LOS ALAMITOS : Refrigerator Keeps His Cool With Victory

After riding Refrigerator to an impressive victory in Saturday’s Vessels Maturity, jockey Kip Didericksen brought the 4-year-old gelding back to the winner’s circle to meet a smiling Blane Schvaneveldt.

The trainer and jockey shook hands and admired the two-time champion, one of the favorites for World Champion, quarter horse racing’s horse of the year award. In his own way, Refrigerator appeared to be enjoying the moment as well.

“He loves this, doesn’t he?” Didericksen said. “He thinks this is fun. He really loves to run.”

Refrigerator’s 1 1/4-length victory over Shawnes Diamond in the Vessels was the gelding’s first stakes triumph since the Kansas Derby a year ago. It was his third victory in four starts at Los Alamitos. His only loss was in the Champion of Champions last December, the most prestigious race for older horses.

Owner Jim Helzer of Arlington, Tex., decided last winter to send Refrigerator to Schvaneveldt at Los Alamitos instead of Ruidoso Downs, N.M., where as a 2-year-old he won the $2-million All-American Futurity. That victory earned him the title of 2-year-old champion of 1990. Last year he added the 3-year-old gelding champion award to his growing resume.

Ruidoso requires trials for all of its major races for older horses, whereas California uses the invitational format and offers more lucrative purses.

The exception is the Vessels Maturity, which held trials June 13. Last year at Ruidoso, Refrigerator had trouble recuperating from difficult trials in the finals of the Rainbow and All-American derbies, where he was second. A midyear illness and subsequent respiratory infection were blamed for the lapses.

When Refrigerator ran faster in the Vessels final than he had in the trial, Helzer, Schvaneveldt and Didericksen were pleased.

“I’m more impressed with the way he’s coming back this year,” Helzer said. “Last year, he was totally knocked out after a race. It took him seven to 10 days to recuperate, and now it’s a lot quicker.”

Helzer does not anticipate the gelding starting more than six times this year. His next start is expected to be July 24 in the Los Alamitos Championship. A victory in that invitational, or in the Breeders’ Championship Classic at Hollywood Park on Oct. 3, would give Refrigerator an automatic berth in the Champions of Champions in December.

Last year, his Ruidoso record only qualified him for the Champion of Champions trials. That difficult race in early December, two weeks before the $250,000 final, might have cost him the victory and the World Champion title.

“He was super last year, but he didn’t bounce back from the (Champion of Champions) trials and (Ruidoso trainer) Sleepy (Gilbreath) said that he didn’t bounce back there, either,” Schvaneveldt said. “He should be tough from here. He doesn’t have to run in any trials.”

Refrigerator’s victory Saturday was worth $42,210 and increased his earnings to $1,399,622, sixth on the all-time list of quarter horse money earners. Eastex leads with $1,869,406.

Refrigerator wasn’t the only winner Saturday night with a promising future. In the race before the Vessels Maturity, a 2-year-old filly named Down With Debt won an allowance race, scoring her second victory in two starts.

Down With Debt is owned by Dr. George Haddad of Costa Mesa and trained by Charlie Bloomquist. She won by a neck over Dashing Noble, completing the 300 yards in 15.45 seconds. The only faster time at that distance this season was Down With Debt’s maiden victory June 13 in 15.43 seconds.

The First Down Dash filly’s success is a reflection of Haddad’s decade-long involvement in quarter horse racing. Haddad bred Down With Debt’s dam, I Owe You Me, who won the 1986 Governor’s Cup Derby at Los Alamitos and also was Bloomquist-trained.

Her next start is expected to be the Dash For Cash Futurity trials July 11, a 400-yard test. The finals are July 25, and if Down With Debt qualifies for the finals and impresses Haddad and Bloomquist, she may be sent to Ruidoso Downs for a shot at the All-American Futurity.

“If she does well in the Dash, we’ll consider the All-American,” Haddad said. “I like her very much. We’ve been bringing her along as slow as we could. We didn’t put her in the Kindergarten Futurity (in June) so we could point for the Dash For Cash Futurity and the All-American.”

The Dash For Cash will be more difficult than the Kindergarten because of the 400-yard distance and a larger cast of trial horses than the Kindergarten, which was divided by sex. Mega Dash, who won the Kindergarten Futurity for colts and geldings, will be in the trials. So may Pip Pip, whose status will not be determined until next week, because of a severe hoof injury she suffered in the Kindergarten Futurity for fillies, where she finished in a dead heat for first.

Down With Debt, who beat a strong field of winners in Saturday’s allowance, impressed jockey G.R. Carter.

“She ran kind of green in the maiden race, and we just wanted to give her another out before the trials to make sure she was fit,” he said.

“I’ve been telling everyone about her for two months. You always have high hopes, but I think she sure is a nice filly.”

Los Alamitos Notes

Martin Rubalcava is the newest member of the jockey roster. He has been named to ride Ms Supercharger in Thursday’s second race. Rubalcava was one of the leading riders at Manor Downs in Texas at the recently concluded spring-summer meeting. . . . Sweeten The Pot, who has won the Kweah Bar and Shue fly handicaps so far this meeting, is the 123-pound highweight for Friday’s $20,000 Double Bid Handicap. . . . Saturday’s Independence Day Handicap for California-breds features Dash Down First, who won the Town Policy Handicap in early May, and Song In My Dreams, who was second to Bills Ryon in the Bobby Doyle Handicap June 19.

KA Czubuthan won the $10,900 Markel California Handicap by five lengths on the Vessels Maturity undercard. Last Friday, Adorya won the $11,200 Halali Distaff Handicap. The 7-year-old mare is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, a prominent thoroughbred owner.