Page 120 - November 2016

AQHA Challenge Championship
Photographs by Los Alamitos Race Course
Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1
AJS HIGH
by John Moorehouse
Michael Teel has been involved in horse rac- ing for 20 years, but he never had one of his horses qualify for the Champion of Champions.
Until now. Teel’s home-bred gelding, AJs High, emerged victorious in the $353,500 Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1 held Oct. 29 at Los Alamitos.
AJs High was bumped breaking from the 10-gate, but jockey Stormy Smith kept the gelding on course and had him running a solid second at the first call. AJs High surpassed his rivals and led by a neck going into the stretch, then held off his competitors and got to the finish line by a head.
Smith, who has ridden Teel’s gelding for each of his 20 career outs, navigated the 440-yard
trip in :21.540, registering a 97 speed index. AJs High now holds 13 career wins, and the Bank of America Challenge Championship produced a $155,540 payday that pushed his already substantial career earnings to $674,564.
It also marked the 10th career stakes vic- tory for AJs High and earned him a spot in the Champion of Champions.
“He’s a homegrown and we take care of him,” Teel told stallionesearch.com after the race. “He goes home in the winter and comes back in the spring. I’ll leave it up to the trainers to see what AJs High will do next. It’s my first time with a Champion of Champions horse.”
look at him and see how he’s doing. You don’t get many chances to be in the Champion of Champions and when you do, you often only get one chance.”
Teel also owns Regally Rare, the dam of AJs High. She has produced 100% money earners from 13 starters, including 2-time New Track Record setter Struttin High. AJs High is her top earner.
BH Lisas Boy (Mighty Invictus-Apollo Snowbound) took second place for owner/trainer Bill Hoburg. Jesus Ayala was in the irons.
Eyesa Famous Eagle (One Famous Eagle- Eyesa Glass) finished in third place under Cruz Mendez for owner Ricardo Ramirez and trainer Havid Canez.
The remaining order of finish was Heat Warning (A Regal Choice-Its A Dry Heat TB), Tempting Valor (Tempting Dash-Thanks Jens), JRC Callas First (Winners Award-Calla Missy Jane), Jess A Cowboy (Dejon-Secret Return), Rockin Disco (Rock Solid Jess-Check This Disco), Stella Corona (Stel Corona-Yak Ity Yak Go), BF Farm Boss (Hawkinson- Shirleys Strawfly), Cruisinfourabruisin (First Timber-Tagulator) and Fantsy Pants (Splash Bac-Corona Deluxe).
The father/son tandem
of Charley and Charlton Hunt trains AJs High. The win was a watershed moment for the family. The elder Hunt, Charley, trained
the winner of the first-ever Bank of America Challenge Championship—Junos Request, back in 1993.
“I was training horses
with that boy when he was
three days old,” the elder
Hunt told stallionesearch. “He grew up around the track and to see him here tonight with AJs High, well that makes me very proud. I used to come out to Los Alamitos in the summers, and I learned a lot over here by being around a lot of great people that I looked up to like Blane Schvaneveldt. It’s pretty special to now win this race here. Charlton does a good job.”
AJs High now holds stakes wins in four states: California, Iowa (Prairie Meadows), Oklahoma (Remington Park) and Minnesota (Canterbury Park).
Charley Hunt also said he saw no rea- son why AJs High would not be part of the Champion of Champions field.
“I would imagine we’ll go for the Champion of Champions,” he said. “He’ll stay here for a week and we’ll then take a
AJs High’s winning connections include owner Michael Teel and co-trainers Charlton & Charley Hunt (pictured on left).
AJs High & Stormy Smith
118 SPEEDHORSE, November 2016
Los Alamitos $353,500 • 440 yards :21.540 • si 97
Mr Jess Perry
Apollitical Jess
Apollitical Time
AJS HIGH, ‘12-g.
Rare Form
Regally Rare
Summertime High