LOS ALAMITOS : Refrigerator Ices One on Meeting’s Final Night

Refrigerator chose the perfect time to win his first race of the year, the $200,000 Champion of Champions on Saturday night, which was closing night at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Bruce Pilkenton, Refrigerator covered the 440 yards in 21.67 seconds, outrunning a field of classy runners that included the tough older mare Down With Debt. Seals and Brotherly finished in a dead heat for second place, while favored Down With Debt finished fourth.

Refrigerator, who is owned by Jim Helzer, is trained by Blane Schvaneveldt, who, earlier in the evening, accepted his 36th training title at Los Alamitos. The 6-year-old Refrigerator paid $6.00, $3.40 and $3.20.

This year’s Champion of Champions marks Refrigerator’s fourth start in the Champion of Champions, a feat no other horse has accomplished. He is also the only horse to win three runnings of the prestigious maturity, which has become a battle between the best older horses in the nation.