Sam Houston: Stolis Winner faces Acorn in Texas Challenge Championship

Stolis Winner, the all-time richest Quarter Horse, will meet recent Grade 1 winner Acorn in the Grade 2, $100,000 Bank of America Texas Challenge Championship at 440 yards Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park.

On the line is a berth in the Challenge Championship at Los Alamitos on Oct. 29.

Acorn has won two stakes in his last two starts, the Grade 1 Challenge Championship Derby at Fair Grounds on Nov. 19, and the $140,000 Evangeline Downs Derby in his last start Dec. 10.

“This will be the first time he has attempted 440 yards,” said his trainer, Janet Van Bebber. “He’s coming off a brief rest, but is training well and doing great. I would have preferred to run him in trials, but he’s had two good works and likes the Sam Houston surface.”

Van Bebber won the 1,000th race of her training career on March 15 at Louisiana Downs.