Q-Racing Journal October 28, 2012
The $161,000 winner’s share is the richest career victory for Rylees Boy, and his record now stands at 42-20-9-5 with earnings of $946,166.
Two of the top older American Quarter Horses squared off in the $353,500 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1), and in the shadow of the wire Rylees Boy outfinished Llano Teller to take the richest event of the Bank of America Challenge Championships at Prairie Meadows on Saturday night. The 7-year-old Heza Motor Scooter gelding, ridden by Ramon Sanchez for trainer Paul Jones, closed with a rush from post 9 to run down Llano Teller and jockey G.R. Carter Jr., who had opened up an early half-length lead. Rylees Boy hit the wire a half-length in front in :21.508 for 440 yards. Owned by Lorena Velazquez Rodriguez of Surprise, Arizona, Rylees Boy broke through to win the race that had eluded him for the past three years. He finished third in the 2009 edition of the Bank of America Challenge Championship at Los Alamitos, second in the 2010 running at Fair Grounds and second again last year at Los Alamitos. The $161,000 winner’s share is the richest career victory for Rylees Boy, and his record now stands at 42-20-9-5 with earnings of $946,166. Rylees Boy was bred in Arizona by Gary Nesbitt out of the Rocky Jones mare Pipistrelle. “All he needed was a clean trip,” said Sanchez. “At Los Al (in the Go Man Go Handicap), he got caught up in the gate and then bumped and we had no chance. He broke so well tonight; I knew he would get to the wire.” John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship Heroes Heart again proved her affinity for Prairie Meadows as the Valiant Hero filly took the $150,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) for her third win in as many starts at the Iowa track. Stormy Smith rode for trainer Charlton Hunt and traveled 350 yards in :17.488 to win by three-quarters of a length as the 5-2 favorite. Bred in Texas by Todd and Jodi Horton and owned by their Horton Racing LLC, Heroes Heart earned her maiden win in a trial for the John Deere Prairie Meadows Juvenile Challenge and then came back to win the final on September 15. Her third consecutive victory was worth $69,000 and increased her lifetime earnings to $99,299. Heroes Heart is out of the Sixarun mare Sweethearts Quicksix, who is also the dam of the Horton's 2008 Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1) winner Snow Burn, by This Snow Is Royal. Adequan Derby Challenge Championship In late May of this year, Ultimate Wave had made only two career starts and banked less than $500 without hitting the board. Some five months later, the Wave Carver colt is now a multiple stakes winner with a six-figure bankroll after blitzing the field in the $200,000 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G1) at Prairie Meadows. Bet down to be the 6-5 favorite, Ultimate Wave and jockey Esgar Ramirez broke from post five and quickly took command before hitting the wire 1 ¾ lengths in front with a 400-yard time of :19.563. Jorge Miranda trains the Texas-bred for owner Junior’s Quarter Horses Inc. A veteran of only five career starts, Ultimate Wave broke his maiden in a trial to the Adequan Arapahoe Derby Challenge and then came by to win the final by 2 ¼ lengths. His three victories in the Challenge program have earned him more than $115,000. “He didn’t break that sharp, but 40 yards into the race he really picked it up,” said Ramirez. “I had never ridden him before, but the trainer told me to get a clean trip and that he would try hard for me.” Merial Distaff Challenge Championship Even-money favorite Fredaville came rolling late on the outside of the track to score in the $125,000 Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1) at Prairie Meadows. The Robert Gentry homebred, who finished second in last year’s edition of the race at Los Alamitos, won by three-parts of a length with G.R. Carter Jr. aboard for trainer Cody Joiner. The Oklahoma-bred daughter of Mr Jess Perry covered 400 yards in :19.980 from post nine. “She ran a really good race tonight,” said Carter. “We liked the post and she had a really big finish. This mare has the heart of a champion. I hope this win is enough to lock up champion older mare honors.” This marked the seventh career stakes win and first Grade 1 victory for Fredaville, who is a full sister to champion and two-time Grade 1 winner Fredricksburg out of the Dash For Cash mare Fearless Freda. Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship Fresh off a track record-setting performance in the Red Cell Lone Star Distance Challenge in Texas, Diane Heath’s All About Larry put on an encore performance at Prairie Meadows in the $125,000 Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship (G1) to kick off the six featured events in the Bank of America Racing Challenge Championships. The 5-year-old gelding by Heza Motor Scooter covered 870 yards in :44.581 to set a new standard at the Iowa track as he rolled to victory by 5 ¼ lengths with a 109 speed index. L. Salvador Martinez rode the Arizona-bred for trainer John Stinebaugh. “He’s a monster,” said the trainer. “The others were pushing and shoving and trying to save ground, but nobody can catch this horse.”
Pfizer Starter Allowance Challenge Championship
The Bank of America Racing Challenge Championships at Prairie Meadows came to a close on Saturday night with a victory by Senor Fish in the $75,000 Pfizer Starter Allowance Challenge Championship. The Fishers Dash gelding prevailed by a head over JA Sundance with Jose Montoya aboard for owner Miguel Banuelos and trainer Jose Aguilera. The 4-year-old covered 350 yards in :17.644 and returned $13.60 for a $2 win ticket. Senor Fish, bred in Oklahoma by Newcomb Cattle Co., was claimed for $5,000 by Banuelos in June 2011 and since then has won seven races, including his last three at Prairie Meadows. The gray has been remarkably consistent this season with a record of 8-6-1-1, including a third in the Fair Meadows Maturity. This victory was worth $34,500 and boosted his career bankroll to $115,674.
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