A Famous Ribbon (inside), under jockey Cristian Aguirre-Erives, breaks the Grants Pass track record while winning the $58,157 Bank of America Grants Pass Championship Challenge on Sunday.

© Vince & Linda Williams

GRANTS PASS, OR–SEPTEMBER 17, 2023–In the featured race on Sunday at Grants Pass, A Famous Ribbon won the $58,157 Bank of America Grants Pass Championship Challenge and will represent Grants Pass in the Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) at Lone Star next month.

A Famous Ribbon ($7.40) finished the 440-yard stake in :21.099 with a 120 speed index to break the track record at Grants Pass. The previous track record was :21.239, set in 2021 by Cm Boom Shakalaka.

The 4-year-old son of  One Famous Eagle won his trial and was the third fastest qualifier from two trials on September 3. This was his first career Challenge race; his career includes a win in the James Smith Memorial Handicap at Los Alamitos and he qualified to the Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1) and the Golden State Derby (G2).

The winning connections of A Famous Ribbon accept the Bank of America Grants Pass Championship Challenge trophy buckles. © Vince & Linda Williams

Cristian Aguirre-Erives rode A Famous Ribbon in the trial and the final for trainer Erasmo Soto and owner Adrian Aleman. He was bred in Texas by Weetona Stanley, out of the Corona Cartel mare Fast Prize Ribbon.

Including Sunday’s $26,752 share of the purse, A Famous Ribbon has earned $93,348 and has six wins from 12 starts.

Fastest qualifier Jesstafiably Jess finished second with jockey Jaime Lopez for trainer Benito Curiel and also earned a 120 speed index. The 7-year-old One Sweet Jess gelding was bred in Texas by his owner, Malon Cowgill, out of Fly Thru Time, by Strawfly Special.

The winning connections of A Famous Ribbon accept the Bank of America Grants Pass Championship Challenge trophy. © Vince & Linda Williams

Jesstifiably Jess has a long history of competing in the Challenge program. He competed in the Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3) in 2019 and in the Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) in 2020. He has earned $75,448 from eight wins and 25 lifetime starts.

First Moon Cat completed the trifecta with Alex Anaya in the irons. The 7-year-old mare is trained by Hector Magallanes for owner and breeder Jeff Ray.

The Washington-bred mare is sired by Stray Cat and is out of the graded stakes placed mare Yak Ity Yak Go, by Juno Dat Cash.

First Moon Cat has five wins and $58,516 from 30 career starts. She was third in this year’s Distaff Challenge qualifier at Grants Pass and won the Pocatello Downs Distaff Challenge last year.

Completing the field were Fast Movin Freight, L Bar D Mistr Cartel, Radar, No Juans Fool, Newport Guy, Dr Tool and Messanger. Messanger originally finished fifth but was disqualified for interference and placed tenth.