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SATURDAY NIGHT BELONGS TO SATURDAY NITE FEVER

Reyes Salcedo was speechless after watching Saturday Nite Fever pummel his rivals to win the $200,000 Bayer Legend Derby Challenge.

"I was being interviewed by Chris Kotulak of TVG and my mind went blank," Salcedo said. "I couldn't think straight because I was so excited about Saturday Nite Fever's victory. Even right now, I can't tell you how the horse left the gate. It's like my mind went blank. All I remember is looking at him and then watching him take the lead a few strides after the start. Then I focused on him and I saw him on the way to victory. It's an amazing feeling. We had a lot of confidence on the horse. We figured that he could run a very big race."

Just don't ask Reyes to give you a blow-by-blow description of the race.

A gelded son of Check Him Out, bred by Dutch Masters III, Saturday Nite Fever earned $92,000 in a 400-yard stakes record performance of :19.297. The chestnut gelding broke the stakes record of :19.52 shared by LDS Dash For Dylan and Magical Thunder.  

"This is (my) biggest win," Salcedo said. "I'm still in a little bit of shock."

Hector Jaime Hernandez saddled Saturday Nite Fever, who was ridden by Santiago Mendez. He has now won four of 10 starts. He's hit the board in eight of those outings.

Trainer Cody Joiner saddled the second and third place finishers of this race. James Burgess' Skyline Lover was the runner-up, while TQHA Sale Futurity and Bayer Legend Texas Derby Challenge winner Jodys Money Pop finished third.

Call Me Tater, Lady Streakin Leader, Iona Corona, Lassie Otoole, Extraordinaress, Eyesa Dreamin, and Quattro completed the field.

HOIST MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

When it comes to Michael Isom-owned and bred runner Hoist Mission, the gelded son of Maknmoves is good for a win or a second place finish every time he has gone out to the track in his racing career. In his first six lifetime starts, Hoist Mission has racked up three wins and has been runner-up another three times.  

Hoist Mission

The running of the $150,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge was no different in terms of results for Hoist Mission, as the Utah-bred was certain to finish either first or second following a great battle with Crystal Sola in the final 100 yards of the 350-yard contest. Moments after the photo finish sign stopped flashing on the toteboard, Hoist Mission was declared the winner for the fourth time in his racing career. Ridden by Zacharie Kelsey for trainer Blane Schvaneveldt headed Crystal Sola by a nose while covering the 350 yards in :17.424. Hoist Mission earned $69,000 for the win, about $3,000 more than the combined earnings he had accumulated in his previous six starts.

"I've had horses for Michael Isom for a long, long time," said Schvaneveldt, who was picking up his fourth training win in this race. "I used to keep mares for him and breed and we've had some horses together in the past. This horse that just won is the first racehorse I've had for him in quite sometime."

Schvaneveldt won the first running of this race in 1993 with First Gray Down. His second win came with Ronnie Jace in 2001 before Willie Works scored in the 2003 running. The veteran trainer also raved about the winning rider aboard Hoist Mission.

"Kelsey is a good jockey," Schvaneveldt said. "I love this kid. He works hard. He rides great. He is a definite keeper."

The Oklahoma invader Crystal Sola earned $30,000 for running second, a half-length ahead of third place finisher Regal Rockn. Pacifico Breeze, Miss Eye Stocks, Pauls Gray Dream, De Elegant Dream, Cosabella, Corona Street and Atwinkleinhereyes completed the field.

10-YEAR-OLD WINS FORT DODGE STARTER ALLOWANCE

The old pro is not ready to hang up the racing horseshoes just yet. Danny Montes' Santispac, a 10-year gelded son of Splash Bac, won the Fort Dodge Starter Allowance in impressive form, as he held off Willies Swings by a neck in a 350-yard time of :17.615.

Santispac did not race from June 2007 until October 2008, but in between those starts the Vessels Stallion Farm-bred runner simply wanted to run. "He didn't want to be retired," Montes said. "He wasn't a happy horse. He likes to run. Maybe we'll run him as an 11-year-old. He just won one of the biggest races of his entire career, so we'll see how he feels in the morning and just maybe we'll run him again."

Ridden by Noe Garcia, Santispac has now won three races and hit the board in five of his six starts since his October '08 comeback. "He's breaking pretty sharp and finishing nicely. He's a fun horse."

Willie Swings, Victorys Wicked Lad, Safehaven, Mister Jess Legacy, Dashing Strawfly, Eye Zoom Too, Looks Like A Dart, Strike Light, and Eyesa High complete the field.

GREAT ACTION IN UNDERCARD RACES

The festivities on Bank of America Challenge Night included five undercard races. Jim Hanson and Var Reeve's El Chino Davalos continued his winning ways, as he picked up his sixth victory in 10 starts this year while taking home the $25,000 Nutrena Starter Allowance Stakes. El Chino Davalos was second in the 550-Yard California Breeders Sophomore Stakes four races back... Ed Allred's Look Her Over, who has spent most of her career facing the toughest runners on the grounds, won the $25,000 AQHA Members Plus Program Stakes for mares. Look Her Over was third in last year's Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship and third in the Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap. This was the first time in 2009 that she had finished better than third... Masters Call won for the eighth time in 16 career starts after humbling a field of older horses in the $25,000 Farnam Stakes. Masters Call won the 440-yard race in a super time of :21.17... Dillingham Handicap winner Hulapai got the job done in the Wrangler Stakes for 3-year-olds. Owned by Carlos Romero, Hulapai came into this race after finishing second to Hard Hitting in the Governor's Cup Derby on July 25... Sparky E Boy, who was third in the Autumn Handicap in his last start, rallied impressively from seven at the start to win the Q-Racing Juvenile Stakes by a comfortable neck in the undercard event for 2-year-olds. Zacharie Kelsey rode Sparky E Boy.

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