Challenge


Ajs High By A Head In BOA Canterbury Challenge Championship, Bye Bye Birdy Wins Merial Distaff
Jockey Stormy Smith winning his season stakes on Sunday, the Bank of America Canterbury Challenge Championship aboard Ajs High.

© Coady Photography
Ajs High By A Head In BOA Canterbury Challenge Championship, Bye Bye Birdy Wins Merial Distaff

SHAKOPEE, MN—JULY 17, 2016—AJs High won the $66,690 Bank of America Canterbury Challenge Championship at odds of 1 to 5 Sunday at Canterbury Park. The victory also secures him a starting spot in the Grade 1 $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship October 29th at Los Alamitos Race Course.

But today's result was still in doubt near the wire of the 440-yard race as the 4-year-old quarter horse dueled with There Goes My Wallet, prevailing by a head in 21.919 seconds and returning $2.60 to win.

“That was closer than I thought it would be,” said owner Michael Teel of Columbia, Mo. “You never count it until the race is done.”

AJs High, trained by Charlton Hunt, has now won 12 of 17 career races and $496,606 in purse money.

Jockey Stormy Smith was aboard AJs High as well as winner Bye Bye Birdy in the following race, the Merial Canterbury Distaff Challenge.

The winning connections of AJs High accept the Bank of America Canterbury Challenge Championship stakes trophy on Sunday. © Coady Photography
AJs High is notorious for his pre-race antics. He was saddled on the walk and made it to the starting gate without issue, at which point he dropped Smith while loading. The two quickly reunited and the race was on.

“He just threw his head and sat down like a big dog,” Smith said.

Teel's multiple graded winning homebred is a son of leading third crop sire Apollitical Jess out of Regally Rare, by Rare Form.

Kasey Willis conditions runner-up There Goes My Wallet, a son of All American Futurity(G1) winner Mr Piloto for owner Thomas Scheckel. Roberto Valero was aboard the 3-year-old Iowa-bred from the Corona Cartel mare Coronita Cartel, a sister to leading sire Pyc Paint Your Wagon. Bred by Zule Farms, LLC, There Goes My Wallet earned $14,338 for the effort.

Rodolfo Rodriguez' Famous Bank finished 1½ lengths back in third. Saul Perez saddled the One Famous Eagle colt out of Shake The Bank, by Bully Bullion. Hector Rodan Arreola bred the 4-year-old colt in Texas. He earned $7,336.

Fantsy Pants, Macgyver Moonflash and Spirit Or Dash completed the field. Fiftysadezofgrey and Racy Casanova were both scratched.

Bye Bye Birdy Prevails in Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge

Bye Bye Birdy, under jockey Stormy Smith, won the Merial Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge by half-a-length over Political Nonsense, covering 400 yards in 19.981 seconds and earning $18,009 of the $39,150 Merial Distaff Challenge purse.

Bye Bye Birdy, under jockey Storm Smith, winning the Merial Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge on Sunday.
© Coady Photography
The victory also earns Bye Bye Birdy a starting spot in the Grade 1 $125,000-Guaranteed Merial Distaff Challenge Champion at Los Alamitos Race Course October 29th.

The 4-year-old Hankinson mare is trained by Casey Black and is owned by Barbara Barley. Bred in Missouri by Barley & Sharp Farms and Steve Burns, the sorrel filly has compiled a (17) 4-4-5 record and and earned over $85,000. She is out of the Zevi(TB) mare Sweet Bye And Bye.

The winning connections of Bye Bye Birdy accept the Merial Canterbury Distaff Challenge stakes trophy on Sunday.
© Coady Photography
“I just gave her something to run at and she did the rest,” Smith said. “I’d call that a good day.”

Ed Ross Hardy trains runner-up Political Nonsense for owner Reliance Ranches, LLC. Eaves Horses Family Limited Partnership bred the 4-year-old daughter of Apollitical Jess from the First Down Dash mare A Delightful Legacy. Jose Montoya was up to earn $7,830.

My Girls Toasted and Forutne In A Wagon dead-heated in the show position, half-a-length back. They each earned $3,328 for their efforts.

Merritt Pride saddled multiple stakes-placed My Girls Toasted for himself and John Witte. The homebred daughter of Toast To Dash, from the First Down Dash mare Girling, was ridden by jockey Nik Goodwin.

Teery and Mary Louise Pursel's Fortune In A Wagon is conditioned by Stacy Charette-Hill and ridden by Jorge Torres. Don and Regina McDonald bred the Pyc Paint Your Wagon filly in Oklahoma from the Fredricksburg mare Fourtune Six Hundred.

Cartel Rosie, Bad Girl Phase, Splishsplash, Cartel Dakota, Blacks Cartel and Volcom Star completed the field.