HOLLYWOOD PARK / QUARTER HORSE MEETING : Corona Chick Lucky With 13

Corona Chick extended her winning streak to 13 races on Saturday, winning a trial for the Southern California Derby and moving within one of tying the quarter horse record for most consecutive victories.

The record is shared by Josies Bar, a stakes winner from the early 1950s, and Destiny Drummer, who raced in the Pacific Northwest in the early 1980s. Corona Chick’s victory in Saturday’s trial ties her with Special Effort, who won his first 13 races in 1981.

Corona Chick’s next start will be the $14,600 Southern California Derby on Sept. 12.

“I’m glad we got past 13. I don’t like that number,” said Bob Etchandy, Corona Chick’s owner. “Records are nice, but winning is what counts.”

Last year, Corona Chick won 10 of 12 starts, including her last eight. The streak included four of the biggest races for 2-year-olds at Los Alamitos. This year, she has won five races, including the Governor’s Cup Derby on Aug. 8, a victory by a neck over Holland Ease.

Trainer Frank Monteleone considered running the filly in a stake during Labor Day weekend, but the Southern California Derby carries a much richer purse.

“I’m starting to feel the pressure, but I don’t know if the horse does,” Etchandy said. “The guys with the big winning streaks must feel the pressure. I don’t think I’ll ever breed another like her. I’m as lucky as you can get in the horse business.”

In Saturday’s trial, Corona Chick broke well and had half a length lead over Poetic Motions midway through the 400-yard race, extending it to three quarters of a length at the wire under Kip Didericksen.

The time of 19.63 seconds was 0.04 seconds off the 1987 track record of Kipscash and marks the seventh time Corona Chick has been the fastest qualifier for a futurity or derby. She has won all five of her starts in such races.

“She just keeps winning. That’s the only way I can get people quiet,” Monteleone said. “I’ll train for 50 more years, and I’ll never get one like her.”

Didericksen and Bruce Pilkenton qualified horses last Thursday for the All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in Ruidoso, N.M. Didericksen won the futurity in 1990 with Refrigerator and was second last year with Ed Grimley. He will ride Royal Down Dash, the third-fastest qualifier, who finished second in a trial behind Perfect Victory, who qualified in 21.17 seconds, the fastest 440 yards run by a 2-year-old at Ruidoso.

Pilkenton, victorious in 1984 with Eastex, has the mount on the 10th-fastest qualifier, Heart Trick, who needed a large dose of luck to earn a spot in the final. She tied with Racin Deal for the 10th-fastest qualifying time on Thursday and won a random shake the next day that determined which horse advanced to the Labor Day final.

The All American Futurity carries a purse of $1,890,986, down from last year’s $2 million, but still the richest purse in quarter horse racing by far. Only two horses with California races--Nolan Ryan and Four Forty Blast--entered the All American trials, but neither earned spots in the final.

Mega Dash, who won the Kindergarten Futurity and was second in the Dash For Cash Futurity at Los Alamitos, is the top qualifier for the Ed Burke Memorial Futurity on Sept. 13. The 2-year-old gelding, by First Down Dash, won a trial race on Sunday in 17.61 seconds under Didericksen.

Owned by Paul Reed and trained by Jesse Maldonado, Mega Dash broke his maiden in the Kindergarten Futurity and then ran third in the Dash For Cash Futurity trials and second, by a nose, in the finals on July 25.

Other qualifiers include Ms Palazzo, The Rainbow Ranger, Beinbetter, Firstdown Touchdown, Avison, Casanova Lady, Easily A Secret, Special Love Of Mine and Check Her Twice. Easily A Secret, who was a trial winner on Sunday, was third in the Kindergarten and second in the Governor’s Cup Futurity.

Hollywood Park Notes

Braceabo, a 3-year-old $20,000 claimer, set a track record on Friday night, running 350 yards in 17.36 seconds. It was the second time during the Hollywood Park meeting that the 350-yard track mark had been broken. Second Down Dash did it during opening weekend.

Two stakes races are scheduled for this weekend--the $20,000 Vandys Flash Handicap for 3-year-olds on Saturday and the $20,000 Denim N Diamonds Handicap for fillies and mares on Sunday.

Corona Chick is the highweight for both races but won’t return until the Southern California Derby finals on Sept. 12. With that in mind, Bills Ryon and Bobby Beduino are the 123-pound highweights for the Vandys Flash Handicap.

Reeds Signature leads the Denim N Diamonds field.