Page 134 - November 2017

AQHA Challenge Championship
Photographs by Coady Photography
AQHA Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1
THE FISCAL CLIFF
by Tracy Gantz
Winning a race in front
of your home crowd
is always particularly spe-
cial. Thus, Iowa-bred The Fiscal Cliff picked an excel- lent time to win the AQHA Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1 because year Challenge Championship Night was held in Iowa.
Tom Lepic, owner-breeder
of The Fiscal Cliff also serves
as president of the Iowa Quarter Horse Racing Association. While The Fiscal Cliff has won stakes in several other states, Lepic found it particularly gratifying to watch him win at Prairie Meadows.
“With all the Iowa people and all the fam- ily that came to watch, it was really great,” said Lepic. “It really couldn’t have been any better.”
AJs High, went off as the 4-5 favorite, with The Fiscal Cliff sent away the 6-1 third choice. With Benito Baca in the irons for trainer Kasey Willis, The Fiscal Cliff shot to the lead right as the gate opened and never relinquished it. His final margin was 1-length as he stopped the timer in :21.297. The $160,200 winner’s share pushed the colt’s earnings to $562,045.
“We’ve run him everywhere and at about every distance,” said Lepic. “He’s an amazing stallion. He loves people. He’s a great horse to be around, with a great temperament.”
In addition to Prairie Meadows, The Fiscal
Cliff has competed at Remington Park, Ruidoso Downs, and Canterbury
Park and has won at every track. The Championship Challenge was his eighth stakes victory. This year alone he also scored in the Bank of America Canterbury Park Challenge Championship, Bob Moore Memorial Stakes-G2, and Skip Zimmerman Memorial.
“It’s been fun to watch him—he continues to get better and better,” said Lepic. “That doesn’t always happen. He just loves to run. He’s very laid back on the track and knows his business. Kasey talks about how he’s one of the best horses he’s ever trained.”
Lepic had six horses in training with Willis this season.
“We’ve won a lot of stakes with Kasey,” said Lepic. “It’s a good partnership.”
Being a colt, The Fiscal Cliff may retire to stud next year, though Lepic didn’t rule out racing him in 2018 at age 5.
“He’s sound and he could run next year,” said the owner.
Lepic bred The Fiscal Cliff in Iowa from Signs Zoomer, a mare he bought from Jill Mixer.
“She was my partner on Spit Curl Diva,” said Lepic. “I was in Oklahoma one weekend, and she told me she had a mare for sale.”
Spit Curl Diva, who earned $829,353, was
the 2010 Champion Aged Horse and Aged Mare and the 2011 Champion Aged Mare. She still holds the Prairie Meadows track record of :21.162 for 440 yards.
Signs Zoomer is a winning half-sister to stakes winners First Painted Sign and Second Painted Sign. The mare has produced four winners from six starters, including multiple stakes winner Wagon Tales.
Margo Schares bred and co-owns Three Olives N Smoke (Jess Louisiana Blue-Smokin Corona), who finished second under Cesar Gomez for trainer John Hammes. Brad Thomas co-owns the 4-year-old gelding with Schares.
Michael Teel’s homebred AJs High (Apollitical Jess-Regally Rare) ran third under Stormy Smith for trainer Charlton Hunt.
Completing the field were Sky Bo Dash (Bodacious Dash-Sky Chicks), Fast Man Vic (Mighty Invictus-Precious Debutante), Flash N Bling (First Down Dash-Suzy Cartel), Mr PYC To You (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Stylish Sign), Mals First Down (Shazoom-First A Princess), Air Force Won (Ketel Won-Forced To Win), Okeyfreight (Freighttrain B-Okey Dokey Eyes), Rockin Disco (Rock Solid Jess-Check This Disco) & Sign Of Corona (Coronas Fast Dash-Electric Sign).
this
Winning connections for The Fiscal Cliff include owner/breeder Thomas D. Lepic, trainer Kasey Willis & jockey Benito Baca
132 SPEEDHORSE, November 2017
Prairie Meadows $345,000 • 440 yards :21.297 • si 109
Corona Cartel
PYC Paint Your Wagon
Dashin Follies
THE FISCAL CLIFF, ’13-c.
Shazoom
Signs Zoomer
Stylish Sign