Munnings Challenge
Munnings Challenge | Coady Media
Munnings ChallengeNovogratz Racing Stable LLC's Munnings Challenge (c, 3, Munnings–Amy's Challenge, by Artie Schiller) pulled away from his rivals in the final furlong of a six-furlong maiden Saturday at Oaklawn, improving on a debut runner-up effort to become the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard...
Novogratz Racing Stable LLC's Munnings Challenge (c, 3, Munnings–Amy's Challenge, by Artie Schiller) pulled away from his rivals in the final furlong of a six-furlong maiden Saturday at Oaklawn, improving on a debut runner-up effort to become the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard.
The 2-5 jolly nearly beat the bell from the outside stall, exhibiting his dam's speedy tendencies, but he switched off nicely enough in transit to rate in a three-wide third down the back of the track, with the opening quarter posted in a strong :22.03.
Re-engaging and easing back into the lead with better than 3 1/2 furlongs to race, the Joe Novogratz homebred was ridden cold into the final quarter-mile by Jose Ortiz, who took a confident look over his right shoulder, knowing full well what was underneath him.
Asked to win his race from a furlong out, Ortiz merely shaking the reins at him, Munnings Challenge opened up at will to score by five lengths in 1:09.48, just 0.55 seconds slower than the older male sprinters clocked in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint Stakes about half an hour earlier.
Munnings Challenge had but the one previous appearance under his belt when beaten just under five lengths into second over this course and distance on Mar. 1 by Fancy Fairlane (McKinzie), who was behind 'Rising Star' Golden Tempo (Curlin) on his unveiling at the Fair Grounds.
Acquired by Novogratz for $20,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale, Amy's Challenge beat the boys in her first two career starts at Canterbury Park for trainer Mac Robertson, graduating by 16 1/4 lengths at first asking before punching back to beat Minnesota-bred star and future five-time stakes winner and $700,000 earner Mr. Jagermeister (Atta Boy Roy) in the Shakopee Juvenile Stakes.
That was the first of five added-money successes for Amy's Challenge, three of which were earned at this venue–the 2018 Dixie Belle Stakes and the American Beauty Stakes and Spring Fever Stakes at age four in 2019. Subsequently second, beaten a neck in the GI Madison Stakes at Keeneland and third in the GI Humana Distaff Stakes at Churchill, Amy's Challenge added the McConnell Springs Stakes in Lexington as a 5-year-old in 2020.
Amy's Challenge's youngest produce include the 2-year-old colt Tapit's Challenge (Tapit) and a yearling colt from the final crop of Uncle Mo. She was most recently covered by Not This Time.
