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Three-Time Champion Rylees Boy Passed Away At The Age Of 18
Three-time champion Rylees Boy won 21 races and earned $1,417,264.

© Scott Martinez
Three-Time Champion Rylees Boy Passed Away At The Age Of 18

AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—Three-time champion Rylees Boy died March 17, 2023, at the age of 18.

Rylees Boy was bred by Gary D. Nesbitt of Tucson, Arizona, and was foaled in 2005, a bay son of Heza Motor Scooter and the Rocky Jones mare Pipistrelle.

He made his career debut in April 2007 at Turf Paradise, and competed in Arizona for his first 21 starts at Turf Paradise, Yavapai Downs and Rillito Park.

In October 2009, he won the Bank of America West/Southwest for owner Gerardo Ochoa-Pena, qualifying him to the $353,500 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1), where he finished third.

He then began to travel a little more, finishing a nose behind First Moonflash in the 2009 Championship at Sunland Park (G1), and then clipped off victories in four consecutive stakes, including the Bank of America Sunland Championship Challenge (G1), his first of four career Grade 1 victories.

In 2012 he was acquired by Lorena Velazquez Rodriguez and entered the barn of trainer Paul Jones, who guided him to win the 2012 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) and Champion of Champions (G1), and then capture the 2013 Los Alamitos Winter Championship (G1) and finish second in the Go Man Go Handicap (G1) and Champion of Champions (G1).

Rylees Boy would close his career with 55 starts, 21 wins and earnings of $1,417,264.

He was the sport’s champion aged gelding in 2011 and champion aged gelding and champion aged horse in 2012, honored as an AQHA Supreme Race Horse and set two track records.

Rylees Boy remains the all-time leading money earner in the Bank of America Racing Challenge program, with $578,214 of his career earnings coming from that program.

Leaving the racetrack in 2015, he spent his retirement years in luxury at Paul Jones’ ranch.

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