Challenge


Longshot Apolinaria Prize Wins Grade 2 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship
Apolinaria Prize, under jockey Cesar Moreno (yellow cap), defeats Lil Longmire (#10) and Scoops Dynasty (#3) in the $130,625 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) at Albuquerque Downs.

© Coady Phtography
Longshot Apolinaria Prize Wins Grade 2 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship

Q-RACING—OCTOBER 23, 2021—Juan Manuel Marquez's Apolinaria Prize, an 8-1 longshot in a field of 10 2-year-olds, led at every call en route to a neck victory in Saturday's $130,625 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) at Albuquerque Downs.

Ridden by Cesar Moreno for trainer Jose Rosales Gomez, Apolinaria Prize covered 350 yards in :17.298 while recording a 96 speed index. The bay daughter of the Corona Cartel stallion Fast Prize Cartel also banked $60,087 from her second career stakes win and first graded stakes victory.

Apolinaria Prize was bred in California by Enrique Gonzalez's EG High Desert Farms LLC. The filly is out of SS Calendar Girl, an 11-year-old daughter of the Fishers Dash stallion Finding Nemo who won the 2013 Speedhorse Derby (G3) at Fair Meadows at Tulsa.

 

AQHA EC member Jeff Tebow and AQHA CRO Janet VanBebber present the winning connections of Apolinaria Prize the John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship trophy Saturday night at The Downs at Albuquerque.
© Coady Photography
Her second dam, the Mr Jess Perry mare First Prize Robin, won the '06 Remington Park Futurity (G1).

Raced in three states, including Oregon and Washington, Apolinaria Prize has won four of six outs -- including the August 22, $51,000 John Deere Emerald Downs Juvenile Challenge -- and she has earned $98,925.

Lil Longmire, a daughter of leading first-crop sire A Revenant, ran second for owner Ben Peterson and trainer Riley Moosman. Bred by Spencer Peterson, from the Carters Cartel mare Dee Zired, Lil Longmire picked up $21,125 to double her bankroll to $53,045. Jesus Valenzuela had the riding call aboard the Utah-bred filly.

Monty Arrossa trained Scoops Dynasty finished a nose back in the blanket-finish to pickup $13,063 for third. Edward McNelis and Von Zee McNelis are the owner-breeders of the Idaho-bred FDD Dynasty gelding out of Bye Sweet Girl by Dashin Bye. Scoops Dynasty has earned $39,238 in four career starts. Jose Nicasio had the riding call.

Here Comes Candy, Awesome View, De Laurentis, Kas Shes EC, Deutsch, Fly Donna Fly and Viva Le Zoom completed the field.

 

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Look for complete coverage of the Bank of America Challenge Championships at AQHA's website and on racing social media.