Page 36 - January 2017

SPEEDLINES
Burke’s Gayle is a 3/4-sister to Leonella, who was sired by Leo Tag by Leo. This mare
is the dam of Moolah Gayle, who is the dam
of Shirley B Gayle. Shirley B Gayle earned $606,860 winning the Golden State Futurity, Golden State Derby, and Dash For Cash Maturity. Shirley B Gayle is the dam of Shirleys Signature, who is the dam of APHA Champion 3-Year-Old Gelding Tiene Mucho Blanco, Dashing Folly Handicap winner Just Wanna Be Me, and 2003 All American Futurity-G1 third place finisher Devons Signature.
Jess Hankins was also the breeder of a 1949 mare named Hi Maria. One of two Quarter Horse stakes winners sired by Hygro, Hi Maria won the 1952 Eagle Pass Derby. Her dam is Maria Elena by Zantanon. Maria Elena may have been a 3/4-sister to King P-234 as her dam was A Bay Mare, by Bay Brown. A Bay Mare, by Bay Brown, is listed as the dam of Jabalina, who is the dam of King P-234.
Lowell Hankins, who was the middle brother, made a quick loan to Jess, enabling him to buy King P-234. The Lowell Hankins contribution to Quarter Horse racing begins with a daughter of King P-234 that he bought named L H Princess. She was bred
by Cuter Wardlaw of Del Rio, Texas, and purchased as a weanling by Lowell. L H Princess was out of Schuhart by Magician
by Rainy Day by Lone Star. This is the
Lone Star sired by the Thoroughbred Gold Enamel. Schuhart’s dam was a Quarter Horse mare whose pedigree is unknown.
One of the stallions used by the Hankins’ was Balmy L, who was by a Thoroughbred named Maynard L and out of a daughter of Little Joe. Balmy L sired such runners as B Day, a well-known runner who won the Stallion Stakes in 1948. This stallion became the sire of the Lowell Hankins’ bred L H Balmy Princess when he was bred to L H Princess.
L H Balmy Princess was AAA on the track and stakes placed with thirds in the 1953 C. L. Maddon’s Bright Eyes Handicap, the 1953 Billy Anson, and the 1953 Rocky Mountain QHA Derby. She was first, second or third in 10 of her 23 starts, earning $2,790.
L H Balmy Princess was the dam of seven race starters with six ROM. She produced Hankins’ Bars (AAAT) by Three Bars TB, Hankins Deck (AAA) by Top Deck TB, Moon Hankins (AA) by Moon Deck, Go Miss Hankins si 92 by Go Man Go, Go Mr Hankins si 91 by Go Man Go, and Princess Nativo si 84 by Nativo TB.
Hankins’ Bars was stakes placed with a third in the Colorado Wonderland Handicap and was also fifth in the 1964 All American Futurity-G1. Go Miss Hankins qualified
to the second consolation of the 1971 All American Futurity-G1, placing third in the
finals. She was owned by Lowell and trained by Jess Hankins.
The blood of Little Joe is prominent in the Hankins bred horses, and a mare named Escoba is no exception. She was sired by Little Joe and out of Black Mabel, whose pedigree is unknown. Escoba was a racehorse whose name is Spanish for “Broom.” Lowell told me she got her name because “she
swept the track clean” as a racehorse and it is reported that she only lost one match race.
As the story goes, Escoba was part of a 3-mare package that Jess and Lowell located on a mare-buying trip. It was Escoba, Little Alice, and another sister to Miss Alice. They drew lots and Lowell ended up with the old mare Escoba. Jess got Miss Alice and he later traded her to Lowell.
Escoba has 14 foals listed in AQHA records, with three having a race record. One of them is L H Goodenough, an unregistered foal by King P-234 who had only one official start with a third place finish. The second runner was Maybeso Joe by King P-234 who earned a 75 speed index, or an A rating on the old system.
1949 Champion Stallion Diamond Bob, by Flying Bob, was the third starter out of Escoba. He was stakes placed with a second place finish in both the 1951 State Fair Stallion Stakes and the 1951 Del Rio Feature, and a third in the 1949 New Mexico State Fall Championship. Diamond Bob has the distinction of being one of the few horses to beat World Champion Maddon’s Bright Eyes, which he did twice.
Diamond Bob served as a ranch sire for Lowell, so he had limited opportunity to get foals to the track. He sired 17 starters with nine ROM and one stakes winner. The stakes winner is Miss Dandy Bob, who won the 1962 Eureka Downs Championship and also set a New Track Record at Eureka Downs going 440 yards in :22.600. The daughters
of Diamond Bob produced 29 Register of Merit runners with four stakes winners. The leading money winner was stakes winner Fly Away Faila, who earned $27,810 winning the 1965 Colorado Laddie Stakes and the 1965 Monita Stakes.
J. O. Hankins, the youngest of the three brothers, may have delved deepest into Quarter Horse racing with three mares. They are Nettie Hill, Hyglo and Queen H. Nettie Hill was bred by J. T. “Bud” Jones and was purchased by J. O. Hankins when she was three after he saw her run 220 yards in a time of :11.88. This was a hand-timed race and she had eight watches timing her.
Nettie Hill may be the true definition of the “short horse” as a Quarter Horse in this group as a Peter McCue/Old Billy bred horse.
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secretary Helen Michaelis, was purchased by J. O. Hankins when she was three after
he saw her run 220 yards in :11.88.
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34 SPEEDHORSE, January 2017
J. O. Hankins, the
youngest of the three brothers, delved deepest into Quarter Horse racing with three mares: Nettie Hill, Hyglo and Queen H.
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Hyglo, shown above with trainer Blaine Spears and Velma Hankins, was owned by J. O. Hankins. Hyglo set a New Track Record at Albuquerque for 330 yards and also Equaled the Track Record at
Val Verde Downs for 400 yards.
J. O. Hankins bought Queen H (above) from a
Mr. Hay, who got the filly as an orphan from a tractor salesman named Henry Antley. Queen H, raced
and won for the Antley family. Queen H produced 9 starters, including Squaw H and Hank H.
photo courtesy AQHA Hall of Fame and Museum photo courtesy Larry Thornton photo courtesy Larry Thornton