Got Country Grip will attempt to set
horseracing history March 27
FORT WORTH, TEXAS—The Paint racing superstar Got Country Grip will race for history Thursday, March 27, at Remington Park in Oklahoma City as he attempts to earn his 16th consecutive lifetime victory.
If the bay Solid Paint-Bred gelding finishes in his usual fashion he will join the ranks of Thoroughbreds Cigar, Citation and Hallowed Dreams. All three Thoroughbreds hold the North American record of 16 consecutive victories; however, according to the Jockey Club each horse had lost a race either before or after the streak. Got Country Grip already surpassed the Quarter Horse world record of 14 undefeated lifetime races November 24, 2007, during the Olympia Joe Handicap at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.
The highest money-earning Paint racehorse in history, dubbed by many as “the world’s fastest racehorse,” will run in post position four of the $15,000 allowance race for Paints and Appaloosas. G.R. Carter, Jr., who has ridden Got Country Grip in all 15 starts, will once again mount the 5-year-old gelding for the 350-yard race against seven other horses.
Got Country Grip was bred by Linda Fox of Maud, Okla., and is owned by Jimmy Maddux of Weatherford, Texas, who purchased him as a weanling as part of a trade. Champion racehorse trainer Brandon Parum of Jones, Okla., has trained the gelding.
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 racing@apha.com, or visit
paintracing.com. |
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