Fastest qualifier West Southwest has been set at 2-1 as the morning line favorite in Friday's 40,766(CAN) John Deere Juvenile Challenge at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino.

© Coady Photography Ltd.

By StallioneSearch

EDMONTON, ONT–JULY 18, 2025–A field of promising two-year-old Quarter Horses will line up for the $40,766(CAN) John Deere Juvenile Challenge at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino on Friday, July 18, going 350 yards in the second race of the evening.

First post is 5:15 p.m. (MDT) with Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta wagering available on the feature.

The headliner is West Southwest (2-1), a California-bred filly owned by Jerry Stojan, trained by William Leech, and ridden by Alfredo Amador.

By second-crop sire Mpshinning out of Western Coast by Hawkinson, she was bred by Steve D. Burns DVM and purchased for $20,000 at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale.

After a green debut at Los Alamitos, she shipped north and delivered an impressive gate-to-wire win in her trial on June 28, holding off a late challenge to score in 18.006 seconds on a muddy track. She brings the top last-out speed figure and appears poised to repeat.

Her main challenge comes from Hez D Man (5-2), also trial-fast and drawn wider in post 7. The Alberta-bred gelding, by seond-crop sire Uncle D and out of Ll Talitha, by Dealagame, is owned by Commotion Creek Contracting Ltd. and WT Ranches Ltd. He is trained by Buckey Stockwell and will be piloted by O.A. Hernandez.

Bred by Morgan Luhoff, Hez D Man brings a consistent local resume with one win and two board finishes from three starts. He nosed out rival Warning Shott in a game effort in his trial and previously finished second in the $42,000 (CAN) Sales Stakes Futurity, earning $9,944 to date.

Another filly with strong credentials is Warning Shott (3-1), a stablemate to West Southwest, also owned by Jerry Stojan and trained by William Leech, with Ricardo Moreno in the irons.

The daughter of Mpshinning out of Seperate Flight by Separatist is also a Steve D. Burns DVM-bred, and was purchased for $11,000 at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale. She narrowly missed in her trial to Hez D Man by a nose. Though still seeking her maiden win, she has run second in two of three starts and appears primed for a breakthrough.

The rest of the field includes maiden colt Snow Boss (5-1), O Sawyer (9-2) with two runner-up finishes at the meet, and longshots Dashing Cruise, One Sweet Cruise, and Strike Eagle.

Friday’s Juvenile Challenge shapes up as a deep and competitive event showcasing a trio of top juveniles from California breeding programs.

The winner of this final will secure a spot in the $140,000-est. John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship(G2), scheduled for October 18 in Albuquerque.

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