Page 49 - 23 November 2012

namehimastreaker new Mexico Classic Championship-RG1
MiRaCle SnOW
by Tracy Gantz
asound horse who loves his job, Miracle Snow has given Melvin and Mary Neugebauer of Manzanola, Colorado,
years of thrills on the racetrack. Now 8, Miracle Snow went over the half-million- dollar earnings mark with
his victory in the Oct. 28 Namehimastreaker New Mexico Classic Championship-RG1 at Zia Park.
With champion jockey
G.R. Carter Jr. in the irons,
Miracle Snow broke on top
in the Namehimastreaker.
He drifted out a bit until
Fury Of The Storm ranged
up outside of him. Then
Miracle Snow battled with
his rival, refusing to let the
younger gelding pass him.
Fury Of The Storm challenged him with every stride, but the veteran held on to win by a neck in :21.686 for the 440 yards.
“They all got away good, and G.R. did a super job,” said Melvin Neugebauer. “Miracle has a lot of heart.”
Except for having to remove a chip
in a knee when Miracle Snow was 2, the Neugebauers haven’t had any soundness issues with Miracle Snow. Wes Giles trains the geld- ing for the couple.
“We X-ray him about every three races, and he’s always doing well,” said Melvin. “We take care of him—he’s only had four outs this year and has three wins. We give him about five months’ rest every year.”
Neugebauer said that they may run Miracle Snow in 2012 once more, in the Dec. 8 Jess Burner Memorial Handicap-RG1 at Sunland Park, before he gets his annual vacation. As long as he enjoys racing, Miracle Snow will keep run- ning. Once he’s done, he may still get to remain around the racetrack.
“He’s got a good mind,” said Neugebauer. “Maybe he’d make a good pony horse and could stay with Wes. It would seem funny walking into the shedrow and not seeing him.”
Miracle Snow has been a stakes horse since he began racing. He placed in the Shue Fly Stakes-RG1 at 2 and nabbed his first stakes, the Hard Twist Stakes-RG3,
the following year. So far, Miracle Snow has won four stakes and placed in 13 others. His
record stands at 13 wins in 46 races for earn- ings of $554,382.
Miracle Snow has a special place in the Neugebauers’ heart not only for all of his victories, but because of his dam, Snow Peak.
Melvin bought Snow Peak
as a yearling out of the 1999 Vessels/Schvaneveldt sale in California. She won two races, placed in the 2001 Auld Lang Syne Handicap, and earned $24,259 on the racetrack. Unfortunately, the Neugebauers lost her to colic after she pro- duced only two foals.
“Miracle Snow’s mother died when he was just two weeks old,” said Melvin. “We raised him on a bottle.”
Snow Peak’s first foal, the filly Streakinlikaglass, never
raced. Snow Peak was a half-sister to Winning Rhythm, a graded stakes winner and earner of $142,923, and to Grade 1 winner Pip Pip.
The second dam, Sompinlikaglass, earned $383,041 and was a multiple Grade 1 winner.
Fury Of The Storm (Furyofthewind- Bubbles Bunny), owned and trained by Jaime Dominguez, finished second by three-quarters of a length under jockey Esgar Ramirez.
The 3-year-old gelding had won his last four races, including the NMBHA Stakes-RG2, New Mexico Breeders’ Stakes-RG2, and Zia Derby-RG3.
Ronald Stephens bred, owns, and trains third-place Klassic Strawfly (Genuine Strawfly-A Classic Song). Tanner Thedford piloted the 6-year-old gelding, who won the Jimmy Drake Stakes earlier this year.
Completing the field were Rabbit Revival (Rabbits Rainbow-French Revival), Jess One Ace (Jesse James Jr-Ace Crystal Charm), Genuine American (Genuine Strawfly-All American Beauty), A First Caller (Calligrapher- Might Be A First), PK Bay (Brookstone Bay-PK Rainbow), and BG Speeding Lion (Metallic Lion-Speeding Chick). Call Me A Blazn Chic was scratched.
Zia Park $170,360 • 440 yards :21.686 • si 89
Streakin Six
Dean Miracle
Our Third Delight
MIRACLE SNOW, ’04-g.
Chicks Beduino
Snow Peak
Sompinlikaglass
Miracle Snow and G.R. Carter Jr. won the Namehimastreaker New Mexico Classic Championship by a neck.
SPEEDHORSE, November 23, 2012 47
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