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The Grade 1 $600,000 Champion of Champions added another star to its list of qualifiers after Country Chicks Man posted what is being called "one of the most visually impressive performances in Lone Star Park history" in the Grade 1 $100,000 Refrigerator Handicap on Saturday. The 5-year-old was the easiest of winners, cruising to a 1 ½ lengths over 8-5 favorite This Snow Is Royal.
Country Chicks Man (shown here winning the Eastex Handicap) Country Chicks Man, who was picking up his 10th win in 29 starts, earned $55,000 for the win to take his career earnings to $410,034. He now joins Vessels Maturity and Go Man Go Handicap winner Be A Bono, All American Derby winner Arealstraitheart, Los Alamitos Winter Championship winner Gold Medal Jess, and Remington Park Championship winner SLM Snowman as horses that have qualified to the Champion of Champions. The Los Alamitos Invitational Championship, which will be held on October 14, the Los Alamitos Super Derby on November 3 and the MBNA America Challenge Championship on November 11 will also award its winners a berth to the Champion of Champions. Two berths will also be awarded in the Z. Wayne Griffin Director's Trials on November 18. THE ROAD TO THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
Country Chicks Man, ridden by five-time AQHA Champion Jockey G.R. Carter Jr. and carrying 126 pounds, covered the 440 yards in :21.513. "He was here tonight to make a statement and he did just that," said Country Chicks Man's owner, breeder and trainer Sparky Mullins of Wagoner, Okla. "That was a championship-type performance." "Sparky has done just a phenomenal job with this horse," Carter said. "He had some really hard races at Remington Park this spring (three stakes wins and a runner-up effort in the Remington Park Invitational Championship) and he gave him some time off. After some rest at Brandon Parum's Diamond P Farm, he got him on the aqua-tread and put a work into him. Look how good he is now. That was some kind of performance." - 30 - |
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