Page 90 - June 2016

Sonny purchased half-interest in another yearling, Heza Charger, who went on to set multiple New Track Records and to be named
1976 Champion Aged Stallion.
Lady Bug’s Moon’s descendants Mr Master Bug and Miss Squaw Hand ran 1-2 in the 1982 All American Futurity. After he retired from racing, 6-time Champion Mr Master Bug took over his grandsire, Lady Bug’s Moon’s, place as Ladybug Stallion Station’s senior stallion.
The Growing Years
Weetona says that as their involvement in horses increased, they decided to sell the Dakota ranch in 1973. “It’s been horses 24 hours a day, seven days a week ever since,” she adds.
That year, Sonny purchased half-interest in another yearling: Heza Charger, by Ladybug Stallion Station’s Brisk Deck and out of Casco Charge, by Some Charge. Heza Charger set New Track Records winning the Laredo and Goliad futurities and qualified for the (now) Ruidoso, the Rainbow and the All American futurities. He finished the All American in a highly respectable fifth place and went on to a Champion Aged Stallion title and a successful breeding career.
By the mid-70s, Lady Bug blood ran deep
in the racing industry: Bugs Alive In 75 (by
Top Moon and out of Ralph’s Lady Bug) won the All American Futurity for Ralph and Betty Shebester, and other notable Lady Bug offspring racked up cash on the track.
It was then that Lela and Marvin sold Lady Bug’s Moon, and Weetona and Sonny bought Ladybug Stallion Station. “Sonny always had a love for horses, and managing Lady Bug’s Moon had been a great opportunity,” Weetona says.
In 1982, two second-generation Lady Bug’s Moon descendants — Mr Master Bug (Master Hand – Flick Bug, Lady Bug’s Moon) and Miss Squaw Hand (Master Hand – Miss Squaw Bug, Lady Bug’s Moon) finished the All American Futurity first and second, respectively. Mr Master Bug earned multiple Champion honors and nearly $1.8 million and took over his grandsire, Lady Bug’s Moon’s, place as Ladybug Stallion Station’s senior stallion.
In 1983, Sonny entered into a foal-sharing agreement with B.F. Phillips, Jr. that sent Lady Bug’s Moon granddaughter First Prize Rose to the breeding shed with Dash For Cash. The resulting foal, First Down Dash, was bought by Mildred Vessels — the first yearling ever
purchased by Vessels Stallion Farm at public auction.
First Down Dash won 13 of 15 starts and was named World Champion in 1987 when he won six stakes, including the Los Alamitos and Dash For Cash derbies and The Champion of Champions, all Grade 1. He earned $857,256 in two years on the track and has sired the winners of a record five All American Futurities: Royal Quick Dash in 1991; Dash Thru Traffic in 1992; A Classic Dash in 1993; Corona Cash in 1997; and Falling In Loveagain in 1998. He’s also the grandsire of All American winners A Delightful Dasher, 1999; Ausual Suspect, 2001; AB What A Runner, 2002; By By JJ, 2003; Heartswideopen, 2007; Stolis Winner, 2008; Runnning Brook Gal, 2009; One Dashing Eagle, 2012; and JM Miracle, 2014; as well as supercharging the pedigrees of All American winners DM Shicago, 2004; Mr Piloto, 2010; Ochoa, 2011; and Jess Good Candy, 2015. He was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2011, being called “arguably the greatest race sire of all time.”
“We believed First Prize Rose would be a good producer, but we never dreamed just how good,” says Weetona. In addition to First Down Dash, she produced Broodmare of the Year First Prize Dash. All 18 of the Stanleys’ broodmares descend from First Prize Rose.
“Before Sonny died, he bred First Prize Rose to stallions they owned,” says David Smith, owner of Stallionesearch.com and longtime family friend who went to school in Madill with the Stanley boys. “After he passed away, they started breeding her to other stallions like Mr Jess Perry, and that has made the foundation. She took what Sonny had built and turned it into something that he’d probably not even believe has gotten as big and as great as it has.”
In the winner’s circle after winning in 1980 at Ruidoso Downs with First Prize Rose, who produced First Down Dash. All of the Stanleys’ broodmares descend from First Prize Rose.
88 SPEEDHORSE, June 2016