Jason Olmstead stands with Challenge Championship contender AJ Fast Corona.

© Richard Chamberlain

By Richard Chamberlain

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX–OCTOBER 18, 2023–Jason and Amber Olmstead are going to be busy on Saturday night. They will saddle four horses in the Bank of America Challenge Championships and another in the undercard at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie.

Their biggest star is the graded stakes-winning and track-record-setting mare Lynnder 16, who will go to post in the $100,000-estimated Q-Racing Video Distaff Challenge Championship (G1). Bred by former AQHA President Jim Helzer and his wife, Marilyn, the 7-year-old sorrel mare races for the partnership of Tom Maher and Dick Tobin of Maryville, Missouri. By Apollitical Jess and out of the Corona Cartel mare Tinys Corona Queen, Lynnder 16 has earned $874,037 while compiling a career record of 40 – 21 (12) – 5 (1) – 5 (4). In her sixth season on the track, the veteran mare comes into the Distaff Challenge off three consecutive wins.

"Lynnder 16 actually came back bigger and stronger this year," Jason says. "For some reason, she matured physically quite a bit between last year and this year.

"She's been training super, just like she always has," the trainer says. "She's easy – our 13-year-old son, Ryder, gallops her. So that tells you what her demeanor is like."

Jason and Amber will send out AJ Fast Corona and Fox News in the $150,000-estimated Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3).

Bred by Rancho El Cabresto Inc. of San Jacinto, California, AJ Fast Corona is by Apollitical Jess and out of the Corona Cartel mare First Prize Corona. Owned by Tom Maher and Kim Paulsen of Pierre, South Dakota, AJ Fast Corona has a record of 10 – 3 (1) – 2 – 0 and $69,639. The sorrel filly comes into the Adequan Derby off a score in the October 1 Will Rogers Derby Challenge in Claremore, Oklahoma.

"She has been a great filly," Jason says. "Last year, we thought she was one of our better 2-year-olds, but then she was injured in her first out of the year. We gave her the whole year off, and she came back this year to break her maiden on her first out. She qualified to the Remington Park Oaks, where she ran fifth in the final. She qualified to the Rainbow Oaks (G1), but then had no luck in the All American Oaks (G1) trials – ran a good race but just wasn't fast enough to qualify. And then she won the Derby Challenge at Claremore.

"As far as training, it's usually been the kind of deal where AJ Fast Corona has been just another horse in the barn," Jason says. "But the last month or so she's been getting pretty aggressive, a little bit grouchy and acting different. She's running a little different, a little more aggressive, actually improved a little, so I guess we'll put up with it."

Racing for Tom Maher, Fox News is bred by Jim Streelman and Bill Dale of Clinton, Missouri. The bay filly by FDD Dynasty and out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Summer Love Song has earned $111,180 with a record of 16 – 7 – 2 (1) – 3 (1). In her previous start to the Adequan Derby, she ran third in the October 1 Derby Challenge at Will Rogers Downs.

"Fox News has been really good," Jason says. "She's been a super-nice horse. She's finished off the board only twice, and ran seconds and thirds in futurities and derbies. But she's just never worked out on finals day – she'll get her head in front and never gets outrun by much.

"It's just been bad luck," he says. "Fox News falls down out of the gate, she gets bumped around, just stupid little bad racing luck. She's been the fastest qualifier in multiple stakes, but she comes back and there's always been something that happens and she runs second or third.

"Fox News is laid-back around the barn, but when she goes to the racetrack, she's pretty aggressive," Jason says. "She's one of those that takes ahold and she'll pull your guts out the whole way around. She trains hard."

Jess Folzookieing will go in the $125,000-estimated John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2). Bred by Cavanaugh Quarter Horses LLC of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, the sorrel filly is by Apollitical Jess and out of the Tres Seis mare Tres Seis Folszookie. Owned by Gene and Faye Reeves of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, Jess Folzookieing has a record of 6 – 2 – 2 – 1 (1) and $88,909. The filly is coming into the John Deere Juvenile off a third in the August 19 Prairie Meadows Juvenile Challenge.

"Jess Folzookieing's a solid little filly," Jason says. "She ran a second at Remington and then broke her maiden at Prairie Meadows. She ran in the (Oklahoma Horsemen's Association) Mystery Futurity (RG2) at Will Rogers, and then won her trial to the Juvenile at Prairie Meadows.

"She drew the 1 hole in the Challenge final at Iowa, which was the kiss of death, but ran a huge race to run third in the final," he says. "She didn't get beat much at all for second, and the horse that won the Juvenile was Sheza Famous Candy, another horse of ours that ran in the Heritage Place Futurity (G1), so that shows what kind of competition she runs against."

Okay. The Olmsteads also will send out Jeffrey Scott Brooks' 4-year-old Apollicial Jess mare Mperativ ($122,027) in the undercard.

"Yeah, we've got our work cut out for us," Jason says.

So what are the Olmsteads looking for this weekend?

Both laugh.

"Some luck," Jason says." Plain and simple. I think we have the stock, we just need some luck."

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