Challenge


Stimulus Wins Big in Bank of America Challenge Championship
Stimulus, under champion jockey G.R. Carter, Jr., winning the $357,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) at Prairie Meadows Saturday night.

© Coady Photography / Jack Coady
Stimulus Wins Big in Bank of America Challenge Championship

Q-RACING JOURNAL—OCTOBER 18, 2014— The biggest race of the Challenge Championships on Saturday night at Prairie Meadows might have produced the biggest effort, as Jerry Windham’s homebred Stimulus rolled to a decisive two-length victory in the $357,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) at odds of 7-1.

Ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo and trained by Charley Hunt, the Texas-bred gelding broke well from post 11in the 12-horse field and went on to a powerful win in a quick :21.283 for 440 yards.

It took some time for the son of Mr Jess Perry to find his stride as a racehorse, but now he appears to be at the top of his game after his fourth win in six starts this year. Stimulus needed five tries to break his maiden, with that win coming last year as a 3-year-old at Lone Star Park. Since then he has hit the board in eight consecutive races with three stakes wins, including the Bank of America Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge (G2) that made him eligible for this race.

"We didn't even try to run him as a 2-year-old," said Windham. "It took a while for him to come around as a 3-year-old, but here we are. His first race at Prairie Meadows wasn't great but his second one was fantastic, and he ran a beautiful race tonight."

This latest victory also earned him a berth in the $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1) to be run December 13 at Los Alamitos.

"I said I wouldn't do it; it’s tough to go from here to there in a few weeks," said Windham about shipping the horse to California. "But I'm going to have to think about it."

Stimulus is a half- brother to All American Futurity (G1) winner Stolis Winner, who at retirement was American Quarter Horse racing’s all-time leading earner with a bankroll of $2,235,161 for Windham. Both are out of Windham’s Runaway Winner mare Veva Jean, who also produced this year’s Rainbow Futurity (G1) winner Trendi, a sister to Stolis Winner.

"She's an unbelievably good mare," said Windham. "Her colts are tough; they're just tough."

Joe Williams’ homebred River Wind, the longest shot in the field at odds of 54-1, got up for second with Stormy Smith aboard for conditioner Michelle Hurdle. The Oklahoma-bred gelding by Furyofthewind didn’t finish his last race at Prairie Meadows after stumbling at the start and losing his rider, but he ran a strong second earlier in the year in the Bank of America Remington Championship Challenge (G2).

Rancho Los Dos Potrillos LLC’s Testing The Ice, who came in from New Mexico, closed fast to take third with Roberto Valero in the saddle for trainer Mario Sanchez. The gelding is by world champion sire Stoli.

Completing the field were All Out Arrogant, New Look, Chicks Special Angel, Jesscuzican, Specials Gold, Dash Master Jess, Jake Gold Br, Vodka With Ice and Joltin Jess.

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