PF Chief Runnin Bear starts strong, wins
Graham Paint and Appaloosa Derby
FORT WORTH, TEXAS—In a tight race during the first Paint Stakes race of the
year, PF Chief Runnin Bear edged out the competition to win the Graham Paint and
Appaloosa Derby at Remington Park in Oklahoma City on March 21. The 350-yard
race offered $57,955.
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PF Chief Runnin Bear starts strong,
wins Graham Paint and Appaloosa Derby. Photo Courtesy of
Remington Park/Dustin Orona Photography.
 Hirez JPEG (2.2 mb) |
PF Chief Runnin Bear, sired by Grand Point and out of SC Running Cloud AQHA,
posted a time of 17.96 seconds. After finishing the 2008 race season on a win,
the 3-year-old brown tobiano gelding returned to the track strong. Owned by S.
Koltiska and L & B Bettinger of Austin, Texas, the gelding finished a neck in
the lead to earn $22,027, increasing his lifetime earnings to $55,848. PF Chief
Runnin Bear was trained by Rodrigo Vallejo and ridden by Judd Kearl.
Awesome Fling, owned by Michelle Caldwell of Poteau, Okla., took the
second-place finish by a neck. The 3-year-old brown Solid Paint-Bred gelding ran
a strong race and covered the track in 18.00 seconds. Awesome Fling, sired by
Awesome Chrome and out of Last Fling, earned $9,852 during the race, increasing
his lifetime earnings to $50,333. The gelding was trained by Matt Whitekiller
and ridden by Cody Smith.
Earning the third-place finish was the 3-year-old sorrel Solid Paint-Bred
gelding Cuzimfromthecountry. Sired by Country Quick Dash and out of Rocket G K
Special Treasure, the gelding posted a time of 18.04 seconds while earning
$6,375 for career earnings of $35,449. Cuzimfromthecountry is owned by Wesley
and Alford Lindsey of Wynnewood, Okla., was trained by Luis Villafranco and
ridden by Adalberto Candanosa.
Other horses completing the race, along with times, include Make No Shadows
(18.11 seconds), Ride Me Hard (18.17 seconds), Speed Bandit (18.23 seconds), The
Flashy Jewel (18.30 seconds), Paleface Dale (18.44 seconds), Mean Ole Man (18.50
seconds) and Signs Awesome Chrome (18.16 seconds).
More about Paint Horse racing
Horse racing has long been one of America’s favorite spectator sports. With the
recent growth of the Paint Horse breed, it’s no wonder that Paints have become
one of the hottest tickets in the horse racing industry.
Since 1966, when APHA officially recognized the sport, Paint racing has made
major strides forward. In that inaugural year, 17 starters ran for $1,290 in
just two states—Texas and Oklahoma. In 2008, more than 570 starters competed in
more than 660 APHA-recognized races for record purses totaling more than $5
million.
A total of 17 states now feature Paint racing, including Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Paint
Horses also race in Canada.
"Paint Racing continues to be an opportunity for breeders, owners and trainers
to take a serious look at," said APHA Executive Director Lex Smurthwaite. "The
amount of purse money available and the average earning per Paint starter is
creating new interest in the Paint racing industry."
For more information on Paint Horse racing, contact APHA’s racing department at
(817) 222-6444, email racing@apha.com, or
visit paintracing.com.