Turf Paradise: Last call for Challenge

The two Challenge regional races at Turf Paradise on Sunday afternoon, the Grade 2, $66,870 MBNA America West/Southwest Challenge and the Grade 3, $40,050 American Airlines West Southwest Challenge, are the final opportunities for horses to qualify for the Challenge Championships at Los Alamitos on Nov. 1.

The winners of each race will qualify for their respective races in the Challenge Championships.

The MBNA America West/Southwest Challenge for older horses at 440 yards pits fastest qualifier Radium Rays against two-time Challenge Championship qualifier The Rush Gets To You.

Radium Rays, trained by Raul Hernandez, is after his first stakes win after winning one of two trials run on Sept. 27 in the fastest-qualifying time of 21.626 seconds for 440 yards.

The Rush Gets to You, trained by Clay Sparks, has seven career stakes wins, including the 2001 West/Southwest Challenge and the 2002 Mexico Challenge.

The American Airlines West/Southwest Challenge for 2-year-olds at 350 yards matches the top two qualifiers - fastest qualifier Classy Make N Money and second-fastest qualifier Kipas Special.

Classy Make N Money won his trial on Sept. 26 in 17.704 seconds for 350 yards.

Kipas Special won the Grade 3 Pot 'O Gold Futurity and the Elko Futurity.