© Coady Photography
StallionEsearch – May 17, 2016 – Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge Winner, MAXX (Pyc Paint Your Wagon–Bullions N Garters, by Bully Bullion) is a Heritage Place Yearling Sale Graduate! Congratulations to the connections!
Trainer Rolando Almanza has a very good track record with 2-year-olds in the John Deere Texas Juvenile Challenge (G3). Last year, he won the stakes with Undivided Atemption. Today, he and rider Manuel Gutierrez teamed up with Maxx for owner Irma Z. Vargas. The son of Pyc Paint Your Wagon, out of the Bully Bullion mare Bullions N Garters, was just making his second career start. He ran second to fastest qualifier Teardrops At The Bar in trials on April 22, but reversed the order of finish in today’s final. Breaking from post position five, Maxx finished with authority, covering 350 yards in :17.502.
“It’s always a blessing and I thank the Lord,” said Almanza. “He broke great today; got out front and stayed there. We knew he could run and everything worked out.”
Almanza also saddled Shez Freaky, owned by Mario Lozano-Cantu, who ran fourth in the $268,000 Harrah’s Futurity at Louisiana Downs on March 23.
“We had a lot of faith in her, but also in Maxx,” added Almanza. “He ran a little funny in the trials, so we made some changes and it seemed to make a big difference.”
Teardrops at the Bar ran second under jockey Luis Vivanco. Bred and owned by James Hrabovsky and J. Leann Nalls, the homebred son of champion sire Separatist picked up $13,878 to boost his three race total more than $20,000. The gelding from the First To Shine mare Eye Shine Special had won both his starts prior to the John Deere Juvenile.