Challenge


JC Wild King wins Saturday's Grade 3, $154,750 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship
JC Wild King, under champion jockey James Flores, winning the $154,750 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3) at Albuquerque Downs Saturday.

© Coady Photography
JC Wild King wins Saturday's Grade 3, $154,750 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship

Q-RACING—OCTOBER 23, 2021—Jose Cervantes' JC Wild King, a homebred bay son of world champion Apollitical Jess, won Saturday's 400-yard, $154,750 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3) for sophomores at Albuquerque Downs.

Prepped by Fidencio Jimenez and sent to post as the 5-2 second choice, JC Wild King defeated 2-1 favorite Bad Monkey by 1 1/4 lengths while leading at every call. James Flores rode the sorrel gelding.

JC Wild King was coming off of a wire-to-wire, half-length victory as the odds-on favorite in the October 3, $50,000 Adequan Will Rogers Derby Challenge Stakes. The gelding was bred in Oklahoma, and he is out of Oh Cherokee Rose, a stakes-winning daughter of champion Stoli who ran third in the 2007 Remington Park Futurity (G1).

The winning connections of Jc Wild King accept Adequan Derby Challenge Championship trophy Saturday night at
The Downs at Albuquerque. © Coady Photography
Raced in two states, JC Wild King has won five of 12 starts -- including the July 24, 350-yard Speedhorse Derby at Fair Meadows at Tulsa -- and the $71,185 winner's share of the purse from his fourth career stakes score increased his earnings to $174,605.

The gelding ended his 2-year-old campaign with a second-place finish, a neck behind winner Bad Monkey, in the 350-yard, $126,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) at Albuquerque Downs.

Bad Monkey, winner of last year's John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship(G2) earned $30,950 for second. Owned-trained-and-bred by Dean Frey, Bad Monkey is a multiple stakes winning son of Capo de Cap from the Mr Eye Opener mare Girls Eye Too. Benito Baca rode the California-bred earner of more than $201,700.

Tom Maher, Paul Luedemann and Dick Tobin's Apollitical Hero finished half-a-length back to earn $15,475 for third. Trainer Jason Olmstead named jockey Edwin Escobedo to ride the Oklahoma-bred son of leading sire Apollitical Jess from the Valiant Hero mare Belle Of Valor. Bred by Canadian River QH LLC, Apollitical Hero has earned $62,450 in 17 career starts.

The Prize Ferarri, Painted Snowclouds, FDD Princess, Seattle Cartel, Jet Wings One, Fortunes Wild Blood, and Rowdysvision completed the order of finish.

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Look for complete coverage of the Bank of America Challenge Championships at AQHA's website and on racing social media.