Page 56 - March 2017

Frank Vessels Sr., who traveled the country to buy horses to form the foundation of his breeding program, purchased Clabber (left). The 1936 stallion became the first AQHA World Champion in 1940. Known as the “Iron Horse,” Clabber was a successful stallion at the Vessels Stallion Farm, siring Champion Clabbertown G. After Clabber died at age 11, he was replaced by Clabber II, who went on to sire Champion Lumpjaw.
He is by My Texas Dandy and out of Blondie S by Lone Star. Clabber sired a number of horses for Vessels, including 1951 Champion Aged Stallion Clabbertown G.
Do Good is one of the mares that Vessels would buy and bring to California to be a part of his breeding farm. She is the dam of 13 foals, 12 starters, eight ROM, and three stakes placed runners, including Clabber II who replaced Clabber after he died at the age of 11. Do Good was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame based on the produce record of her family. Her contribution include Vessels-bred Chicado V, a member of the AQHA Hall of Fame. Do Good is also the grandam of Vessels-bred Ought To Go, also a member of the AQHA Hall of Fame.
Direct Win is one of the stallions that
had a quiet contribution to the legacy of the Vessels stallion roster. I never seemed to find much information on this horse until I was going through an old Speedhorse magazine from January 15, 1987, and saw the pedigree history of a horse named Truly A Pleasure. Truly’s Easter, the sire of Truly A Pleasure, is out of an AAA rated mare named Nights Win by Direct Win.
Direct Win was foaled in 1947 and is
by With Regards and out of Gold Dream
by Time Supply. With Regards was a major stakes winner in races like the now Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. He was ridden in this race by the Hall of Fame Jockey Johnny Longden. With Regards won stakes races ranging from 7 furlongs to 9 furlongs. From 63 starts, he tallied 19 wins, 14 seconds, and four thirds earning a total of $87,090.
With Regards is sired by Jack High, a
son of John P. Grier. John P. Grier is sired by Whisk Broom by Broomstick by Ben Brush. The dam of John P. Grier is Wonder by Disguise by Domino. The dam of Wonder is Curiosity by Voter. The dam of Curiosity is
Pink Domino by Domino. The dam of Jack High is Priscilla by Star Shoot. Priscilla is out of Yankee Sister by Yankee. Yankee is out of Correction, a full sister to Domino. The sire side of the pedigree of With Regards carries the Ben Brush/Domino nick found in horses like Top Deck and Three Bars.
Loose Foot is the dam of With Regards and she is by Terry by North Star. The dam of Loose Foot is British Fleet by Great Britain by The Commoner. The dam of British Fleet is Belle Nutter by Faraday. Faraday is sired by Himyar, the sire of Domino.
Gold Dream, the dam of Direct Win, was a 1942 mare that was unplaced in three starts. She is sired by Time Supply who is by Time Maker by The Porter. The Porter is by Sweep, who is by Ben Brush, and out of Pink Domino by Domino. Time Maker is out of Dream Of Allah by Colin, who is by Commando by Domino.
The dam of Time Supply is Surplice by Fair Play, the sire of Man O’War. The dam of Surplice is Surcingle by Rock Sand, who is the sire of the dam of Man O’War. This makes Surplice a 3/4-sister to Man O’War. The great Top Deck, sire of horses like Go Man Go, has a 3 X 4 breeding pattern in his pedigree to Man O’War.
Plumage is the dam of Gold Dream and she is sired by Ballot by Voter. Voter is the sire of Curiosity, the dam of Wonder who
is listed above. Ballot is out of Cerito by Lowland Chief. Cerito is the dam of Ballet Girl, the dam of The Porter. The great sire Three Bars is sired by Percentage by Midway. Midway is sired by Ballot. The dam of Plumage is Glyn by Delhi by Ben Brush.
When we look at the pedigree of Direct Win, we see that he carried a lot of familiar names that denote speed in the pedigree. We find many of these familiar names appearing in the pedigrees of horses that have influenced
the breed, such as Top Deck and Three Bars, which lends credentials to his ability to nick with the top Quarter Horse bloodlines.
Direct Win was unsuccessful as a racehorse and his race career was cut short due to an injury.
Farrel Jones was a trainer for Vessels during this time and he told Speedhorse the following on how Direct Win came to their farm, “I bought Direct Win for Frank. I liked the stallion because of two ingredients . . . his conformation and the fact that With Regards, his sire, had tremendous speed. Direct Win was a beautiful chestnut who’d broken his sesamoid bone and, as a result, was unable
to run. As I recall, he was somewhere around three or four when we bought him.”
Earl Holmes, long time Vessels manager, added, “Direct Win injured his foot while
in training and it developed into something resembling a clubfoot. We were the first ones to stand the stallion and, if memory serves
me correctly, we had him for a year or two. I do remember that when we were ready to sell him, I told L. E. Patterson we’d make him a deal on a stallion who would sire the winner of the California Bred Futurity in his first crop. We were right.” Clab Win by Direct Win, and who was out of Clabber’s Flossie V, was the winner of that Cal Bred Futurity in 1955. She continued her success by being named Co- Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in 1956.
The next year, Clabber’s Flossie V produced Clabber’s Win, a colt by Direct Win that went on to be the 1957 Champion 3-Year-Old Colt. That tells us that Direct Win was off to a good start as a sire with two Champions from his first two foal crops. Clabber’s Flossie V was sired by Clabber and out of Flossie, the dam of Do Good. Flossie came to the Vessels Stallion Farm with Do Good.
Direct Win is the sire of 147 race starters, 69 racing ROM, and 17 stakes horses
54 SPEEDHORSE, March 2017
SPEEDLINES