LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 16, 2018—A pair of accomplished Grade 1 winners, BH Lisas Boy and Hold Air Hostage, are among the 11 sprinters entered in Saturday's 440-yard, $250,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) at Los Alamitos.

A homebred 6-year-old son of Mighty Invictus owned and trained by Bill Hoburg, BH Lisas Boy has been made the 2-1 morning-line favorite by track linemaker Ed Burgart. The gelding has won two graded stakes at Los Alamitos this year, the 400-yard, $157,000 Brad McKinzie Winter Championship (G1) in February, and the 440-yard, $50,000 Bank of America California Championship Challenge (G3) in August.

BH Lisas Boy has won 19 of 34 starts, including 10 of 19 at Los Alamitos, and he has earned $585,162. The gelding drew post 4 and will be ridden by Cesar DeAlba.

Hold Air Hostage was last year's champion 3-year-old. A 4-year-old Apollitical Jess gelding trained by Jaime Gomez for owner Darling Farms, Hold Air Hostage will be seeking his first win at Los Alamitos on Saturday.

Hold Air Hostage's season record includes a three-quarter length victory in the 400-yard, $100,000 Sooner State Stakes (RG1) for Oklahhoma-breds at Remington Park on May 5, and he ran second, one length behind two-time reigning world champion Jessies First Down, in the 440-yard, $250,000 Remington Park Invitational Championship (G1) on June 2. The gelding drew post 11 and will be ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo.

The winner of this race will earn a provisional berth in this year's Grade 1, 440-yard Champion of Champions. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. Arizona Icon (Erasmo Gasca), 20-1
2. Katies Easy Moves (Eduardo Nicasio), 3-1
3. Flyingforunclesam (Saul Ramirez Jr.), 20-1
4. BH Lisas Boy (Cesar DeAlba), 2-1
5. Bout Tree Fiddy (Carlos Huerta), 20-1
6. Kowboy Jim (Cody Jensen), 15-1
7. Jess A Cowboy (J. Martin Bourdieu), 12-1
8. Corona B Gone (Jesus Rios Ayala), 15-1
9. Faster Than Hasta (Roberto Valero), 15-1
10. Corona Jumpim MRL (Ramon Sanchez), 20-1
11. Hold Air Hostage (Rodrigo Vallejo), 5-2

Los Alamitos Racecourse will be giving commemorative belt buckles, free with paid admission, to the first 2,400 fans in attendance on Saturday. Also, Hall of Fame Thoroughbred jockey Mike Smith will be at the track to sign commemorative posters to benefit the Sam Thompson Memorial Foundation.

A preview of the other four Challenge Championship stakes follows:

Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3)

Kelly Perez's Mi Amor Secreto will make his Los Alamitos debut in this 400-yard, $150,000 stakes for 3-year-olds.

A chestnut son of The Louisiana Cartel trained by Edelmiro Carrizales, Mi Amor Secreto ships in from New Mexico, where the gelding qualified to his race with a three-quarter length win in the June 30, $68,000 Adequan Ruidoso Derby Challenge at Ruidoso Downs. Mi Amor Secreto drew post 3 and will be ridden by Santos Carrizales.

Other contenders include Walcott, a bay son of Tee Cos trained by Alejandro Chavez for owner Pedro Gutierrez Marquez. Walcott brings in a four-race win streak that includes a half-length victory in the 400-yard, $90,000 Mile High Derby at Arapahoe Park on August 12, and a neck score in the 400-yard, $123,000 Altoona Derby at Prairie Meadows on October 13.

Walcott drew post 7 and will be ridden by Mauro Salcedo.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. L Bar D Razle Dazle (Saul Ramirez Jr.), 12-1
2. Favorite Bling (Eduardo Nicasio), 8-1
3. Mi Amor Secreto (Santos Carrizales), 7-2
4. High Valley Girl (Roberto Valero), 20-1
5. SC Vapor Trail (Jesus Rios Ayala), 5-2
6. Vallero (Eddie Aceves), 20-1
7. Walcott (Mauro Salcedo), 7-2
8. Painted Dynasty (Cristian Esqueda), 8-1
9. Apollitical Approach (Ramon Sanchez), 20-1
10. Corona Ranger (Agustin Silva), 6-1

John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship

KR Hi Five, a homebred gray son of Five Bar Cartel owned by Dave and Sally Kidd, brings a three-race win streak into this 350-yard, $125,000 dash for 2-year-olds.

