Story by Andrea Caudill, AQHA
Horsemen racing in the Bank of America Racing Challenge’s juvenile division have an additional incentive if they are racing horses that went through Heritage Place Sale Co.’s September or November 2021 sales.
Horseshoe Indianapolis, in cooperation with the American Quarter Horse Association and Heritage Place Inc., is offering a $15,000 incentive bonus open to yearlings who were sold in either the September Yearling Sale or November Mixed Sale at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City.
The bonus will be awarded to the Heritage Place Sale graduate who is the highest official finisher in the 2022 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) at Horseshoe Indianapolis, held during the Bank of America Challenge Championships on October 22.
There are approximately 900 2-year-olds that are potentially eligible for the bonus.
“We wanted to do something that would show how invested we are in making the 2022 Challenge Championships one of the highlights of the season,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing, in a track release. “Our program has been growing annually and we have some very nice Quarter Horses emerging in our state. To be able to bring this series to Indiana and add a little incentive, it will boost our local program and give our horsemen a chance to step onto the national stage.”
Among the horses already in contention for the bonus is Lance Moore’s Jes An Angel, who is already a stakes winner.
Moore bought the Jess Zoomin filly at the 2021 Heritage Place Yearling Sale, and has already seen her take the Old South Futurity and earn $94,306 from five starts.
She is qualified to the John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge, and if she qualifies to the $150,000-est. final in October, she would not only be competing for a chunk of the rich purse and graded stakes black type, but also be in contention for the additional bonus check.
“The leaders at Horseshoe Indianapolis have produced a very innovative way to help horsemen,” said Janet VanBebber, Chief Racing Officer at AQHA. “If you have an eligible horse, this is your opportunity to score some ‘free money’ while also accumulating success in the rich Bank of America Racing Challenge.”
In the past three editions of the John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship, 43 percent of the competitors that had been offered at public auction during their yearling year were sold through Heritage Place’s sales.
“Being able to offer such a unique incentive for our yearling sale graduates is really exciting,” said Spence Kidney, General Manager of Heritage Place Inc. AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA Racing on Twitter, "like" Q-Racing on Facebook, and visit www.aqha.com/racing.
Photo of Jes An Angel from the Old South Futurity at Delta Downs by Coady Photography
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