Challenge contender Apollitical Redflash on the Lone Star Park backside.

© Richard Chamberlain

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX–OCTOBER 18, 2023–Apollitical Redflash will get the chance to strut his stuff in the $250,000-estimated Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) on Saturday night at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

The 5-year-old sorrel gelding by Apollitical Jess, trainer Clint Crawford and Crawford's wife and assistant trainer Renee have travelled a long, hard journey to get there.

"This horse has been through a lot," Renee says. "Nothing's been easy for him."

Apollitical Redflash is bred by Rancho El Cabresto Inc. of San Jacinto, California, which also owns Apollitical Jess. The sire of the earners of more than $64 million, the 16-year-old Apollitical Jess stands at Royal Vista Ranch LLC at Wayne, Oklahoma. Apollitical Redflash is one of 14 winners and the earners of more than $754,000 from 17 starters out of the stakes-winning Chicks Beduino Jr mare Chalala ($125,244).

Apollitical Redflash was acquired at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale by Cavanaugh Quarter Horses LLC of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.

Apollitical Redflash broke his maiden on his third start, in the trials for the 2020 Ruidoso Futurity (G1). The gelding ran back in the final, and next won his trial to the All American Futurity (G1), qualifying for the All American Juvenile.

As a 3-year-old, Apollitical Redflash finished second in the Oklahoma Derby (G3) and ran in both the Grade 1 Ruidoso and All American derbies. At 4, the gelding ran second in the Eastex Stakes (G2) and third in the Leo Stakes (G1), both at Remington Park, and finished fifth in the Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge (G2).

In his first start this season, Apollitical Redflash set a 330-yard track record at Remington and then finished fourth in both the Leo Stakes and Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship (G1). In his final out before the Bank of America Challenge Championship, Apollitical Redflash ran third in the August 20 Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge. The gelding comes into the 440-yard test with earnings of $287,797, a speed index of 110 and a record of 21 – 4 – 3 (2) – 4 (2).

"He's had to overcome a lot," Renee says. "At the end of his 2-year-old year, he had surgery for 'kissing spine disease,' where the vertebrae in the spine have zero cartilage and the bones are actually touching, which causes soreness and serious back issues. Dr. Tommy Hayes in Elgin, Texas, did the surgery.

"Then he got very sick during the winter between his 3-year-old year and his 4-year-old year," she says. "He was on IVs in the clinic, and the IV damaged a nerve in his throat. That caused him to have flapper issues, so we took him back to Dr. Hayes for throat surgery. So now he has to have all his feed and hay at ground level, because he can't eat with his head raised up. And that causes climate issues with him, too – he had a hard time with the humidity in Iowa, which caused bleeding, but we got that back under control, and the drier climate here in Texas has been good for him.

"His owners are great people," Renee continues. "They really care about their horses and will do whatever it takes to make sure they're healthy and sound."

Apollitical Redflash is ready to go.

"He's a dream to train, a sweet horse in the barn," she says. "Now, he's not very fun to take to the track. He's high energy, all he wants to do is run. He likes to swing his head – he broke my finger when he was a 2-year-old and I was ponying him. He's learned a few manners since then, but he's still a handful. Going to and from the walker, you have to be on your toes, because he knows it's play time, and he bucks and plays on the walker, but when you are coming back to the barn, he acts like a perfect gentleman.

"When he's going to the track and gets to swinging his head and acting up, we know he's ready to run," she continues. "If he's real quiet, we worry. He bounces and carries on the post parade, but when he gets in the gate he's all business.

"We love him," Renee concludes. "He's a real character and he loves to play. It's a joy to train him. I just hope he runs a good race and really gets to show everybody what he can do."

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