THIS SNOW IS COLD AND SNOWBOUND SUPERSTAR

COURTESY OF DRF.COM

Headlines | Posted 8/9/2007, 5:43 pm

This Snow Is Cold looks sharp
By TY WYANT
Defending Grade 1, $300,000 Challenge Championship winner This Snow Is Cold should be favored to win the Grade 2, $76,140 Bank of America Central Challenge Championship on Saturday night at Prairie Meadows.

If she does win, she'll have the opportunity to defend her Challenge Championship victory on Nov. 3 at Los Alamitos.

Trainer Frank Mendez has the

6-year-old mare in her usual sharp form, with two wins and a close second in the Grade 1 Texas Challenge from her three 2007 starts. She was the 2-5 favorite in the Texas Challenge, but was caught by Ride With the King at the wire to lose by a head.

A year ago, she won the Oklahoma and Texas regional Challenge stakes before winning the Challenge Championship by a nose over WRS Special Shoe.

WRS Special Shoe is back for another go at This Snow Is Cold in the Central Challenge. He has just 1 trial win from 6 starts this year, but comes off a close second in the Keokuk Stakes at Prairie Meadows. He has thirds in the Grade 1 Oklahoma Challenge Championship and the Grade 1 Remington Park Championship this year.

Also in the Central Challenge Championship are Brindis Por Cayenne, who finished third in the All American Futurity in 2005, and Mr Chivato to You, winner of three straight stakes at Remington Park this spring.

In the Grade 3, $43,560 Bayer Legend Central Derby Challenge, also on Saturday night, A Silver Goblin ranks as the horse to beat with his
4-for-4 record at Prairie Meadows, including a win in last year's Grade 2 Valley Junction Futurity. He raced to his only stakes win in the Valley Junction, when he won by a 1 3/4 lengths as the 2-1 favorite.

He returned to Prairie Meadows for the Bayer Derby trials and promptly set the fastest qualifying time of 19.564 seconds for 400 yards in the first of two trials.

Wicked Nicole won the other trial in the second-fastest time of 19.625 seconds. She placed in two minor derbies at Canterbury Park before her trial win.

'Superstar' tops Wyoming stakes

Distance champion Snowbound Superstar will give Wyoming Downs' patrons a rare look at a reigning champion. He is the overwhelming choice in the $22,140 Red Cell West/Southwest Distance Challenge on Saturday afternoon at the Evanston track.

The winner of the West/Southwest Distance Challenge receives an invitation to the Grade 1, $100,000 Red Cell Challenge Distance Championship at Snowbound Superstar's home track, Los Alamitos, on Nov. 3.

At this time, Snowbound Superstar would be the odds-on choice in any 870-yard race, regardless of the race's location. The 4-year-old gelding is undefeated in his seven starts at 870 yards - his last seven starts - with each of those wins by daylight at odds of 3-10 or shorter. Four of those wins have been in stakes races, highlighted by a 3 1/2-length win in the Grade 1 Marathon Invitational at 1-5 odds.

In his West/Southwest Distance Challenge trial, he raced wide and still set a Wyoming Downs track record of 43.751 seconds.

Regarding Snowbound Superstar I couldn't believe they went 43.75, but then I saw the other times and it made sense. Runbyu went something like 43.76 and all the other races were like a second faster than anything believable. I guess thats a pretty good track.