Valiant Miss Priss, under jockey Cristian Esqueda, winning the the Grade 1 $109,877 Q-Racing Video Distaff Challenge Championship at Horseshoe Indianapolis Saturday.

SHELBYVILLE, IN–OCTOBER 22, 2022–Valiant Miss Priss and Cristian Esqueda powered down the track to earn the win in the Grade 1 $109,877 Q-Racing Video Distaff Challenge Championship at Horseshoe Indianapolis Saturday.

The duo completed the 400-yard dash in :20.137 for their second straight win.

Starting from post four, Valiant Miss Priss broke well and led the field early before pulling away in the center of the track. The four-year-old mare was under a hand ride by Esqueda through the finish line to win by one length. Kiss Me Suzy and Sergio Dominguez closed on the outside to finish second joined by Lynnder16 and Edwin Escobedo for third.

Valiant Miss Priss paid $8.00 for the win. The Valiant Hero mare now has four career wins in eight starts, all taken this season. She pushed her career bankroll to more than $120,000 with the win, her second stakes win this year adding it to her win in the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Distaff Challenge in August. Esqueda has been aboard for all four of her career wins this season.

“Everything went like we had planned,” said Esqueda. “She can really pull 400. I galloped her once before we brought her over from Iowa. She is really good right now. I have a lot of respect for Lynnder 16. I rode her as a two-year-old and I knew she was the one to beat because she is a really nice horse. I feel really blessed and happy to ride this horse (Valiant Miss Priss) tonight.”

The winning connections of Valiant Miss Prize accept the Grade 1 $109,877 Q-Racing Video Distaff Challenge Championship Trophy at Horseshoe Indianapolis Saturday night. © Coady Photography

Valiant Miss Priss is owned and trained by Stacy Charette-Hill, who was unable to make the trip out to Indiana from her home base in Iowa.

The Oklahoma bred mare was bred by Christie and Mikel Donahue, from the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Corona Mit Go, and was a $23,000 purchase from the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale in 2019. She was unraced at two and only made two starts last year at three before coming back this season where she is four for six in 2022.

Runner-up Kiss Me Suzy earned $21,975 for second-place effort. Trainer John Stinebaugh named jockey Sergio Dominguez to ride the Kiss My Hocks homebred for owners-breeders Connie Young and John Herrick. The Oklahoma-bred filly from the One Dashing Eagle mare Ode To Suzy has banked $106,723 in 23 career starts.

According to an interview with Jason Olmstead with Martha Claussen, on-air handicapper who worked for Horseshoe Indianapolis during the evening, the plan for third-place finisher Lynnder 16 is to come back and race again next year as a seven-year-old.

They are going to flush embryos again, she came back good after that procedure last year, and they expect her to do it again. The daughter of Apollitical Jess has 18 career wins and more than $800,000 in earnings as she continues her career.

Winner of the Grade1 Q-Racing Distaff Challenge Championship(G1) in 2020 the Tom Maher and Ricard Tobin owned-mare has earned $831,967 with 18 wins in 36 starts. Jim and Marilyn Helzer bred Lynnder 16 from the Corona Cartel mare Tinys Corona Queen.

 One Coldhearted Diva, Paradyce, Dedikated, Sin Sational Kisser, Apollitical Mogul and Jess Gimme A Kiss completed the field.

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The 20th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Wednesday, Nov. 23. Live racing is conducted at 2:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday with Thursday post times set for 2:10 p.m. A total of 12 Saturdays will feature live racing in 2022 highlighted by the 28th running of the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby and the 27th running of the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks set for Saturday, July 9. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

About Horseshoe Indianapolis
Horseshoe Indianapolis, owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR), holds multiple awards for customer service, entertainment, gaming, racing, dining, and diversity. Located just minutes from Indianapolis in Shelbyville, Ind., this one-of-a-kind property has wall to wall excitement on the 105,940 square foot gaming floor, featuring more than 1,600 slots and 72 table games along with a state-of-the-art World Series of Poker Room containing 20 tables. Please visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis for more information and find Horseshoe Indianapolis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.