American Quarter Horse Hall Of Fame
Refrigerator – Inducted in 2000
American Quarter Horse Journal – March 2000
Rising from humble beginnings, Refrigerator dominated the first half of the 1990s and became the richest racehorse in history.
From 1990-95, the bay gelding won 22 of 36 races, including nine Grade 1 races, and earned a record $2,126,309. He captured the All American Futurity in 1990 and the Champion of Champions in 1992, 1993 and 1994. He was voted the World Champion Racing American Quarter Horse in 1992 and 1993 and received eight other divisional titles.
Refrigerator was bred by Sonny Vaughn of Wayne, Oklahoma, who traded his horseshoeing services for a $500 stud fee to breed his mare Native Parr to Rare Jet, a full brother to champion Jet View.
“Refrigerator didn’t come from the high-dollar horses,” said Charlie Bryant, the stallion manager at Little Shepherd Ranch at Fittstown, Oklahoma, which stood Rare Jet. “But the families of the sire and dam are outstanding, and blood will tell.”
Vaughn tried to sell Refrigerator at the 1989 Heritage Place Select Yearling Sale, but repurchased him for $3,800. Back at Refrigerator’s stall, Vaughn sold the gelding for the same amount to Delton Dean of Coleman, Oklahoma.
For Dean and trainer Rodney Reed, Refrigerator became the talk of the backstretch when he began his career at old Ross Meadows in Ada, Oklahoma. Deeply talented, the gelding was a bleeder with a reputation for being rank.
About that time, Texan Jim Helzer received a phone call from someone who told him about Refrigerator. Helzer was determined to win the All American Futurity and had made known his willingness to spend money on a horse that appeared capable. Could Refrigerator be that horse?
“He was known to have a lot of talent,” Helzer remembered about the gelding, “but he just couldn’t get it all steered in the right direction.”
Noted horseman Butch Wise, then a bloodstock agent, told Helzer that he really needed to take a look at Refrigerator. Helzer and his wife, Marilyn, watched a videotape of Refrigerator winning his trial to the Remington Park Futurity, after which the gelding bled profusely.
“He also speed-cut and nearly cut his hocks off,” said Helzer, who nonetheless was impressed. After having Refrigerator examined by noted veterinarian Dr. Bobby Lewis, Helzer bought the gelding for $150,000. Scratched from the Remington Futurity final, Refrigerator finished second by a neck in the Heritage Place Futurity, then was sent to Ruidoso Downs.
Confident in his new runner, Helzer spent $50,000 to supplement Refrigerator to the All American. In his elimination trial, the gelding fell to his nose leaving the gate, fought back and won by a nose.
“That was probably one of the most exciting times in my life,” Helzer said. Refrigerator then cruised to a one-length win in his time trial and became the fastest qualifier to the Labor Day classic. Refrigerator and Kip Didericksen took the lead in the $2 million final a jump or two out of the starting gate and won by an easy length. Refrigerator’s time of 19:39 marked a 400-yard stakes record.
“We’d been knocking on the door (to qualify to the All American) and never had the opportunity to get there,” Helzer said. “But this time we did in fact get there. I’ll never forget 50 yards out of the gate, I turned to Marilyn and I told her, ‘We won the All American.'”
Trained by Dwayne Gilbreath in New Mexico and Oklahoma, and Blane Schvaneveldt in California, Refrigerator surpassed Eastex as the sport’s richest horse when he won the 1993 Champion of Champions. He became the first sprinter to exceed $2 million in earnings when he finished second in the 1994 Los Alamitos Invitational Championship. Along the way, his arrogance and dedication to his work made him revered by his handlers and loved by his fans.
“He set a lot of goals for everybody to chase,” Helzer said at the end of Refrigerator’s racing career, “including me.”
Retired after the Champion of Champions in December 1995, Refrigerator spent most of his time at the Helzers’ home, where he loved to race around the trees in his paddock. He made two appearances at the State Fair of Texas; and led the post parades of the 1996 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos, and the 1997 Refrigerator Handicap and 1998 MBNA America Challenge Championship, both at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie.
Refrigerator enjoyed activity, and the Helzers believed he was a candidate to become an AQHA Supreme Champion. In February 1999, the 11-year-old gelding was in rope horse training when he was involved in an accident and sustained a severe head injury. A few days later, Refrigerator was euthanized and buried at the Helzers’ JEH Stallion Station in Pilot Point, Texas.
After losing their beloved champion, the Helzers wanted to pursue an avenue to increase awareness, information and technology for veterinarians and horse owners about traumatic injuries. Refrigerator is the namesake of a new American Quarter Horse Foundation program to raise funds to further the research of equine trauma.
Over the next three years, the Helzers will match up to $20,000 annually in the Refrigerator Challenge. By the end of 2005, at least $200,000 could be available for equine trauma research.
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