Breeding


Multiple Stakes Winner Miracle Snow Retires From Nine-Year Career
Miracle Snow, a multiple graded stakes winner who competed 36 stakes over the last nine years has been retired from racing.

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Multiple Stakes Winner Miracle Snow Retires From Nine-Year Career

FARMINGTON, NM—JULY 15, 2015— Miracle Snow, a multiple graded stakes winner of 17 races in nine years of racing has been retired, according to owner/breeder Melvin Neugebauer.

Bred in New Mexico by Neugebauer and his wife Mary, the son of Dean Miracle gave the couple numerous memories, but Neuegbauer recalls the first stakes win for the New Mexico-bred quarter horse, the 2007 Hard Twist Stakes at the Downs at Albuquerque as one of the finest.

"He beat Gun Battle that day," Neugebauer said. "And (Gun Battle) had just run second in the All-American (Futurity) last year."

Miracle Snow compiled a (62) 17-10-13 record while earning $734,261. Among his stakes victories were the Namehimastreaker New Mexico Classic Championship(RG1), Lineage Championship Stakes(RG2)-three times, Zia Handicap(RG2)-twice, Hard Twist Stakes(RG3) and Jimmy Drake Stakes.

The 11-year-old ended his career on SUnday after finishing third in his most recent start, an allowance race at Sunray Park and Casino—the same track where he began his racing career—on August 4, 2006.

"He made all his money the hard way -- not in a Futurity or a Derby," Neugebauer said. "He ran every race giving us his all."

The official scorecard will read that Miracle Snow won eight stakes races, and won at least one race on every track in the state of New Mexico, nearly all under the care of trainer Wes Giles.

"Wes and his family have done such a good job keeping him sound and showing so much care for him all these years," Neugebauer said. "It's why he will be staying with the family in his retirement. He (Giles) and Jill (Giles' wife) have decided to keep him as a pony horse."

"Looking back at his career, everyone who has crossed his path has helped get him where he is today," Neugebauer added.

The Neugebauers currently live in Manzanola, Colorado.

"He got turned out every year from December to March and would stay in El Paso, Texas, with longtime horsewoman Loretta Heilsher," Neugebauer said. "He loved his vacation time and I think that helped him have such a long career."

When Miracle Snow made his career debut at Sunray, he ran ninth in a 10-horse maiden dash going 350 yards. He came back to break his maiden that fall at Zia Park in his second start.

The gelding ran in 36 stakes races, being sent off as the post-time favorite in ten times and finished no worse than third in 27 of those stakes contests.