Tradition Alive as Corona Chick Wins Governors Cup

Corona Chick’s victory in the $150,000 Governors Cup Futurity Saturday at Los Alamitos Race Course carried on a quarter horse tradition.

The 2-year-old filly, who won the richest race at the Orange County Racing Fair by 1 1/4 lengths, has followed in the path of her sire, Chicks Beduino. Chicks Beduino won the 1986 Futurity when the race was run at the California State Fair in Sacramento.

Corona Chick, the 8-5 favorite under Kip Didericksen, had a head lead midway through the race and ran away from the field at the end. She paid $5.40, $3.60 and $3. Almost Illegal finished second and paid $3.80 and $3. Sir Austin Duncan paid $8.80 to show.

The time of the race--17.54 seconds for 350 yards--was the fastest at that distance at this year’s fair. It was Corona Chick’s fourth victory in six starts and boosted her career earnings to $87,407. Robert Etchandy of Anaheim Hills is the owner and Frank Monteleone is the trainer.

The victory also moved Corona Chick to the top of the 2-year-old filly division entering the quarter horse meeting at Los Alamitos, which begins Friday night.

“The only thing that concerned me was how she was going to break,” said Etchandy, who before Saturday had not won a major futurity in 12 years as a quarter horse owner.

“That’s the first time I know of her breaking,” said Didericksen, who leads the nation in quarter horse jockey earnings this year. “Tonight she left good and really got to running.”

Elegant Bargain, the 6-5 favorite, won the $50,000 Orange County Handicap for older thoroughbreds. With Gary Stevens aboard, the 6-year-old took the lead on the far turn to win by five lengths. The winning time for the mile and 1/16 was 1:41.15.