wins the Mister Lewie Memorial Handicap
FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Bust N Moves proved that all winning streaks must come to an end as he earned the victory over 16-time undefeated champion Got Country Grip during the $25,000 Mister Lewie Memorial Handicap at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.
The 4-year-old gray Solid Paint-Bred gelding earned his first win of the year April 19 in front of a record-setting crowd at Remington Park as people poured through the gates, hoping to witness history by watching Got Country Grip win his 17th lifetime victory to tie the world record for consecutive undefeated races. Although racing fans and media may not have seen history, they definitely got the chance to watch a spectacular horse race.
The two geldings ran neck-and-neck the whole race, with Got Country Grip leading. During the last 50 yards of the race, Bust N Moves powered forward to beat “Grip” by a nose, while Grip finished more than five lengths ahead of the next closest contender.
Four-year-old Bust N Moves and 5-year-old Got Country Grip had only previously met once due to age difference. During that allowance race on March 29, Got Country Grip outlasted the other gelding to win by nearly a length.
Bust N Moves, sired by Judys Lineage and out Meaningfully AQHA, finished the Mister Lewie in 19.95 seconds under jockey Adalberto Candanosa. Owned by the Cowboys and Indians Partnership of Inola, Okla., and trained by Dee Keener, the gelding earned $17,500 to bring his lifetime earnings to $160,913.
After battling for the win and carrying ten pounds more than Bust N Moves, the bay Solid Paint-Bred Got Country Grip finished with a posted time of 20.01 seconds. Owned by Jimmy Maddux of Weatherford, Texas, Got County Grip was sired by Country Quick Dash and out of Got A Grip. He was trained by Brandon Parum and ridden by G.R. Carter, Jr., on his way to winning $6,500, to increase his lifetime earnings to $264,078.
Tisa Arrow C (ApHC) rounded the top finishers in the race, earning $2,750. The Appaloosa racehorse, trained by Judd Kearl and ridden by Russel Hadley, posted a time of 20.88 seconds.
While the race originally held five horses, Appaloosa Blue Oyster Cult dropped out prior to the start, leaving the race with only four entries. Wheels Quick Flash, a 3-year-old sorrel overo Paint gelding, brought up the tail with a time of 20.98 seconds. The gelding, owned and trained by Parum, was ridden by Ashton Fitzpatrick to earn $1,500 for a total career earnings of $13,709.
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 2007, more than 600 starters competed in more than 700 APHA-recognized races for record purses totaling more than $5 million.
A total of 18 states now feature Paint racing, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, 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 [email protected], or visit paintracing.com.