Page 39 - September 2020

SPEEDLINES
Refrigerator wins the 1990 All American Futurity
Eyesa Special wins the 2000 All American Futurity
by Larry Thornton
Mr Piloto wins the 2010 All American Futurity
Tonto Bars Hank wins the 1960 All American Futurity.
Tonto Bars Hank wins the 1960 All American Futurity (400yds)
Tonto Bars Hank was officially bred by Wayne Rossen under the guidance of the father and son team of C.G. and Milo Whitcomb of Sterling, Colorado. He was sired by Champion Tonto
Bars Gill and out of Hanka by Hank H. Hanka was a race mare that had earned her ROM. They decided to breed Hanka to Three Bars, who was standing in Oklahoma at the time. The breeding didn’t take, and Three Bars left Oklahoma, so they didn’t go back for a rebreed. Later after producing several foals, Hanka was bred to Tonto Bars Gill by Three Bars, producing Tonto Bars Hank.
The original plan was to sell Tonto Bars Hank, so he and his dam were entered in the 1958 White/Whitcomb Production Sale. It was predicted that the mare and foal would bring
a good price, but when the bidding stalled at $1,550, Milo told the bidders he would buy
the colt back for $900. The bidding still stalled and Tonto Bars Hank stayed home and the Whitcombs owned him. The Whitcombs were undaunted and put a price tag of $10,000 for their colt as a yearling. But again, they got no takers. They were approached by Adolf Coors of the Coors Brewing Company, but he wouldn’t give the asking price and they didn’t give in on the price, so Tonto Bars Hank stayed home again.
The Whitcombs put the colt nobody wanted
in training with Pat Simpson and they were off to Ruidoso Downs. Tonto Bars Hank made his first start on July 1 with a maiden win. He came back on July 16 in an allowance race to get his second win, setting a 2 year old record for 350 yards in :17.9. He entered the Kansas Futurity trials on July 23, where he stumbled but still managed
to take second to Heavenly Flower to qualifying for the finals. He won the finals on July 31 in :17.1 for the 330 yards. The Whitcombs were offered $25,000 for the horse nobody wanted. They turned it down. The next start for Tonto Bars Hank came in the Carl Mercer Allowance on August 14, winning the 400-yard race in :20.2. The Whitcombs were offered $40,000 for the colt nobody wanted. They turned it down.
Tonto Bars Hank came down with a fever about four days before the All American Futurity trials. He recovered enough to go into the trials, but the ground went out from under him on the muddy track. He still finished second to Rebel Cause, qualifying for the finals with the third fastest time of :20.9. Rebel Cause was the fastest qualifier in :20.7, and he had
a stakes win in the Juvenile Championship in May at Los Alamitos and a second to Dynago Miss in the Ruidoso Futurity in July. She was the fifth fastest qualifier to the All American in a
time of :21.1. Three Deep was the second fastest qualifier in :20.8 and came into the trials with
a fourth-place finish in the Ruidoso Futurity, which was run on July 17, the day after Tonto Bars Hank won his second start in an allowance race at Ruidoso Downs.
Pat Simpson made a jockey change for the All American Futurity finals and put Curtis Perner in the irons. When the gates opened,
it was a pretty even race, but then Tonto Bars Hank pulled away to win in :20.2 for the 400 yards. He was followed across the finish line by Three Deep in second, Rebel Cause in third, Miss Queenie fourth, Mr Meyers fifth, and Dynago Miss sixth, with Niggy Bar, Angie Miss, Cinbob and Midland Miss completing the field across the finish line. Tonto Bars Hank earned $65,166.15 of the $130,244.30 total purse.
Tonto Bars Hank made his next start in Albuquerque with a win. He went to Los Alamitos where he made four more starts, winning the Bardella Handicap, Newport Dune Stakes and Kindergarten Futurity. After the Kindergarten, the Whitcombs were offered $250,000 for the horse nobody wanted. They wanted some breeding rights to the stallion, so the deal never happened.
Tonto Bars Hank made 12 starts in 1960, with nine wins and three seconds and $93,863
He will always be remembered as the horse nobody wanted that won the 1960 All American Futurity. Just think about all those who missed the opportunity to fulfill the All American Dream.
SPEEDHORSE September 2020 37