LOS ALAMITOS : Down With Debt a Threat to Refrigerator’s Reign

Nine quarter horses are entered in tonight’s $100,000 Vessels Maturity at Los Alamitos, among them some of the best aged runners in the country--and the race may well be a rematch of last month’s Go Man Go Handicap, with much of the attention on defending world champion Refrigerator and the tough mare, Down With Debt.

In previous years, Refrigerator was almost sure to win any race he ran. Owned by Jim Helzer, Refrigerator won 20 of 28 starts, never finishing lower than third. Then the gelding raced Down With Debt in the Go Man Go.

Avenging her loss to Refrigerator in last year’s Champion of Champions, Down With Debt easily won the Go Man Go on Aug. 12. Refrigerator finished fourth for the first time in his career.

“He’s not getting any younger, but that was a tough race,” said Refrigerator’s trainer Blane Schvaneveldt.

According to Schvaneveldt, Refrigerator suffered from sore feet before the Go Man Go, but has been training well lately.

Refrigerator will also race Go Man Go runner-up Avison in the Vessels Maturity, the eighth race on tonight’s card.

Besides the featured Vessels Maturity, stakes races for thoroughbreds and Arabians will also be run tonight. Thoroughbreds will compete in two divisions of the $15,000 Cypress Claiming Handicap, and 3-year-old Arabians are featured in two divisions of the $30,000 California Arabian Cup Juvenile.