870 stars clash

Quarter Horse stars Snowbound Superstar and Gone to the Mountain will meet for the first time Sunday in the $37,620 Red Cell Distance Challenge at Remington Park. Snowbound Superstar has won his last 13 races, and Gone to the Mountain set a world record in his last race. Neither horse has been beaten at the race's 870-yard distance.

The Red Cell is one of three divisional Quarter Horse stakes at Remington on Sunday, with the winner of each to earn a berth into the Challenge Championships program of stakes at Los Alamitos on Oct. 31.

Gone to the Mountain won the New Mexico Distance Challenge at Sunland Park in his last start, covering 870 yards in a world-record time of 43.02 seconds. He will break from the rail under Freddie Martinez. Gone to the Mountain is trained by Wesley Giles.

Snowbound Superstar, a two-time distance champion, drew post 3. Coby Jensen has the mount for trainer Paul Jones.

Also on the card, Illegal Memories looks like a top contender in the Grade 1, $104,760 Bank of America Oklahoma Challenge Championship at 440-yards. A Grade 1 winner of $608,233, he is trained by Heath Taylor and will be ridden by G.R. Carter Jr. The winner earns a berth into the Grade 1, $350,000 Challenge Championship at Los Alamitos.

Louisiana Downs opening Friday

Louisiana Downs near Shreveport, La., will open its Thoroughbred meet on Friday. It will continue through Oct. 4. The meet's richest race, the Grade 2, $750,000 Super Derby, will be run Sept. 19.

Jorge Lara is the defending trainer champ, while last year's leading rider was Don Simington. Entries for the first card will be taken on Tuesday.