Page 106 - November 2015

AQHA Challenge Championship
Photographs by Dustin Orona Photography
Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1
DAYTONA B
by Tracy Gantz
It takes a very good horse to win back-to-back Challenge Championships, especially given that the series moves around the country.
Daytona B is certainly a very good horse. In 2014, he qualified for and won the Adequan Derby Chal. Champ.-G3 at Prairie Meadows. A year later he repeated that effort, only this time at Lone Star Park against older horses in the Bank of America Lone Star Chal. Champ.
To pull off the double, Daytona B had to run fresh following a six-month layoff. He had qualified by winning the Bank of America Sam Houston Champ. Chal. in April. Rolando Almanza, who trains the 4-year-old gelding for owner Gregorio Garcia Garza, decided to rest him because he had lost a lot of weight, having run steadily for an entire year.
Garza and Almanza sent Daytona B to Florida this past winter. It was a successful ven- ture because Daytona B won three of four races at Hialeah, including the Sam Abbey Mem. Invit.
In the Challenge Championship, Daytona B broke from the outside post. But the 440- yard race was virtually over as soon as he
came out of the gate on top. He flew down
the stretch, with jockey Esgar Ramirez never having to get after him, and they coasted home to win by 1 3/4-lengths in :21.263. It was a
Daytona B has won eight of his 14 starts, with three seconds and two thirds.
Eyesa Famous Eagle (One Famous Eagle-Eyesa Glass) ran 2nd under G.R. Carter Jr. for Cesar Dabdou & trainer Steve Kearl. Eyesa Famous Eagle won this year’s Bank
of America Turf Paradise Champ. Chal. and ran 3rd to Daytona B in last year’s Derby Champ. He qualified to both
Championship races by winning Challenge stakes at Los Alamitos & Turf Paradise. Cesar DeAlba rode Jake Gold BR (Gold Medal Jess-Charlotte Bryan) to 3rd for Clodoaldo de Oliveria Miranda & trainer Paul Jones. Jake Gold BR was the 2014 South American Champion. Followed by Rockin Disco (Rock Solid Jess-Check This Disco), BH Lisas Boy (Mighty Invictus-Apollo Snowbound), Sign Of Corona (Coronas Fast Dash-Electric Sign), Diamonds Edge (Special Leader- Petrifying), Jessies First Down (FDD Dynasty- Jess A Classy Lassy), Mister Big (Shazoom-Jess An Illusion), Wagon Full Of Gold (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Cheyennes Bullion), & Rocketair (Jumpn-Rivanne).
popular victory, as Daytona B went off as the 9-5 favorite.
Monica Williams’ Bielau Oaks bred Daytona B in Texas from Dashing Pana, winner of the 2006 Louisiana Downs Champ. Cl.-RG2
and 2007 Harrah’s Distaff
Stakes, Party Girl Stakes, and
Mother’s Day Stakes. She ran
second in four other stakes
and earned $277,139. The
mare has produced five win-
ners from six starters, and she
stakes winner Tiny Chris La Jolla and stakes- placed A Winning Team.
Garza picked out Daytona B when the colt was 8 months old and bought him privately from Bielau. Garza not only liked his looks, he also loved the fact that he was by World Champion First Down Dash. The youngster went through the 2012 Texas Quarter Horse Association Yearling Sale, but Garza bought him back for $80,000.
When Daytona B first began racing at 2 in 2013, he didn’t want to focus on his job. He started three times that year, his best effort a second, and then Garza gelded him. Since then
104 SPEEDHORSE, November 2015
Lone Star Park $353,500 • 440 yards :21.263 • si 99
Dash For Cash
First Down Dash
First Prize Rose
DAYTONA B, ’11-g.
Toast To Dash
Dashing Pana
Panamas Tiny Jet
is a half-sister to
Daytona B and Esgar Ramirez led at every call winning the $353,500 Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1 by 1 3/4-lengths
Dustin Orona Photography, LLC