Page 60 - April 2017

TOP DECK
AND THE MILLION DOLLAR SIRES
by Larry Thornton
The contribution of Three Bars and Top Deck to the modern racing American Quarter Horse is an undisputed fact. We find their influence in the pedigree through so many great runners that it becomes mind blowing just thinking about the amount of blood or genes that flow from these two great stallions into the gene pool.
The million dollar sire list is an area where the contribution of these two stallions stands out. Our look last year at the Three Bars influence showed how his line dominated the list. We
saw how the domination of Three Bars was compounded by success of his great grandson Dash For Cash and his great-great grandson First Down Dash as sires of million dollar sires.
This year, we need to look at the million dollar sires through the Top Deck sire line and the surge his line seems to be going through with stallions tracing in the sire line to this great stallion. When we look at the top 20 leading sires of money earners for 2016, we see that seven of them trace to Top Deck in the sire line with six of them being through Mr Jess Perry or one of his sons and the seventh being Tres Seis, all sire line descendants of Top Deck.
A LITTLE HISTORY
Top Deck was foaled in 1945 on the King Ranch of Kingsville, Texas. The
King Ranch is noted for its great breeding programs that developed the Old Sorrel line of American Quarter Horses and the Santa Gertrudis breed of beef cattle. Top Deck was the product of the Thoroughbred breeding program that had its beginning in the mid 1930’s with the purchase of Chicaro, the broodmare sire of Top Deck.
Chicaro became the prototype for their Thoroughbred breeding program based on his pedigree and conformation. The arrival
of Chicaro led to Robert J. Kleberg Jr., the King Ranch President and manager, to go to Kentucky and purchase horses that moved the King Ranch into the ranks of Thoroughbred breeders and racing enthusiasts.
Top Deck was the product of the Thoroughbred
breeding program that had its beginning in the mid 1930’s with the purchase of Chicaro, the broodmare sire of Top Deck.
TOP DECK TB
Equestrian
Equipoise
Frilette
River Boat
Chicaro
Last Boat
Pennant
Swinging
Man O’ War
*Frillery
*Chicle
Wendy
*Sir Gallahad III
Taps
Peter Pan *Royal Rose Broomstick *Balancoire II Fair Play Mahubah Broomstick Petticoat =Spearmint Lady Hamburg II Peter Pan Remembrance *Teddy
=Plucky Liege Man O’ War Shady
Commando *Cinderella =Royal Hampton *Belle Rose
Ben Brush
*Elf
*Meddler *Ballantrae Hastings
*Fairy Gold
*Rock Sand *Merry Token
Ben Brush
*Elf
Hamburg
Elusive
=Carbine
=Maid Of The Mint Hamburg
*Lady Frivoles Commando *Cinderella Broomstick Forget
=Ajax =Rondeau =Spearmint =Concertina Fair Play Mahubah Broomstick Sylvan
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SPEEDHORSE, April 2017
SPEEDLINES