Ten runners to dash for $54,000

Quarter Horses, 3-Year-Olds & Up, 440 Yards

Sunday’s race features the 10 fastest qualifiers from the 440-yard trials held Saturday, August 6, which were swept by trainer Mark Hanson and jockey Nakia Ramirez. In the first trial, James First Affair prevailed by a head over Sorelli in :21.926, and in the second Rtm Mr Caccia overcame a rough start to nip Stella Corona in :22.192.

Sunday’s winner qualifies for the $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1), Saturday, October 29, at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif.

QUALIFIERS FOR SUNDAY’S RACE

(Qualifying held Aug. 6)

James First Affair, :21.926

Sorelli, :21.959

Rtm Mr Caccia, :22.192

Stella Corona, :22.196

Klassic Secret BR, :22.316

Hes a Bugin, :22.376

My Best Bunny Yet, :22.393

Quematierras, :22.394

Lebron 6, :22.457

Bh Lisas Boy, winner of last year’s Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge, has already earned a berth in the race with a victory in the Bank of America Regional Challenge last week at Los Alamitos. Ridden by Jesus Ayala for owner/trainer Bill Hoburg, the 4-year-old Idaho-bred ran 440 yards in :21.456 seconds.

Eddie Aceves, who rides morning line favorite James First Affair, guided Chicks Special Angel to a 1 ½-length victory in the 2014 Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge.

Today’s 10-horse field includes four fillies—My Best Bunny Yet, Sorelli, Stella Corona and Klassic Secret Br—all bidding to join Chicks Special Angel as fillies or mares to win the race.

Trainer Roddina Barrett (Sorelli and Stella Corona) has dominated Quarter Horse racing this season at Emerald Downs with a 7-5-1 record in 19 starts.