Challenge


Track Records Fly In Bank of America Pocatello Challenge Championship Trials
Time For Jesse Lee broke the 440 yard track record when he posted the fastest time from three trials for the Bank of America Pocatello Challenge Championship.

© Scott Martinez
Track Records Fly In Bank of America Pocatello Challenge Championship Trials

POCATELLO, ID—MAY 14, 2017—The 440-yard track at Pocatello Downs was annihilated on Sunday during three trials contested for the $30,000-Added Bank of America Pocatello Challenge Championship.

At the end of the day multiple stakes winner Time For Jesse Lee stood atop the qualifiers list when he defeated James First Affair by a neck, breaking the 440-yard track record that had been set just two races earlier by Sign Of Corona in the first trial.

Ridden by jockey Nakia Ramirez, Time For Jesse Lee flew late to clock a :21.142 time for the 440 yards, a 121-speed index with a 5-mph tailwind. The previous record of :21.175 seconds was set in the ninth race by Sign Of Corona.

Prior to that the previous track record of :21.480 seconds was set 35 years earlier on June 20, 1982 by Bar Bow Marcus.

Trained by Monty Arrossa, Time For Jess Lee is a multiple stake winning Idaho homebred racing for owner/breeder Jim Walker. The son of Mr Jesse Lee scored his 16th career win in Sunday's trials and pushed his earnings total to just shy of $190,000.

Walker bred the black gelding from the Mescallero Chick mare Time For Noble. He has compiled a (40) 16-9-4 record.

Also, a stakes winner, James First Affair held on for the second fastest time of :21.152 seconds, which was also faster than track record. Mark Hanson conditions the Ivory James 5-year-old for owner's RTM Stables LLC, Larry Chapple and Robin Dunn.

Ridden by jockey Eddie Aceves, James First Affair recorded a :321.162 seconds, also a 121-speed index. Tom Bradbury and Kim Kessinger bred the $93,828 earner from the First Down Dash mare Fancys First Affair.

Also, ridden by Aceves and trained by Hanson, Sign Of Corona kicked the day off in the first trial when he posted a :21.175 track record clocking and earned a 120-speed index.

The multiple stakes winning son of Coronas Fast Dash is owned by RTM Stables LLC and Carol McKinney. Bred in New Mexico by Greg Creager, the son of Coronas Fast Dash has posted the third fastest time.

Out of the Vital Sign mare Electric Sign, Sign Of Corona has compiled a (15) 7-4-0 record and banked $99,853.

For a complete list of Bank of America Pocatello Challenge Championship qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

The 440-yard Bank of America Pocatello Challenge Championship final will be contested on Monday, May 29th. The winner will also earn a starting spot in the Grade 1 $330,000 Guaranteed Bank of America Challenge Championship to be run October 14th at Prairie Meadows.