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O Donovan Rossa Draws Post 2 for Saturday's $100,000 Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship
O Donovan Rossa drew post 2 for Saturday's 870-yard, $100,000 Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship (G1) at Lone Star Park.

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O Donovan Rossa Draws Post 2 for Saturday's $100,000 Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX–OCTOBER 18, 2023–O Donovan Rossa, a homebred graded stakes winning 5-year-old son of world champion Apollitical Jess, drew post 2 for Saturday's 870-yard, $100,000 Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship (G1) at Lone Star Park.

Trained by Dee Keener for owner Kelly Yother Equine LLC, O Donovan Rossa qualified for this race with his clear 3 1/4-length victory in the October 1, $26,000 AQHA Will Rogers Distance Challenge (G3) at Will Rogers Downs, a race which marked his first start since June 3. The gelding has earned $81,804 from five races this season, and his three wins include the May 6, 870-yard Pauls Valley Stakes (G2) at Remington Park.

O Donovan Rossa will be ridden by Bryan Candanosa.

Other contenders include The Grand Legend, a 7-year-old FDD Going Grand gelding trained by Adan Guzman for owner James C. Whitener LLC. The Grand Legend has banked $48,003 from five outs this year, and he is coming off of a convincing 6 3/4-length victory in the September 29, $25,000 AQHA Lone Star Distance Challenge (G3) at Lone Star Park.

The Grand Legend drew post 3 and will be ridden by Noe Villatoro.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
  1. Volcoms Favorite (Bobby Dow), 20-1
  2. O Donovan Rossa (Bryan Candanosa), 9-5
  3. The Grand Legend (Noe Villatoro), 8-5
  4. The Dream (Roman Cruz), 15-1
  5. Stolin Train (Jesus Virgen), 20-1
  6. Dak (Gerardo Vera), 6-1
  7. Dance The Dust Off (Nakia Teeter), 10-1
  8. Jess Rite (Francisco Giles), 5-1

All Lone Star Park races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.