Cal-Bred Millionaires Row #6 Snow Chief - California Thoroughbred ...

Rapport annuel 2009Lausanne

SNOW CHIEF Continuedtry in 1986 with $1,875,200, beating Horse of the Year Lady’sSecret by $4,147.Four-year-old Snow Chief still possessed the same fireand determination, but 1987 wasn’t going to be his year. Hestumbled out of the gate in the San Fernando Stakes andfinished third, just ahead of Ferdinand. The two classicwinners then hooked up in the Charles H. Strub Stakes andthis time their rivalry made national headlines.Snow Chief and Ferdinand bumped and battled eachother through the stretch of the 1 1/4-mile race. One came outand the other came in, and the resulting collision knockedthe smaller colt off stride. A lesser horse would have givenup right there, but Snow Chief kept right to his task andstuck his nose in front at the wire.Snow Chief grabbed another grade I victory and hisshare of the $500,000 pot brought his earnings to$3,125,190. The Reflected Glory colt had been California’sleading money winner for some time; now, he became thefirst to reach $3 million. The Strub also vaulted him intofourth spot nationally, behind only John Henry, Spend aBuck and Slew o’ Gold.After running fifth in the Santa Anita Handicap, theCal-bred went on the road. Grinstead had died in the interim,so the colt now raced for Rochelle and Grinstead’swidow, Pearl. He was third in the Gulfstream Park Handicap,then set a new track record of 1:46 3/5 while winningthe 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap.“Incredibly enough, he still holds that record at Oaklawn,”Stute said. “Some of the greatest horses, Cigaramong them, have all made a run at it, but it has stood thetest of time.”Snow Chief next ran third in the Californian Stakes andcame out of the race with a filled tendon that ended hiscareer. He managed to finish in front of Ferdinand one lasttime and concluded their rivalry with a 6-3 advantage.“He was the biggest thing in my life,” an emotional Stutesaid as Snow Chief left his barn for the breeding farm. “Hehad the heart of a lion and did things in such a special way.He made me into a big trainer where I never was before.”Pimlico Race Course photoFour Footed FotosSnow Chief becomes the first California-bred to pass both the $2 million and $3 million marks in earningswith wins against Ferdinand in both the 1986 Preakness Stakes (left) and 1987 Strub Stakes (right).champion Tasso in the $1 million Jersey Derby. HollywoodPark officials then upped the value of its SilverScreen Handicap to $400,000 to lure the colthome. Snow Chief could not catch the speedyCal-bred filly Melair who ran the mile in1:32 4/5 and won by six lengths. Snow#6Chief finished third and came out with abone chip in his right knee.Arthroscopic surgery kept him out of action until the Dec. 26Malibu Stakes, where he again lost to Ferdinand. SnowChief’s earlier accomplishments, though, made him the state’sfirst Eclipse Champion as the nation’s outstanding 3-year-oldmale and earned him a second Cal-bred Horse of the Yeartitle. Moreover, the Cal-bred was the top earner in the coun-Although Snow Chief had retired by mid-summer, hisaccomplishments in 1987 still earned him California’sHorse of the Year title for a third time. Rochelle boughthim outright from Grinstead’s estate and even sponsored aCalifornia Cup race in his champion’s name for a few years,allowing Snow Chief to parade before the crowd on CalCup Day. His son College Town won the 1994 Cal CupClassic.Rochelle passed away last year and Snow Chief nowresides at Eagle Oak Farm in Paso Robles, the property ofRochelle’s widow, Diane. He is now 19, but looks and actslike a younger horse. With stakes winners like the aforementionedCollege Town, Mimi’s Café, The Morris Monroeand Booklore, Snow Chief has become a solid sire forCalifornia. He is also the maternal grandsire of California’snewest millionaire, Grey Memo, trained by Mel’s brotherWarren.“Snow Chief has been getting eight to 10 mares a yearand I’m planning to buy more mares to breed to him,” saidDiane Rochelle. “He put his sire on the map. ReflectedGlory was in his twenties when Snow Chief came along, sowe expect Snow Chief to have the same kind of longevity.He’s just getting started.”August 2002 49