One Famous Glass upsets Country Boy 123 in $50,760 Bank of America Challenge
AJAX DOWNS, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 – Ajax Downs trainer Bryn Robertson was expected to saddle the winner of the $50,760 Bank of America Challenge on September 3 but it wasn’t the horse whom most expected that took down the important Quarter Horse dash.
In a huge upset, One Famous Glass edged reigning Horse of the Year Country Boy 123 in the 440-yard dash in front of a large holiday weekend crowd. The race was filmed and covered by the American Quarter Horse channel Raceview Network, based in Oklahoma City, OK which sent a crew to Ajax Downs for the first time.
One Famous Glass, known as ‘Eagle’ pulled off the surprise win by out-breaking Country Boy 123, who had been unbeaten in three races in 2017 and was a bet down to 2 to 5 odds.. The venerable 7-year-old gelding, ridden by longtime Ajax Downs jockey Tony Phillips, never gave up the lead, holding off the big favourite by a diminishing half length.
“Country Boy didn’t seem to break as well as he usually does” said Robertson, who trains that champion for owner Ruth Barbour. “And Eagle broke like a rocket today and that was the difference.”
One Famous Glass is owned by Robertson’s wife Carol, daughter-in-law Jaime and Dr. Charles Hall. The stocky gelding, who was the Horse of the Year at Ajax in 2013, has won 17 of 35 career races and he has earned just over $247,000.
The Bank of America victory earned One Famous Glass an automatic berth to the $330,000 (US) Bank of America Final at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa on Oct. 14.
If Robertson elects to keep the gelding at Ajax Downs, there could be a re-match with Country Boy 123 in the Oct. 9 Alex Picov Memorial Championship worth $100,000.
**There is holiday racing at Ajax Downs on Labour Day Monday, September 4 and a second day of sports tickets giveaways. Post time for the first of seven races is 12:55 p.m.
(Photo below of ONE FAMOUS GLASS (2) edging COUNTRY BOY 123 (Yellow cap) in the $50,000 Bank of America Challenge by Clive Cohen – New Image Media)