KR Hi Five has earned $72,136 from seven starts in California and Utah, and the gelding's four wins include a half-length victory in the 350-yard, $137,000 Wild West Futurity at Los Alamitos on October 28. KR Hi Five drew the rail post and will be ridden by Jose Nicasio for trainer Jaime Gomez.

Trainer Paul Jones will send out Singles Cruise, a graded stakes winner in Canada, for owners Barry and Janice Sather. A California-bred daughter of Favorite Cartel, Singles Cruise is coming off of a neck victory in the 400-yard, $74,000 Canada Cup Futurity (RG3) at Century Downs on October 21.

Singles Cruise drew post 2 and will be ridden by Saul Ramirez Jr.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. KR High Five (Jose Nicasio), 3-1
2. Singles Cruise (Saul Ramirez Jr.), 10-1
3. Fames Prize Stone (Eduardo Nicasio), 12-1
4. Maghelene (Cristian Esqueda), 8-1
5. Loan Sharky (Erasmo Gasca), 20-1
6. Stevieb Flashofcash (Cesar DeAlba), 6-1
7. Jess Send It (Ramon Sanchez), 5-2
8. Capitol Grille (Eddie S. Garcia), 8-1
9. Chasin Harm (Vinnie Bednar), 10-1
10. Allyson Wonderland (Jesus Rios Ayala), 10-1

Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship

Six 870-yard specialists, topped by morning-line favorite Mahoney N Tacklebery, have been entered in this $100,000 stakes.

Trained by Chris O'Dell for owner Ben Peterson, Mahoney N Tacklebery is a homebred 4-year-old son of Favorite Cartel. The Utah-bred sorrel gelding has won three 870 races this season, and his record includes a second-place finish, three-quarters of a length behind winner Zoomin Racer, in the 870-yard, $40,000-added AQHA Albuquerque Distance Challenge (G3) in July.

Mahoney N Tacklebery drew post 2 and will be ridden by Vinnie Bednar.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. Rare Ed (Justine Klaiber), 6-1
2. Mahoney N Tacklebery (Vinnie Bednar), 7-5
3. Glittering Blue (Eulices Gomez), 8-1
4. A Mere Icon (Edgar Orozco), 15-1
5. Hes A Bugin (Efrain Hernandez), 9-2
6. Mickey Ward (J. Martin Bourdieu), 2-1

AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship

Johnny Trotter's One Sweet Racy, a 4-year-old daughter of One Sweet Jess trained by Chris O'Dell, heads a field of 10 fillies and mares entered in this 400-yard, $100,000 race.

One Sweet Racy is coming off of a second-place finish, 1 1/2 lengths behind winner Jess Ravin, in the 400-yard, $125,000 Mildred N. Vessels Memorial Handicap (G1) on September 23. The mare has banked $60,156 from five outs this year.

One Sweet Racy drew post 5 and will be ridden by Eduardo Nicasio.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. Gold Diggin Queen (Roberto Valero), 20-1
2. Mary Paintyourwagon (Jorge Torres), 20-1
3. Corona Springs (Cristian Esqueda), 10-1
4. Glen Ellyn (Jesus Rios Ayala), 20-1
5. One Sweet Racy (Eduardo Nicasio), 1-1
6. Duck Dash N Go (Jose Nicasio), 7-2
7. Dahteste (Jonathan Roman), 15-1
8. Kono (Rodrigo Aceves), 20-1
9. One Hot Habit (Cody Jensen), 5-1
10. Tickle Ur Fancy (Saul Ramirez Jr., 12-1