SCHVANEVELDT STRONG IN JOHN DEERE

The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal, October 28, 2009 - American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame trainer Blane Schvaneveldt is the standard by which all other American Quarter Horse trainers are measured. The master conditioner has the talented Hoist Mission in the $150,000 John Deere Racing Challenge Juvenile Championship (G2) during the Bank of America Challenge Championships on October 31 at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Schvaneveldt is well known for taking horses from the intermountain region and turning them into stakes winners at Los Alamitos, and Michael Isom’s Hoist Mission (Makenmoves-With Real Intent by Raise A Secret) fits this profile. The gelding made his first four starts on the Intermountain-Northwest circuits and responded with a win in the $106,000 Bitterroot Futurity (RG2) and a close second-place run in the $41,000 John Deere Northwest Juvenile Challenge (G3).

Hoist Mission joined Schvaneveldt’s barn at Los Alamitos, and he comes off a half-length victory in the Autumn Handicap in which he overcame a troubled start to win in :17.438 for 350 yards.

Jorge Carmora’s Corona Street (Teller Cartel-Bourbonstreetchick by Chicks Beduino) has also been sharp at Los Alamitos. The Danny Montes-trained filly has a maiden win and a victory in the John Deere California Juvenile Challenge in her latest three outs. She got a superb start in the John Deere Juvenile Challenge and rolled to a 1-length win as a 13-1 outsider.

Micah Leslie and Link Newcomb’s Miss Eye Stocks (Mr Eye Opener-Miss Stocks N Bonds by Bully Bullion) was second behind Corona Street in the John Deere California Juvenile Challenge at 5-2 odds. She then came back for trainer Dan Francisco to win her PCQHRA Breeders Futurity (G1) trial and finish a troubled sixth in the PCQHRA Futurity after being bumped at the start.

The Bank of America Racing Challenge began in 1993 and since that time has distributed more than $52 million to breeders and owners of racing American Quarter Horses. 2009 marks the 17th year of the program with 71 regional, championship and undercard races. There is $5 million in total purses and awards for 2009, thanks to corporate partners, host tracks, horsemen and the Bank of America Racing Challenge Purse Fund.

The Bank of America Racing Challenge was created to increase racing opportunities for older racing American Quarter Horses, but the benefit of nominating is often seen in the sale ring where Challenge-enrolled horses have historically brought more money. The Bank of America Racing Challenge is the richest and most successful program in American Quarter Horse racing today – a championship series developed for the “World’s Fastest Horse.”

The Bank of America Racing Challenge will culminate with the six Challenge Championship races and six undercard Challenge stakes races on Saturday, October 31, at Los Alamitos Race Course in Los Alamitos, California. To learn more about the Bank of America Racing Challenge, visit racing.aqha.com/racing/challenge/index.aspx.