Good Reason SA
3-Year-Old Colt
(Favorite Trick – Queen Of Appeals by First Down Dash)

Qualified by posted the second fastest time in the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials

Lifetime Record: 7-5-1-0, $930,645          2010 Record: 3-2-1-0, $119,850

Apollitical Jess' track record victory in the 400-yard Los Alamitos Super Derby made him one of the heavy favorites to win the 2010 Champion of Champions. That suits Good Reason SA just fine, as he has previously beaten Apollitical Jess under similar conditions when the two last met in the 2009 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. Making only his fourth career start ever in the Two Million, Good Reason SA took advantage of a clean trip to beat fastest qualifier Apollitical Jess at odds of 23.50 to 1. The son of Favorite Trick returns to the brightest lights in Quarter Horse racing with little fanfare. The California-bred has only raced three times this year with his biggest moment being a victory in the Golden State Derby.

Owned by breeder Gianna Samaja of Brazil, Good Reason SA had an injured tibia early in his 2-year-old year. As a result, he was lightly raced with only four starts under his belt. The lack of experience did not seem to bother him in last year's Two Million – he was the most lightly raced horse in the field – and it might just help him once again in the 440 yard distance of the Champion of Champions. A seven-time starter in his career, Good Reason SA is by far the horse with the fewest career outings. Apollitical Jess is the closest one to him in that category and he's made 13 career starts.

"He had a little surgery in his ankle and knee after the Two Million but his issues were not big stuff to worry about," said Vince Genco, who manages Samaja's horse in the U.S. "We wanted to clean it up in order to avoid any possible big problems later in his career. The key was that we gave him plenty of time to recover from the surgery. This horse has been sound and Paul is the master when it comes to handling horses. We've never seen (Good Reason SA) run 440 yards, but we'll now have a chance to do that in the Champion of Champions. He's big and strong and I think he'll enjoy running that distance."

Good Reason SA qualified to this race by finishing with the second fastest qualifying time in the trials to the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors. Prior to that start, he won the Grade 1 Golden State Derby over a very game performer in Princelike.

"He proved to be a little too big and a little too strong for the (Golden State Derby) field," said Cody Jensen, who piloted Good Reason SA on that night for trainer Paul Jones.

**

"Good Reason SA is owned by a great guy from Brazil named Gianni Samaja," Genco said. "Gianni has some health issues that keep from coming to the United States but (winning races) do wonders for his spirit. Gianni has won everything there is to win in Quarter Horse racing in Brazil , but (the 2009 Two Million Futurity) is without a doubt that biggest race that he's ever won."

Samaja is recognized as one of Brazil 's most influential breeders and has been racing horses for over 50 years in his native country. He has been racing horses in the United States for nearly 20 years. This is his first owner ever in the Champion of Champions.

The SA in the name of Good Reason SA stands not only for Samaja's ranch, Santo Angelo, but also for South America , a region of the world that is currently experiencing great growth in Quarter Horse racing. There are now various Brazilian horsemen competing at Los Alamitos and many of their performers are Grade 1 winners at the Orange County track. Brazilians Benny Rosset and Marcelo Jorge have each won Grade 1 stakes races at Los Alamitos this year.

Good Reason SA's is a colt out of Samaja's prized mare Queen of Appeals. She is also mother of Get Him Out SA, who finished seventh in the Golden State Derby. Queen of Appeals has produced multiple Grade 1 finalist Special Queen SA and also a full brother to Special Queen SA that currently stands as stallion for Samaja in Brazil.

"(Queen of Appeals) has done well for Gianni," Genco said. "Gianni has a good sized ranch in Brotas in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil . The ranch has citrus, beef ankle and horses. In the past few years Gianni has cut back the cattle and cut back on his Thoroughbred horses. He is concentrating on his Quarter Horses and he keeps a lot of his babies there. He has about 150 horses and that includes Corona For Me (runner-up to A Regal Choice in the Los Alamitos Million Futurity in 2003) and (2006 Los Alamitos Winter Championship winner) Gold Medal Jess."

Genco likes his horse with a little bit of attitude. " Good Reason SA has an attitude. He's a little ornery. He can also be clown. He will try to bite you or kick you. Stylish Jess Br is the same way. In my limited experience around horses, I think that you need that little bit of attitude and personality. We have a (sibling) to ($500,000 winner) Fantastic Corona Jr and when they told that the horse tried to kick someone I said, 'oh good!' " Genco added with a laugh.

Last year, Good Reason SA made a spectacular racing debut on September 10,2009. The colt won a 300-yard maiden race in a time of :15.20 to give him the fastest 300-yard time for a 2-year-old at Los Alamitos last season.

**

Paul Jones is without a doubt one of history's greatest Quarter Horse trainers. Inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame on June 26, 2010, Jones ranks as the all-time leading money-earning Quarter horse trainer. Jones has recently dominated Quarter Horse racing with eight-straight titles as the nation's champion quarter horse trainer. In December 2009, Jones became the all-time leading money earning quarter horse trainer when he surpassed Blane Schvaneveldt. Jones has earned around $58 million in his career. In 2009, Last year, Jones' horses earned a record $7,481,604, which was more than $2,000,000 above the second- and third-leading money earning trainers combined. Jones is pacing the field once again in 2010, as his horses have earned a nation's best $3.5 million. Jones also ranks first in the nation in Quarter Horse wins with 162 – 32 more than his closest pursuer, Adan Farias.

Jones is going after his fifth Champion of Champions victories. He won the race three straight years with Whosleavingwho, The Down Side and Cash For Kas from 2002 to 2004. He picked up another win in 2006 with World Champion Wave Carver. Last year's banner year also include winning the All American Futurity with Runnning Brook Gal and sweeping the top three spots in the Grade 1 All American Derby. Good Reason SA completed a great year for the trainer by winning the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. Good Reason SA's sire is the late Thoroughbred stallion Favorite Trick, an Eclipse Award winning racehorse at the age of 2, who died in a barn fire in New Mexico in 2006.