LOS ALAMITOS - Favorite Cartel won the Grade 1 Bank of America Challenge Championship worth $353,500 last Saturday at Los Alamitos Race Course.Favorite Cartel is partially owned by Thompson Racing Inc., headed by Downey High School alum Terry Thompson. "He finally has his Grade 1 win and we've been hoping for that for a long time," Thompson said after the race. "I had tears in my eyes. This is for my grandpa who died two weeks ago." Winning the Bank of America was a big deal for Favorite Cartel, who has been a frequent Grade 1 competitor in a career that has included the All American Futurity and Derby, Rainbow Futurity and Derby, and Los Alamitos Super Derby. The Bank of America Championship ranks as his first Grade 1 victory. Favorite Cartel now has nine wins in 23 starts and earnings of $583,069. After the race, trainer Paul Jones announced a 50 percent stake in the horse had been sold. "A deal has just been finalized in which Dr. Steve Burns has purchased 50 percent ownership of the horse from R.D. Hubbard and Jim Helzer," Jones said. "It's a done deal and Dr. Burns now owns half of the horse. Thompson Racing owns 25 percent and I own 25 percent. Favorite Cartel will stand at Burns Ranch in 2012 and you can print that in big, bold headlines." Favorite Cartel is out of the winning Corona Cartel mare Shenoshercorona, who is also the dam of stakes winner Shescheckinumout and stakes-placed Hes Regal. Among the horses that Favorite Cartel is expected to face in the Champion of Champions are two very rich stablemates in Los Alamitos Invitational Championship winner Jess You And I and Los Alamitos Winter Championship winner Good Reason SA.

********** Published: November 03, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 29