The five AQHA Racing Challenge Championships will be hosted at the Downs at Albuquerque on Saturday.

© AQHA Racing Challenge

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–OCTOBER 24, 2024–All eyes of the American Quarter Horse racing world will be fixed on New Mexico this Saturday, as Albuquerque Downs Racetrack will host the 32nd AQHA Challenge Championships.

Post time for the first race on the 10-race all-stakes program is set for 6:05 p.m. (MDT)

The five Challenge Championship races will be contested in order from races 6-10. Following is a preview of all Challenge Championship races, listed in the order they will be run.

Lip Chip LLC Distance Challenge Championship (G1)

Eight distance specialists are entered in Saturday’s 870-yard, $115,000 Lip Chip LLC Distance Challenge Championship (G1).

Markus Aurelius, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, won two of his four starts during the Remington Park spring meet, including the June 1, $50,000 Remington Distance Championship (G1). Kenneth Durbin trains the homebred 4-year-old son of the Eddington (TB) stallion Secret Circle (TB) for owners Bobby Simmons and Catherine Simmons.

Markus Aurelius drew post two and will be ridden by Daniel Torres.

Nove Racing’s Volcoms Favorite prepped for this race with a three-quarter length victory in the September 21, 870-yard Lip Chip LLC Albuquerque Distance Challenge (G3). James Gonzales III trains the 5-year-old Jess Good Candy gelding.

Volcoms Favorite drew post four and will be ridden by Irwin Rosendo.

Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Championship (G1)

Martin Stacy’s Curls Joyful Wagon brings a three-race win streak into Saturday’s 400-yard, $115,000 Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Championship (G1) for fillies and mares.

A homebred 4-year-old Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare, Curls Joyful Wagon, will be making her first career start at Albuquerque Downs. However, she is coming off of a half-length victory as the 13-10 favorite in the September 28, $40,000 Cox Ranch Lone Star Distaff Challenge at Lone Star Park.

Curls Joyful Wagon drew post six and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr. for trainer John Stinebaugh.

Lynnder, 16, an 8-year-old daughter of world champion Apollitical Jess racing for Tom Maher and Bill Maher and trained by Jason Olmstead, drew post ten and will be ridden by Ramiro Garcia. Lynnder 16 has won 23 of her 43 starts and has earned $908,388, and she’s coming off of victories in the August 18, $34,000 Cox Ranch Prairie Meadows Distaff Challenge, and September 29, $29,000 Cox Ranch Will Rogers Distaff Challenge.

John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2)

Ten 2-year-olds are entered in Saturday’s 350-yard, $140,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2).

Brian Levings’ Bottle It Up, a homebred son of Tempting Dash trained by Monty Arrossa, ships in from Los Alamitos, where he ran fourth, two lengths behind winner Up To Party, in the 350-yard, $285,000 PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity (G2) on September 15. The Oklahoma-bred gelding drew post five and will be ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala.

Arrossa will also send out Apollitical Bet, a homebred Apollitical Blood gelding racing for Kaye Russell. Apollitical Bet brings in a three-race win streak from California that includes a a half-length victory in the 350-yard, $66,000 John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge on August 10 against a field that included Wild West Futurity (RG3) fastest qualifier Heartlande.

Apollitical Bet drew the rail post and will be ridden by Armando Cervantes.

Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3)
William F. Harned’s Mystic Paint heads a field of eight sophomores entered in Saturday’s 400-yard, $165,000 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3).

Mystic Paint is coming off of a one-length win in the 400-yard, $61,000 Adequan Will Rogers Derby Challenge on September 29. The Pyc Paint Your Wagon colt has earned $188,946 from seven races this year, and his season record includes a second-place finish, 1 3/4 lengths behind winner The Marksman V, in the 400-yard, $833,000 Ruidoso Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs in June.

Mystic Paint drew post seven and will be ridden by Ramiro Garcia for trainer Jason Olmstead.

Trainer William Leech will send out two qualifiers from Canada, including Pretty Sweet Jess. A sorrel daughter of One Sweet Jess owned by Jerry Stojan, the filly will be making her first start south of the border. However, she boasts an eight-race win streak that includes a three-quarter length victory in Canada’s richest Quarter Horse race, last year’s 400-yard, $76,801(US) Canada Cup Futurity (RG3), and a one-length win in the October 5, $24,988 Canada Cup Derby (R) at Century Downs near Calgary.

Pretty Sweet Jess drew post two and will be ridden by Ricardo Moreno.

AQHA Challenge Championship (G1)

Bella Vista Farms’ A Tres Of Eagle and Ruse Ranch’s Pops First Lady head a field of eight aged runners entered in Saturday’s 440-yard, $265,000 AQHA Challenge Championship (G1).

A 5-year-old son of One Fabulous Eagle, A Tres Of Eagle will be stretching out in distance off of his half-length victory in a 400-yard, $20,000 open-condition allowance dash at Lone Star Park on October 4. At Remington Park last spring, the bay gelding scored a neck win in the 440-yard, $60,000 AQHA Remington Championship Challenge (G2), and he ran third, 1 1/4 lengths behind winner The Swamp, in the 400-yard, $60,000 Leo Stakes (G1).

A Tres Of Eagle ended his 4-year-old campaign with a third-place finish in the sport’s richest and most prestigious race for older horses, the December 9, $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos. The gelding drew post two and will be ridden by Jhaciel Soto for trainer Eddie Lee Willis.

The only mare in the field, Pops First Lady is a 6-year-old daughter of Apollitical Jess trained by Lee Gutierrez. Pops First Lady will be making her first official start since August 16, when she scored a three-quarter length victory in the 440-yard, $61,000 AQHA Retama Championship Challenge (G3) at Retama Park.

Pops First Lady drew post seven and will be ridden by Nestor Duran.

The five other stakes scheduled for Saturday at Albuquerque Downs are the 870-yard, $40,000 Sandia Stakes for 3-year-olds and older; the 400-yard, $40,000 Lobo Derby for 3-year-olds; the 350-yard, $40,000 Albuquerque Juvenile Stakes for 2-year-olds; 400-yard, $40,000 Downs Fall Distaff Stakes for fillies and mares; and the 440-yard, $40,000 Casino at The Downs Stakes for 3-year-olds and older.

CLICK HERE to view the 2024 StallioneSearch AQHA Challenge Championship's Preview.

All Albuquerque Downs races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.