QUARTER HORSES : Refrigerator Wins His Second Title

Refrigerator, who in December became only the second horse to win consecutive runnings of the Champion of Champions, was chosen as 1993 World Champion Running Quarter Horse in voting announced Saturday.

Refrigerator, who won all five of his starts in 1993, was also voted the champion aged horse and champion aged gelding, titles he also won in 1992. He is the first horse to win two World Champion titles since Dash For Cash, who won the 1976 and 1977 Champion of Champions.

Owned by Jim Helzer of Arlington, Tex., Refrigerator was trained in California by trainer of the year Blane Schvaneveldt of Cypress. At Los Alamitos, Refrigerator won the Los Alamitos Championship in September, the Breeders Championship Classic in November and the Champion of Champions in December. His victory in the 440-yard Champion of Champions increased Refrigerator’s career earnings to $1,948,257, the highest in quarter horse racing history.

The American Quarter Horse Assn.’s 58-member Racing Committee and seven members of the media voted on the year-end champions. Of the 10 champions in 1993, eight raced at Los Alamitos.

A Classic Dash, who won the Dash For Cash and All American futurities, was voted champion 2-year-old colt and overall 2-year-old champion. Jumping Tac Flash, the only horse to beat A Classic Dash, was voted champion 2-year-old filly.

Royal Down Dash was voted champion 3-year-old filly and was a surprise winner of the overall 3-year-old championship. Royal Down Dash made four starts at Los Alamitos last summer and was never better than third.

Champion aged mare Sound Dash won the Horsemen’s Quarter Horse Racing Assn. Championship at Los Alamitos in October. Champion aged stallion Six To Five won three stakes in New Mexico last summer and was later third to Refrigerator in the Breeders Championship Classic. Griswold, who won three 870-yard stakes at Los Alamitos, was voted champion distance horse for the third consecutive year.

Edward Allred, a 50% owner of Los Alamitos, was voted owner and breeder of the year. G.R. Carter was voted the leading rider.