Rocketair faces tough rivals in Challenge Championship
The $1 million Bank of America Challenge Championship program returns to Lone Star Park near Dallas for the first time since 2006 on Saturday night. The card of six major stakes for Quarter Horses culminates with the Grade 1, $353,500 Challenge Championship, which drew a competitive cast that includes South American champion Jake Gold Br, New Mexico invader Rocketair, and recent Grade 2 winners Daytona B, Wagon Full of Gold, and Diamonds Edge.
The fields for the Challenge Championship races are determined by finishes in designated races held each year at tracks in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America. Lone Star has hosted the traveling finals in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2006, according to the track’s director of racing, Bart Lang.
As part of the Challenge Championship card, the American Quarter Horse Association will have a number of fan-education representatives on hand at Lone Star.
KEY CONTENDERS
Rocketair
◗ He enters the Challenge Championship, for 3-year-olds and up over the classic distance of 440 yards, off a series of starts in New Mexico. In his most recent out, he was fourth, beaten a length, in the $200,000 Fall Championship on Sept. 27 at Albuquerque. The winner of the race, Jrc Callas First, is the reigning world champion Quarter Horse.
◗ Rocketair also made a pair of starts at Ruidoso while in New Mexico and was beaten less than a length in both when fifth in the Grade 1 All American Gold Cup and third in the Grade 3 Mr. Jet Moore. The winner of the Mr. Jet Moore, Streak Hitter, was to start as a top contender in a Zia Park stakes on Saturday.
◗ Clinton Crawford trains Rocketair for Karen and Preston Cloud. Ivan Carnero has the mount from post 9.
Jake Gold Br
◗ The Brazilian-bred invades off a Los Alamitos stakes win Aug. 16, a race in which he was returning to the 440-yard distance for the first time in close to a year. Earlier in his career, Jake Gold Br won the South America Championship Challenge at 440 yards. He dominated by a length in February 2014.
◗ Jake Gold Br has spent the year racing at Los Alamitos and has had some run-ins with Moonist, finishing third and fourth to the top-ranked older Quarter Horse in races in May and June.
◗ Cesar DeAlba has the mount for trainer Paul Jones.
Daytona B
◗ The winner of last year’s Derby Challenge Championship at Prairie Meadows, he has gone 3 for 5 this season, with two of his wins coming at 440 yards.
◗ Daytona B accounted for the Grade 2 Challenge Championship qualifier at Sam Houston in his most recent start April 18.
◗ In preparation for his return, Daytona B has been working at Lone Star.