Challenge


Feature Mr Who Defends Title In $105,480 Bank Of America Challenge Championship
Feature Mr Who, under jockey Alonso Rivera, gets his second straight Bank of America New Mexico Challenge Championship win at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.

© Coady Photography
Feature Mr Who Defends Title In $105,480 Bank Of America Challenge Championship

SUNLAND PARK, NM—APRIL 6, 2014—Feature Mr Who defended his title in $105,480 Bank of America Challenge with another powerful victory going 440 yards.

Under jockey Alonso Rivera, Feature Mr Who produced a superior performance winning by one length in a lightning fast 20.76 seconds for the 440 yards. The timing earned a 98 speed index. The victory was his first since winning last year’s Bank of America Challenge in 20.46 seconds on April 7, 2013. The two bravura victories were separated by exactly one year. Jose Muela is the winning trainer. Feature Mr Who paid $6.40 as the 2-1 favorite.

It also earned him a starting spot in the Grade 1 $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship on October 18 at Prairie Meadows.

AQHA Challenge Director Daryl Hare presents the Bank of America New Mexico Challenge Championship trophy to the winning connections of Feature Mr Who on Sunday.
© Coady Photography
The winning gelding by Feature Mr Jess roared to his seventh career win for owners Heysol Howlet and Julieta Torres of Peyton, Colorado. The victory was worth $48,521 pushing his lifetime earnings to nearly $280,000. He is poised for a big year in 2014. Buddy and Patty Newsome bred the gelding in Florida from the Corona Cartel mare Whosleaving Corona.

Jesscuzican and Testing the Ice finished in a dead-heat for second, each earning $15,822.

Also a son of Feature Mr Jess, Jesscuzican races for owner/breeder Darian Burt. Wes Giles conditions the Utah bred from the Stoli mare Covenant Confirmer. Larry Gamez had the riding call. Jesscuzican has earned $97,638

Testing The Ice, a 5-year-old Stoli gelding owned by Rancho Los Dos Portrillos, LLC is trained by Mario Sanchez and ridden by Roberto Valero. The purse money pushed is earning's total past $276,000.

Completing the field were Rockin Disco, Jjs Gone, I Am That Hero, Cjs Rocksolid, Wdc Wendys Wine, Jump Down Azoom and Motions Of The Ocean.

Live racing resumes on Tuesday at 12:55 p.m.