LOS ALAMITOS : They’re Not Ready for Pasture

Refrigerator and Griswold, multiple quarter horse champions, proved last Saturday night that they are still worthy of the title with impressive victories in the Champion of Champions and Breeders Marathon Classic, respectively.

Refrigerator has been named world champion running horse for the last two years--an honor no other horse had accomplished since Dash For Cash in the ‘70s. Refrigerator is the first quarter horse to surpass $2 million in earnings.

But until Saturday, 1994 had been rough on him. The bay gelding started the year with a loss to Sound Dash in the Remington Park Championship at Oklahoma City. He traveled to Los Alamitos, where he was beaten again, this time by Down With Debt in the Go Man Go Handicap.

In that race, Refrigerator finished worse than third for the first time. At 6, was he too old to compete with the younger, and seemingly stronger, horses?

The Vessels Maturity, Refrigerator’s next race, did little to ease those doubts. He finished third in that Grade I contest, but was only a nose behind the dead-heat winners, Down With Debt and Avison. Two more starts remained for Refrigerator to prove he still had his competitive desire and ability.

When the starter released the field in the Los Alamitos Championship on Oct. 14, Refrigerator was bumped leaving the gate. He finished second to Brotherly, but by only half a length.

In the two months before the Champion of Champions, trainer Blane Schvaneveldt tuned Refrigerator for perhaps the biggest race of the gelding’s life. Refrigerator would be trying for an unprecedented third consecutive victory in the prestigious race.

Refrigerator broke from the No. 2 post and took the lead. But the margin was short, and he was challenged every step of the way by Brotherly on the inside.

Refrigerator was the winner in a photo finish involving Brotherly and Seals.

“When the gates opened, I knew he had it,” said Refrigerator’s owner, Jim Helzer.

The voting for world champion remains. Should Refrigerator be crowned world champion, he would become the only horse to win the title three times. But he will have to beat Down With Debt, whose record stands at six victories from seven starts this year, including five stakes races. Her only defeat was to Refrigerator in the Champion of Champions, in which she finished fourth.

“In my opinion, when you line up the best ones there are and he outruns them all in the Champion of Champions, it’s hard for him to be denied the world championship title,” Helzer said. “But I can also see the loyalty toward Down With Debt, because she’d been a tremendous mare all year, and I sure wouldn’t take anything away from her for one minute.”

Griswold is seeking his fourth consecutive champion distance-horse award. The Legacy Ranch-owned gelding has had a campaign similar to that of Refrigerator.

In his 870-yard starts, Griswold won the Katella Handicap and finished second three times, third once and fourth once, all in stakes trials or finals. And like Refrigerator, he won when it counted.

In the $24,140 Grade I Breeders Marathon Classic, 8-year-old Griswold defeated rivals half his age, becoming the only horse to win the race three times.

“This one was for (trainer Daryn Charlton) and Legacy Ranch,” jockey John Creager said. “They stood by me through the tough times this season, and I really wanted to do a good job tonight.”

Pete Parella, co-owner of Legacy Ranch, said he feels strongly about his horse’s chances for the championship title.

“My personal opinion--and I’m probably biased--I don’t think anyone took the title away from him. He’s beaten everybody who has beaten us,” Parella said. “I think the old-timer deserves an edge, if there is an edge there. But if they think it’s time for a new kid on the block, then so be it.”

If championship titles were given out on sentiment alone, Refrigerator and Griswold would win easily. But race records, the level of competition and money earned are taken into account, leaving speculation about the 1994 awards.

To anyone who saw two the geldings race, the answer should be clear--with or without a 1994 title, Refrigerator and Griswold are champions.

Los Alamitos Notes

The Quarter Horse Breeders Classics played host to five stakes races in addition to the Breeders Marathon Classic Saturday night. The winners: Breeders Championship Classic, Time For Royal Cash; Breeders Juvenile Classic, Never Lies; Breeders Sophomore Classic, Pritzi Dash; Breeders Freshman Classic, Not N Easy Task; and the Breeders Distaff Classic, Ima Killer Yawl. . . . Ah Sigh became the leading candidate for champion 2-year-old filly honors with her victory in the $200,000 Golden State Futurity Friday night. Ah Sigh, who is trained by Charlie Bloomquist for owner Frank Nakamura, won her seventh race in eight starts. She was ridden to her third futurity victory by John Creager. . . . Trainer Blane Schvaneveldt continued his domination of Los Alamitos stakes races with horses that finished first and second in the $100,000 Dash For Cash Derby on Friday night. Myrna Rheudasil’s Flashback Dash, ridden by Henry Garcia, finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of Jumping Tac Flash. Jumping Tac Flash, last year’s champion 2-year-old filly, is owned by John Andreini and was ridden by Roman Figueroa. . . . Harness racing at Los Alamitos starts on Dec. 29, with first post at 6:45 p.m. Three simulcast races will be followed by nine live races.