Page 136 - 12 April 2013

Oklahoma Paint Futurity-G1
imFLaShinthechickS
by Tracy Gantz
When Luis Villafranco began training the Paint Imflashinthechicks, he told owner- breeder Shirley Wheeler and her husband, Jim, that he liked him better than his big brother, two- time World Champion Paint Flashthechicks.
“I told my husband that there is no way that this horse could be better than Flashthechicks,” Shirley said.
Imflashinthechicks didn’t want to make a liar out of his trainer, so he simply went out and crushed the competition in his first two starts. He was in pretty select company, win- ning his trial and the final of the Oklahoma Paint Futurity-G1 at Remington Park. Already he has outpaced his brother because Flashthechicks finished second in the 2011 Oklahoma Paint Futurity.
Villafranco put in extra time with Imflashinthechicks, schooling him in the gate before his racing debut.
“When they took him to Remington and did a work race, he acted up pretty bad in
the gate,” Shirley Wheeler said. “They had to re-work him, and he kind of acted up a second time. After he got lined out, he did pretty well.
But he still had to go back and stand in the gate in front of the stewards.”
Imflashinthechicks, nicknamed “Junior” by his owner, learned his lessons well and behaved profession- ally in the gate for his trial. With G.R. Carter Jr. aboard, he won the 300-yard trial by 1 1/4 lengths in the fastest qualifying time.
For the March 23 final, Imflashinthechicks went off as the 1-2 favorite. He broke well in second from post nine, quickly outpacing the two horses to his immediate inside. He moved into the space that they left to challenge leader Hot Southern Mess. Imflashinthechicks put that rival away quickly and proved much the best, winning by three-quarters of a length in :15.355, a new stakes record.
The win meant even more to the Wheelers because they brought Shirley’s 96-year-old mother, Inez Choat, and her 82-year-old aunt, Mary Anson, to the races with them. Anson’s
husband had recently passed away, and she had never before attended the races.
“When Junior won and
we were going down to get in the picture,” said Shirley, “my aunt showed me her watch. She said, ‘Look, it’s 9:30. Your Uncle Clayton passed away two months ago today at 9:30, this very moment.’ ” Imflashinthechicks not
only gave the Wheeler family that special moment, he is continuing the success of his dam, Game Chicken. He is the fourth generation of the family that the Wheelers have bred. They started with the Thoroughbred Emma W, his fourth dam, getting the third dam, the Quarter Horse Kita Wheeler; the second dam, the Paint Kickin Chicken; and then Game Chicken.
Game Chicken is now a 100% producer of stakes winners. Flashthechicks, by SF Royal Quick Flash, is her first foal, and she fol- lowed that with Imachickenkicker, by Dos Poruno, who became a champion last year.
G. R. Carter returns aboard Imflashinthechicks after the victory Owner/breeder Shirley and Jim Wheeler
134 SPEEDHORSE, April 12, 2013
Remington Park $107,600 • 300 yards :15.355 • si 90
Royal Quick Dash
SF RoyalQuick Flash
Venice Song
IMFLASHINTHECHICKS, ’11-g.
Game Patriot
Game Chicken
Kickin Chicken
Racing news
(c)Linda earley
(c)Linda earley