Page 40 - September 2020

SPEEDLINES
in earnings. He was the Champion Stallion and the Champion 2-Year-Old Colt. He had 11 starts at three with five wins, two seconds and three thirds, earning $35,038 and four stakes wins including the Go Man Go Handicap. He was the Champion 3-Year-Old Colt. He had seven starts in 1962, with two wins, two seconds and one third, earning $5,017, with his only stakes win in the Lightning Bar Memorial Handicap. His total record shows 30 starts, 16 wins, seven seconds and four thirds, earning $133,919, making him the first racehorse to earn over $100,000. He
grand championships, including a Reserve Grand Championship at the prestigious Denver Stock Show three weeks after coming off the track.
Tonto Bars Hank retired to become a sire with modest results. He sired the winners of $472,166 with 12 stakes winners. One of his leading runners was 1969 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Hank’s Dial Doll. He sired AQHA Supreme Champion Hank Will. Tonto Bars Hank is also the sire of Hank’s Panita, the second dam of 1978 All American Futurity winner Moon Lark.
Tonto Bars Hank became a $2 million-dollar
1972 Champion 3-Year-Old Gelding, 1973 Champion Aged Gelding and 1973 Champion Gelding. He also showed his versatility as
a maternal grandsire with horses that won $260,063 in cutting, working cow horse and reining, including Cow Horse Hall of Fame member Doc N Missy.
The Whitcombs later sold Tonto Bars Hank and he went through a series of owners to live out his life. He will always be remembered as the horse nobody wanted that won the 1960 All American Futurity. Just think about all those
then became an AQHA Show Champion with 31 maternal grandsire. This division includes Come who missed the opportunity to fulfill the All halter points. He earned several grand and reserve Six, the 1971 Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding, American Dream.
Rocket Wrangler wins the 1970 All American Futurity (400yds)
Rocket Wrangler was officially bred by Thayer Hobson, but that breeding came about by a partnership with Bubba Cascio, who was training some Appaloosa runners for Mr. Hobson. Hobson told Bubba to buy two mares for their partnership, and Bubba picked Go Galla Go and her dam La Galla Win as the broodmares. It was Bubba who picked Rocket Bar to cross with Go Galla Go to produce Rocket Wrangler.
Thayer Hobson passed away before he could fulfill the All American Dream that Rocket Wrangler provided for him. So, at Bubba’s urging, J. R. Adams bought Rocket Wrangler. This allowed Bubba to continue as the trainer of Rocket Wrangler. Bubba noted to Adams that the colt had a bone chip, but that didn’t deter Adams from buying the colt.
Rocket Wrangler was supplemented to the Kansas Futurity. He broke his maiden in his trial, qualifying for the final with the fastest time. He finished sixth in the Kansas Futurity, which was won by Miss Angel Eyes. Rocket Wrangler had been hampered all spring with sore shins, and so he was treated with what is call a “blister.” The goal of the blister was to alleviate the pain.
His next start was in the trials of the Rainbow Futurity, which he again won as
the fastest qualifier, and he won the Rainbow Futurity over Bunny Bid. But the sore shins persisted, and he was blistered again. Rocket Wrangler was the only horse to defeat Bunny Bid at this stage of their career, and this set the All American Futurity as a dual between these two runners.
The interest in the All American was heightened by Rocket Wrangler winning his trial with the third fastest time of :20.12 and Bunny Bid winning his trial in the fastest qualifying time of :19.91. The second fastest qualifier, Boston Mac, won his trial in :20.10. The fourth fastest time for the trials was :20.16, with Vennetta Creek and Rebel Seeker tied for that time. Jet Charger was next in :20.17. Mr Salty Signal qualified in :20.19, Mr Three Spot in :20.25, followed by Tony B Deck in :20.26. See Him Go, also trained by Cascio, took the last qualifying time of :20.26.
When the gates opened for the finals it was Bunny Bid that got the first call, and he led most of the race until Rocket Wrangler crossed the finish line a neck in front of him.
Rocket Wrangler wins the 1970 All American Futurity
38 SPEEDHORSE September 2020