Challenge


Kr Hi Five is Prompt Favorite in John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship
Kr Hi Five earned his second stakes win in Saturday's John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship.

© Scott Martinez
Kr Hi Five is Prompt Favorite in John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 17, 2018—Sent to post as the 7-5 favorite in a field of nine 2-year-olds, Kr Hi Five responded with a three-quarter length victory in Saturday's 350-yard, $125,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) at Los Alamitos Racecourse.

Kr Hi Five stopped the timer in :17.670 and recorded a 92 speed index under jockey Jose Nicasio. Jaime Gomez saddled the homebred gray son of leading first-crop sire Five Bar Cartel for owners Dave and Sally Kidd.

The winning connections of Kr Hi Five accept the John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship stakes trophy Saturday at Los Alamitos Race Course. © Scott Martinez
Kr Hi Five was bred in Colorado, and he was extending his win streak to four races. On October 28, the gelding earned his first stakes win with a half-length victory in the 350-yard, $136,000 Wild West Futurity at Los Alamitos.

Kr Hi Five is out of I Bee Phia, a homebred daughter of Mr Eye Opener. Raced in California and Utah, the gelding has won five of seven starts, and the $57,500 winner's share of the John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship purse pushed his bankroll to $129,636.

Stevieb Flashofcash ran second for owner Five Livestock Company LLC and trainer Monty Arrossa. Jockey Cesar DeAlba rode the son of champion sire First Moonflash from the Proudest Effort mare Lds Good Doin Gracie. Bred in Utah by Two Feathers Series LLC, the sorrel gelding picked up $25,000 for the effort to boost his earnings total to nearly $40,000.

Allyson Wonderland and Jess Send It earned $10,625 each for dead-heating for third in the Juvenile Championship.

Paul Jones saddled Allyson Wonderland, a daughter of leading sire Apollitical Jess, for owner/breeder Blaine Bateman. The stakes winning filly, from the Corona Cartel mare Just A Fairytale, has earned $42,088 this season. Jesus Ayala was riding.

Also trained by Jones, Jess Send It is a stakes winning daughter of leading sire Corona Cartel out of Jess Send Me by Feature Mr Jess. Jockey Ramon Sanchez was aboard the $57,356 earner for owner Keith Nellesen. Turner Farms is the breeder.

Singles Cruise, Loan Sharky, Chasin Harm, Maghelene, and Fames Prize Stone. Capitol Grille was listed by Equibase as a veterinarian scratch.