It's time to study the forms and make your bets in these Challenge races.

© Wyoming Downs

By Ed Burgart

Win machine Mahoney N Tacklebery could turn the tables on fastest qualifier Dance The Dust Off in Saturday's $35,800 AQHA Wyoming Distance Challenge at Wyoming Downs in Evanston, Wyoming.

Then on Sunday at Hipodromo de las Americas in Mexico City, sensational trial winner KVN Diva figures to daylight seven other juveniles in a regional John Deere Hipodromo Juvenile Challenge finals.

The winners of both aforementioned races earn berths to their respective finals on Bank of America Challenge Championship night October 22 at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville, Indiana.

AQHA Wyoming Distance Challenge

In a race where four horses will likely dominate the wagering, I give Mahoney N Tacklebery the edge over Dance The Dust Off. Other threats are Grey Handsome and Kaul Me Dashetta.

Mahoney N Tacklebery has a post position advantage over Dance The Dust Off on Saturday, as he is breaking from Post 5 compared to his opponent's tougher No. 7 post over the 7/8-mile oval.

When dropping a 1-length decision to Dance The Dust Off in the faster of two trials, Mahoney N Tacklebery was drawn in Post 4 outside his rival who had the Post 3 draw.

Mahoney N Tacklebery also has a class advantage, having earned $231,570 while posting 14 wins from 38 lifetime starts. In 2021, Mahoney N Tacklebery won six of eight starts in 2021 and was undefeated in two trips over the Wyoming Downs oval last year.

Dance The Dust Off scored a 1-length trial victory while earning the fastest qualifying clocking of :45.44. He was fifth in last year's Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship (G1) at Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was poorly drawn in Post 7.

With Grey Handsome in Post 2 and Kaul Me Dashetta in Post 4, Dance The Dust Off needs to avoid losing too much ground from his tougher outside draw.

Grey Handsome won his trial in :45.80, which is 2 1/4 lengths slower than Dance The Dust Off ran. Kaul Me Dashetta was 2 1/2 lengths behind Dance the Dust Off in a third-place trial effort and has only one win in 15 starts.

John Deere Hipodromo Juvenile Challenge

KVN Diva looked like a future star with a devastating 3 3/4-length trial win accomplished in a rapid :17.59 for 350 yards. Prior trial winner and finalist Dream On Tres ran 2 3/4 lengths slower in :17.99.

By 2017 Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1) winner and champion KVN Corona, KVN Diva covered the ground with terrific strides under a hand ride. Send Me Anytime, trial runner-up behind KVN Diva, is likely to complete the exacta. Send Me Anywhere broke poorly and finished with good interest while no threat versus KVN Diva.

Send Me Anywhere's dam is Jess Send Me, runner-up in the 2011 All American Futurity (G1) and the dam of runners that include Jess Macho Corona ($672,061).

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