Page 46 - August 2017

THE LEGACY OF
DEPTH CHARGE
See the pedigree of Depth Charge in last month’s July issue on page 34.
by Larry Thornton
The story of Depth Charge (from the July 2017 Speedhorse issue) showed how this great stallion became a successful sire of racing American Quarter Horses. He was purchased as a weanling
by the King Ranch, one of the founding ranches in the development of the American Quarter Horse Association, as a part of their Thoroughbred breeding program and as a candidate for races like the Kentucky Derby.
Depth Charge went to the track and became a stakes-placed runner, finishing third in the 1943 Myles Standish Stakes. He won
five of 20 races and earned $5,943. Although Depth Charge won at sprint distances, he never achieved the goal of running races at 1 1/4-mile.
When Depth Charge retired from the track, he was turned over to racing enthusiast John Dial and was bred to both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse mares. Proving to be successful with both, Depth Charge’s initial success as a sire moved him to Kentucky, where he was both lost to Quarter Horse breeders and not accepted by Thoroughbred breeders.
When we look at the Thoroughbred
sire record of Depth Charge, we must
thank them for their oversight. He sired
174 Thoroughbred foals, 149 starters,
121 winners and 12 stakes winners.
His Thoroughbred stakes winners were Enchantadora, Dark Charge, Queen Margie, Hal Marbut, Reactor, Sandusky, Reticule, Free Stride, Baloma, Spanish Charge, Fleet Charge and Haunted, with combined earnings of $1,824,132.
Depth Charge was sold and sent to California to be a sire of both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses, and he was owned and used by Audie Murphy, Gordon Shultz and Hugh Huntley. E. K. “Tiny” Johnston and Bob Moore, Jr. bought Depth Charge later
in his life and he went to Oklahoma. He
was eventually sent back to Texas, where he died. Through this journey, Depth Charge overcame the twists and turns in his life to become a successful sire. Now let’s look at
his legacy as a sire, focusing on his influence through the female lines in the pedigree.
Many of the Depth Charge Thoroughbred runners excelled in both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse races. The Thoroughbred Brigand serves as an example
of these runners. The AQHA 1952, 1953, 1954 Champion Gelding was stakes placed with a second in the Duncan F. Kenner Stakes for Thoroughbreds, but he won 20 Quarter Horse stakes including the New Mexico State Fair Championship.
A look at the pedigree of Brigand brings Chicaro into the mix. Chicaro, foaled in 1923 and bred by H. P Whitney, had 18 starts with one win and earnings of $1,700. Chicaro finished third in the 1925 Pimlico Fall Serial Weight For 3 Year Olds and some records show that he also finished third in the 1925 Colorado Stakes.
By his 4-year-old season in 1927, Chicaro was in Louisiana where John Dial found him. As the story goes, Chicaro didn’t waste any time after he was purchased by Dial. Chicaro sired Flying Bob in 1929 and Chicaro Bill in 1930. Dial sold Chicaro to the King Ranch in 1934. We have seen that the two stallions Chicaro Bill and Flying Bob have played a role in the sire record of Depth Charge and his connection to Chicaro.
The success Depth Charge had with mares carrying the blood of Chicaro is a
nick with a blood affinity. Chicaro was sired by *Chicle TB, an imported stallion by Spearmint TB and out of Lady Hamburg II by Hamburg. Hamburg is sired by Hanover and out of Lady Reel, a daughter of Mannie Gray who is the dam of Domino. The
dam of Chicaro is Wendy by Peter Pan by Commando by Domino.
Depth Charge gets a shot of Domino blood through his sire Bold Venture, who is out of Possible. Possible is by Ultimus, a son of Commando by Domino, and Possible is out of Running Stream by Domino. Quickly, the dam of Depth Charge, is by Haste who
is out of Miss Malaprop, a daughter of Correction who is a full sister to Domino. The presence of Domino, Correction, and their half-sister Lady Reel are the link giving Depth Charge and Chicaro the blood affinity for their nick. Many of our nicks will have this blood affinity through common ancestors found in the pedigree of each parent.
Brigand shows us what we are talking about with the Depth Charge/Chicaro nick. He is sired by Depth Charge and out of Border Jane by Boojum, who was noted to be
44 SPEEDHORSE, August 2017
SPEEDLINES