Will Rogers Downs will showcase four major American Quarter Horse Association Challenge races on Sunday's card.

© Jack Coady Photography

By Stallionesearch / Louanne Wainscott

CLAREMORE, OK–SEPTEMBER 26, 2025–Sunday afternoon’s card at Will Rogers Downs will showcase four major American Quarter Horse Association Challenge races, each offering added purse money and coveted berths into the national finals at Albuquerque on October 18. The action runs from races seven through ten, highlighted by the $20,000-added (G3) AQHA Distance Challenge, the $20,000-added (G3) Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge, the $30,000-added Adequan Derby Challenge, and the $30,000-added John Deere Juvenile Challenge.

The Distance Challenge Finals will cover 870 yards with a post time of approximately 3:30 PM.

The 8-5 morning-line favorite, Fl Rizzo, enters in top form after three straight victories at the hook, including the $50,000 Remington Park Distance Challenge Championship and the $15,000 Walter Merrick Stakes.

The five-year-old gelding has six wins from fourteen starts and earnings of $104,873. A homebred for Lindley and Julia Myers of Washington, Fl Rizzo is by KVN Corona out of Fly Reba Fly (Fly Jess Fly). He is trained by Matt Whitekiller and will break from post four under Gonzalo Gutierrez.

Challenging him is Rock Ya Later (7-2), a consistent gelding who has run second in the $50,000 (G3) Governor’s Cup Marathon Stakes and the $44,000 San Marcos Stakes, and finished third in this very race a year ago.

The son of Rock Solid Jess out of Dosvedanya (Separatist) was bred in Texas by Melissa L. Slayton and races for Rockin J Running Horses. He has five wins, five seconds, and career earnings of $205,424. Travis Cunningham will ride from post two.

The winner earns the purse, the trophy buckle, and a berth into the October 18 Challenge Championships at Albuquerque Downs.

The Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Finals will be contested at 400 yards with a scheduled post of 3:55 PM.

The favorite at 8-5 is Alliekat Dynasty, winner of the $75,000 (G2) Easy Date Stakes earlier this year and runner-up in the $100,000 (G1) Juno Request Stakes. With nine wins from sixteen starts and earnings of $320,967, the daughter of FDD Dynasty out of Pollitical Scorpion (Apollitical Jess) returns fresh after a brief layoff. Bred by Arrowhead Racing, she is trained by Jesus Ruben Ruiz and will be ridden by Roman Cruz from post three.

Her main rival is Sunday Sylence (7-2), a mare by Ivory James out of Featuring Jessie (Feature Mr Jess). She has five career victories and earnings of $198,455, finishing second in the $35,000 Gillespie County Oaks and third in the $68,000 (G3) King Williams Stakes in her last two starts. Bred in Louisiana by Bobby D. Cox, Sunday Sylence is trained by Heber Deyta-Melendez and will be ridden by Juan Pulido from post two.

The winner secures a berth in the Distaff Challenge Championships at Albuquerque.

The Adequan Derby Challenge Finals will feature the ten fastest qualifiers from the September 9 trials, covering 400 yards with a post time of 4:20 PM.

The fastest qualifier, Four Sweet Kid (3-1), comes off a strong trial win and a prior score in the $60,000 AQRA Arizona Bred Derby. With five wins and two seconds from nine starts, the gelding has banked $114,285. By One Sweet Jess out of Loud Little Kid (Kiddy Up), he was bred and is raced by Jose Aguilar Mendoza of Arizona. Trained by Diego Cervantes, he will be ridden by Oscar Andrade, Jr.

His main challenger is Razor Hawk Cartel (7-2), a four-time winner with career earnings of $81,818. By Corona Cartel out of And Poof Shes Gone (Stoli), the Arkansas-bred gelding was a $35,000 Heritage Place purchase for Angelica Brizuela. He is trained by Heber Deyta-Melendez and will break from post six with Nestor Duran in the irons.

The winner advances to the Adequan Derby Challenge Championships in Albuquerque.

Closing the card is the John Deere Juvenile Challenge Finals, also at 400 yards, with a post time of approximately 4:45 PM.

The 5-2 morning-line favorite is Kowboy Boogie, who broke his maiden impressively in the trials by 2 ¼ lengths while setting the fastest qualifying time. The gelding, by Flying Cowboy 123 out of Hot Lips Lupita (Capo de Capi), was bred in New Mexico by Carrol A. Durbin and races as a homebred for trainer-owner Kenneth Durbin. He will break from the far outside in post ten under Bryan Candanosa.

Second choice I Am a Cowgirl (3-1) finished runner-up to Kowboy Boogie in the trials but brings stakes experience, having qualified for the $177,000 (G3) Speedhorse Futurity earlier this season. The filly, by Flying Cowboy 123 out of Black Veil (Favorite Cartel), was bred in Missouri by Barley and Sharp Farm and races for owner Brant Barley. Trained by Josue Jacob Garcia, she will be ridden by Juan Pulido from post six.

The winner earns the purse and a berth in the John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship at Albuquerque.

The Will Rogers Downs races can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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