Challenge


Challenge: Intermountain Invasion
Duck Dash N Go is one of Arrossa's Challenge entries.

© AQHA Racing / Andrea Caudill
Challenge: Intermountain Invasion

By Andrea Caudill

AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—NOVEMBER 16, 2018— Trainer Monty Arrossa will be hustling on the night of the Bank of America Challenge Championships, as he has five runners just in the championship races, with more in the undercard races.

Headlining his runners is Katies Easy Moves, who will contest the $250,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1). The 5-year-old gelding is owned by the Boise, Idaho-based partnership of O-So Smart LLC, and has proved himself to be among the best older horses at Los Alamitos.

This spring, he won an allowance, and then finished fourth in the Vessels Maturity (G1), third in the Bank of America Los Alamitos Championship Challenge (G3) and fourth in the Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship (G1).

"We had a decision to make – to go in the Challenge Championship or run in the Z. Wayne Griffith Trials," Arrossa said. "We decided to go in the Challenge. When you qualify for a Grade 1 and have a chance to run for $250,000, you just have to take that opportunity. The horse is coming into the race and is doing great, and we’re excited to run. We know it’s some of the best older horses from all over the United States, so it’ll be a good race and one we’re excited to compete in."

Katies Easy Moves is by Maknmoves and out of the Lanes Leinster mare Katie Lane Finder. Bred by Walter L J Finder of Eden, Utah, the horse has won 13 of 28 career starts and earned $123,513. He is a three-time stakes winner, including last year’s First Down Dash Handicap at Los Alamitos.

Arrossa has two in the $100,000 AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship (G1), including Stephen Jay Larson’s Kono, and Vincente Treyes’ Duck Dash N Go.

Bred by AQHA Hall of Fame member Bobby Cox, Duck Dash N Go is a four-time stakes winner looking to add a Grade 1 to her resume for her Jerome, Idaho-based owner.

"She’s little in stature, but big in heart," Arrossa said.

The 4-year-old mare is by Coronas Fast Dash and out of the good Tour De Kas mare Duck Mea Running, who herself was a six-time stakes winner and earner of $213,962.

Duck Dash N Go this year has won or placed in five of seven starts, including winning the Independence Day Handicap (G3). She has career earnings of $97,717.

"We’re excited about her, she’s a real nice filly," Arrossa said.

In the $125,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge (G2), Stevieb Flashofcash and Fames Prize Stone will race for Arrossa.

Stevieb Flashofcash is a Utah-bred purchased by Matt Telford and Melinda Roche’s Five Livestock Co. of Filer, Idaho, as a yearling at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale.

He won three in a row before running third in Cole Man 47’s John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge. It is noteworthy that Cole Man 47 would go on to win the $355,000 PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity (G2) two starts later.

"(Stevieb Flashofcash) had a couple of tough outs, but we’ve given him time to freshen up for the Challenge and he’s doing really well," Arrossa said.

Stevieb Flashofcash is by top sire First Moonflash and out of the good mare LDS Good Goin Gracie, making him a half-brother to a previous Challenge Championship winner: LDS Dash For Dylan, who in 2005 won the Derby Challenge Championship (G1) at Los Alamitos and would ultimately earn $417,402 in his career.

Stevieb Flashofcash has won half his six starts and earned $14,646 to date.

The other juvenile is Gary and Jeralyn Messenger’s homebred Fames Prize Stone.

"She’s been a road warrior," Arrossa said.

The Idaho-bred began her racing career at Los Alamitos – a winning maiden start – and ran in a non-qualifying Kindergarten Futurity trial before heading to Sandy Downs to race in the Bitterroot Futurity (R) trials. She would ultimately finish third in the $92,602 stakes, and found her way back to Los Alamitos and raced several more times. She has won four of nine starts, with two more placings, and earned $22,653.

"She was tired, and we had to give her time to freshen up," Arrossa said. "I think the freshening has really helped her."

Fames Prize Stone is by First Prize Stone and out of the Floyd De Great mare Go For Fame, and represents the fourth generation cultivated by her breeders. Her fourth dam, Good Intentions, was from Judd Morse’s breeding program, and is a horse the Messengers acquired 34 years ago. While the Idaho Falls-based horsemen have bred only 26 starters, 20 of the horses have come back winners and their horses have earned more than $720,000, including Go For Fame, an earner of $122,933.

"They’re a small breeder in quantity, but a big breeder in quality," Arrossa said. "They’re smart breeders, they study a lot and know good crosses. They only have a couple mares, but they work hard at it. It’s a family operation – their children and now grandchildren are involved with the horses."

So the Northwest is well represented, including these horses for Arrossa.

"I’m excited about our Challenge horses," Arrossa said. "It’s a great program. Coming from the Northwest, it was a huge program to run at (there). It’s still huge for us. I’m a supporter, I’m a believer in the Challenge, and I hope it will stick around and succeed.

"The Challenge races give a chance to breeders of all sizes, and they don’t have to go purchase a horse for a lot of money at a sale," he added. "If they make them eligible as babies, it’s good for a lifetime. We encourage all our clients (to enroll them)."

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