'Winner' brings streak to Altoona

Fastest qualifier Racing Winner goes after her fourth straight victory when she starts in the Grade 3 $79,600 Altoona Derby on Friday night at Prairie Meadows.

Racing Winner, owned by Jerry Windham, dominated the three trials when she sped to a 3 1/4-length victory as the 9-5 favorite. Her time of 19.74 seconds for the 400 yards was the top qualifying time by .30 seconds, a huge margin in Quarter Horse racing.

Trained by Edward Ross Hardy, Racing Winner started her winning streak when she won the Grade 3 Bayer Legend Central Challenge by 1 3/4 lengths on June 3 as a 35-1 outsider.

Hardy will also saddle second-fastest qualifier Nacona Tex, the

third-place finisher in the Grade 3 Canterbury Park Derby who won his Altoona Derby trial by one length with the second-fastest time of 20.04 seconds for the 400 yards.

Ryda Trane after first stakes win

Ryda Train won her maiden in a Valley Junction Futurity trial and will now go for her first stakes win in the Grade 2 $172,550 Valley Junction Futurity on Saturday night at Prairie Meadows.

Owned by Brad Tate and trained by Charley Hunt, Ryda Train won her trial by a neck with the fastest qualifying time of 17.760 seconds for the 350 yards. It was her first win and came in her sixth start.

In her trials she defeated four other qualifiers, including Grade 3 Northlands Futurity winner Sam Truelove.

Corona Chick sold

Corona Chick, a two-time champion on the track who became the 1997 broodmare of the year, has been sold for an undisclosed sum by Carolyn Etchandy's Etchandy Breeding Stables to Julianna Hawn Holt of Blanco, Texas.

Corona Chick's yearling colt by First Down Dash was the nation's high seller this year at $700,000.

Corona Chick is the dam of champion Corona Cash and Los Alamitos

Million winner Corona Cartel, the sport's leading freshman sire in 2001.

In a related sale, Etchandy sold Corona Chick's dam, Sizzling Lil, to the Vessels Stallion Farm, home of leading sire First Down Dash.

Both mares are in foal to First Down Dash for 2002 foals.

*National champion jockeys Joe Badilla Jr., G.R. Carter Jr., and Jacky Martin are slated to compete in the AQHA Jockey Championship at Lone Star Park on Nov. 2. Joining them will be Alvin "Bubba" Brossette, Eddie Cox Jr., Dennis Means, Gilbert Ortiz, Dusty Stimpson, and Juan Vasquez.

*Jockey Oscar Andrade is in stable condition, but has no movement in his legs after he three fractured vertebrae in a spill aboard Ali Mc Cash on Sept. 27 at Los Alamitos.