CHILLED WINE IS FORD OKLAHOMA JUVENILE WINNER
SALLISAW, OK—SEPTEMBER 27, 2008—The 16th running of the Grade 3 $45,090 Ford Oklahoma Juvenile Challenge was one of the featured events Saturday afternoon at Blue Ribbon Downs.
A field of top quality two-year-old Quarter Horses hit the track in hopes of not only becoming a Graded Stakes Winner, but also qualify to the Grade 2 $150,000 Ford Juvenile Challenge Championship to be held in November at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, Louisiana.
Breaking slowly, Chilled Wine found himself last at the break. After finding running room with 200 yards to go, Chilled Wine found another gear and powered home to victory, narrowly beating Blue Berryhill and Jess the Man.
A well traveled son of TRES SEIS, Chilled Wine has now won four of seven races, and has earnings of over $50,000. Earlier in his freshmen season, Chilled Wine qualified to the richest race in Oklahoma history, the Grade One $1,106,000 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park.
The gelding has been lightly raced since then, only starting twice before coming into the Saturday contest.
Owned by his breeder, Jack McClennen from Duncan, OK., and trained by Luis Villafranco from Wapanucka, OK., Chilled Wine covered 350 yards in 17.67 seconds under the guidance of AQHA Champion Jockey G.R. Carter, Jr. With his effort on Saturday, Chilled Wine earned a speed index of 95 while picking up the winner check of $20,741.
Completing the field were Blue Berryhill, Jess The Man, Corona Talk, Pl Okey Chick, Heres A Snow For You, Bigtime Feature, Heez Worth It and Eyesa Dreamin, who finished seventh but was moved to last for interference.
