Page 172 - Speedhorse, December 2018

AQHA Challenge Championship Weekend
Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship-G1
MICKEY WARD
By Tracy Gantz
The Fales family of Arizona brought two horses to Los Alamitos for the Nov. 17 Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship-G1. Both are out of the mare A Mere Formality, and they finished first and third.
Mickey Ward, the mare’s 2011 foal by FDD Dynasty, won the race, while A Mere Icon, her 4 year old by Texas Icon, ran third. Jorge Bourdieu piloted Mickey Ward, who broke on top and led throughout the 870- yard Distance Challenge Championship, scoring by a head in :45.538.
Ralph and Carolyn Fales bred Mickey Ward and A Mere Icon in Arizona, and they race them both. Their son, Matthew, trains the two geldings. Mickey Ward has won the Turf Paradise Distance Challenge three times.
A Mere Formality has produced eight winners in nine starters. In
addition to Mickey Ward and
A Mere Icon, she is the dam
of stakes winner Rockish and stakes-placed Allshewants and A Mere Corona.
R R a a r r e e E E d d ( ( D D e e a a n n M M i i r r a a c c l l e e - - M M s s
C C o o r r o o n n a a J J e e t t) ) f f i i n n i i s s h h e e d d s s e e c c o o n n d d
with Justine Klaiber up. Ricardo
G G u u i i l l l l e e n n t t r r a a i i n n s s t t h h e e 7 7- - y y e e a a r r- - o o l l d d
g g e e l ld d i i n n g g f f o or r o ow w n ne e r r s s A A n n g g e e l l Villalobos-Hernandez and Jose
Marin. Rare Ed won the 2016
A AQ Q H H A A D D i i s s t t a a n n c c e e C C h h a a l l l l e e n n g g e e Championship-G1, 2017
Emerald Downs Distance Challenge, and 2018 T Tu u r r f f P P a a r r a a d d i i s s e e D D i i s s t t a a n n c c e e C C h h a a l l l l e e n n g g e e . .
Third-place A Mere Icon (Texas Icon-A Mere Formality) has won four of 18 starts. The victories came in a claiming race, an
allowance-optional claiming race, and two maiden races. That anomaly occurred because in the first maiden race, A Mere Icon finished
t h i rd , a nd he won t he s e c ond ma iden race before t he f irst two finishers were disquali-
f ied due to posit ive te st s.
C omple t i n g t he
field were Mahoney N Tacklebery (Favorite
C a r t e l - F o u n t a i n B l e u ), Hes A Bugin (Sixthirteen-
TB-Missy Nickle Bac), and Glittering Blue ( J e s s L o u i s i a n a B l u e - G l i t t e r G a l o r e ) .
Los Alamitos $100,000 • 870 yards :45.538 • si 93
First Down Dash
FDD Dynasty
Dinastia Toll Brz
MICKEY WARD, ’11-g.
Leaving Memories
A Mere Formality
Amira
Mickey Ward’s winning connections include owners Carolyn & Ralph Fales, trainer Matthew Fales and jockey Jorge Bourdieu.
Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos