stakes victory in the 400-yard, $45,360 Adequan Will Rogers Derby Challenge Stakes. Trained by Jose Gamez for owners Denis and Julie Schoenhofer of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, the gelded son of champion Separatist is undefeated in three starts at Will Rogers Downs, and his summer campaign included a third-place finish, 1 3/4 lengths behind winner Born To B Bad, in the 350-yard, $67,000 Speedhorse Derby at Fair Meadows at Tulsa on July 29.

Famousist drew post 7 and will be ridden by Omar Reyes.

Sunday’s Challenge regional tripleheader will conclude with the 350-yard, $47,700 John Deere Will Rogers Juvenile Challenge Stakes. Fastest qualifier Tempting Annee GL, a homebred daughter of champion Tempting Dash racing for the Garza Laurel Partnership from the barn of trainer R.L. “Rick” Robinson, will be ridden by Mario Delgado from the rail post. The filly is coming off of a half-length win as the 2-1 favorite in the first of four trials on September 10.

All Will Rogers Downs races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.