Volcoms Favorite, ridden by Irwin Rosendo, wins $115,000 Lip Chip LLC Distance Challenge Championship [G1] at the Downs at Albuquerque on Saturday.

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ALBUQUERQUE, NM–OCTOBER 26, 2024–From a field full of heavy hitters, the top two Volcoms, Favorite and Kj Leader Of the Pack, went back and forth for the lead to the wire. The favorite, Volcoms Favorite, came out on top for the win in the $115,000 Lip Chip LLC Distance Challenge Championship [G1] at the Downs at Albuquerque on Saturday.

Volcoms Favorite placed third in last year's AQHA Distance Challenge Championship Stakes [G1] to The Grand Legend and O Donavan Rossa.

Irwin Rosendo led Volcoms Favorite to victory this year in 44.595 seconds, clocking a 98-speed index. The five-year-old gelding was favored to win by only a little over Kj Leader Of the Pack and O Donavan Rossa.

Volcoms Favorite's victory paid $6.00 to win on 2/1 odds. Kj Leader Ofthe Pack and O Donavan Rossa both went off at 5/2 odds, paying $3.20 to place and $2.40 to show, respectively.

Kj Leader Ofthe Pack, ridden by Adrian Ramos, was denied at the wire for second while O Donovan Rossa and rider Noe Garcia, Jr. finished third 1 1/4-lengths back.

The winning connections of Volcoms Favorite accept the $118,975 Lip Chip LLC Distance Challenge Championship [G1] trophy at The Downs At Albuquerque on Saturday.
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Volcoms Favorite has won his last two starts at Downs at Albuquerque, scoring back-to-back stakes victories. He won the Albuquerque Downs Lip Chip Distance Challenge [G2] in September, earning a spot in tonight's race. The $57,108 winner's share of the purse brought his total bankroll to $202,783 for owner Nove Racing, LLC.

Trained by J.J. Gonzalez, III, Volcoms Favorite placed third in this year's Pauls Valley Stakes [G2], SLM Big Daddy Stakes [G2], Let "Er Rip Lip Chip Stakes and was a finalist in the Remington Park Distance Championship Stakes [G1].

George Mitchell, III bred Volcoms Favorite from the Volcom mare Volcoms Delight, who is a full sister to All American Futurity [G1] winner Jm Miracle. Volcoms Favorite is a half-brother to multiple Grade 3 winner Delight Interest.

Trainer Wes Giles saddled runner-up Kj Leader Ofthe Pack for owners John and Kathy Lee and Ruben Mares. The four-time winning son of Jess Good Candy placed second to Volcoms Favorite in the Downs at Albuquerque Lip Chip LLC Distance Challenge Stakes [G2] in September.

L&I Land & Cattle bred Kj Leader Ofthe Pack in Arizona out of Tres Veses by Tres Seis.

O Donovan Rossa, a seven-time stakes winner, began the season with two impressive victories: the Pauls Valley Stakes [G2] and the Remington Park Distance Challenge [G2]. However, he has yet to secure any wins since then. The son of Apollitical Jess finished third in the Remington Park Distance Championship Stakes [G1], placed fourth in the Will Rogers Distance Challenge Stakes [G3], and was a finalist in the Bill Reed Memorial Stakes.

Dee Keener trains the six-year-old gelding for owner Kelly Yother Equine, LLC. O Donovan Rossa has lit the board 25 of 41 starts with 12 victories and $348,683 in the bank. He was bred in Oklahoma by J. Garvan Kelly out of the Country Chicks Man mare Shanachee.

Markus Aurelius, Dance The Dust Off, Fl Rizzo, Ocean Voyage, and Big Lew Love complete the order of finish.