Page 122 - November 2020

AQHA Challenge Championship Weekend
Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1
DANJER
by Tracy Gantz
For three seasons, Danjer has been a model of consistency for Dean Frey, who bred him, trains him, and owns him in partnership
with Downtime Enterprises LLC and Billy G. Smith. On Oct. 24, Danjer won the $251,775 Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1 at The Downs at Albuquerque.
Drawn on the outside in the 440-yard Challenge Championship, Danjer broke a step slowly for jockey Cody Smith. But the 4-year-old gelding immediately got into the race and put on a huge burst of speed approaching the wire. Danjer stuck his head out first at the wire, completing the distance in :21.160, posting a 102 speed index.
Frey was overcome with emotion after the vic- tory, saying that he couldn’t be prouder of his horse.
Smith said that he had confidence in his mount. The jockey has ridden Danjer in all of his 2020 starts and knows him well.
It’s been an excellent year for Danjer, who began at Remington Park with a victory in an allowance/optional claimer. Then came his only unplaced effort of the season, when he was slow to get started in the Debbie Schauf Remington Park Invitational Championship-G1.
Danjer next won the Bank of America Canterbury Park Championship Challenge-G3. He set a New Track Record of :21.062 for 440 yards with the victory.
At Ruidoso Downs, Danjer lost by only a neck to Dexxter in the All American Gold Cup-G1. He followed that with a neck win in the Downs at Albuquerque Championship Handicap-G1, his last outing before the Challenge Championship.
“He likes to train; he’s a professional,” stated Frey.
That professionalism dates back to his 2-year-old season, when Danjer won the 2018 All American Juvenile Stakes at Ruidoso. At
3 last year, he added the First Down Dash Stakes, also at Ruidoso. Altogether, Danjer has 10 firsts, four seconds, and three thirds in 19 starts, for total earnings of $852,772.
A former jockey, Frey spent more than two decades in Southern California. He trained Arabians for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashin
Al Maktoum in addition to training Quarter Horses. Frey noted that he claimed Dashing Fly Lady, the second dam of Danjer, for $2,500.
“She wasn’t the soundest mare in the world, but she had a lot of heart,” Frey said.
Dashing Fly Lady fractured a coffin bone in the rain when dead-heating for victory at Los Alamitos in 1992, ending her racing career. Bred to Take Off Jess, Dashing Fly Lady pro- duced Shez Jess Toxic for Frey.
Danjer and jockey Cody Smith win the $251,775 Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1 by a head.
The Downs At ALB
$251,775 • 440 yards :21.160 • si 102
120 SPEEDHORSE November 2020
FDD DYNASTY
si 102
Bred by: Vessels Stallion Farm/ FAKRI FM L Partner
Raced to 3 • $1,173,001 11-8(3)-1(1)-2(2)
1,054 f., 80 SW • $23,356,032
FIRST DOWN DASH si 105 Bred by: A F Stanley Jr. & B F Phillips Jr.
Raced to 3 • $857,256 15-13(8)-1(1)-0
2,493 f., 258 SW • $89,278,249
Bred by: Dean Frey
Raced to 4 $852,772 19-10(5)-4(3)-3(2)
DINASTIA TOLL BRZ si 97
Bred by: Haras Rancho Das Americas Rod Dr. Antonio Peres Raced to 6 • $191,896 17-7(4)-2(1)-1(1)
42 f., 6 SW • $2,161,777
SHEZ JESS TOXIC
si 108
Bred by: Dean Frey Raced to 5 • $235,421 23-5(3)-8(5)-6(6)
6 f., 1 SW • $876,026
TAKE OFF JESS si 101 Bred by: Henry E. Brown Raced to 2 • $380,087 7-2-3(2)-1
133 f., 9 SW • $1,780,135
DASHING FLY LADY si 104 Bred by: Rip Allen
Raced to 3 • $12,533 15-6-5-1
12f., 3 SW • $421,308
Coady Photography
Danjer, 16-g.