Page 13 - May 2016

develop more comprehensive testing require- ments and penalties.
Find more information on American Quarter Horse racing and AQHA policies, at www.aqharacing.com.
Hall of fame Inductees announced
The American Quarter Horse Hall of
Fame welcomed its newest class at the AQHA Convention in March (see page XX), and the committee also voted on the next set of induct- ees. The 2017 American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame class includes five horses and five AQHA members that will join the hall next year.
Induction into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed
by the American Quarter Horse Association. Those chosen for induction are recognized for their lifetime of accomplishments and service. The horses chosen are: Dashing Phoebe, Strawfly Special, Casey’s Ladylove, Majestic Scotch and Zips Chocolate Chip. The four men and one woman who will join the Hall of Fame are: Marvin Barnes of Ada, Oklahoma; AQHA Past President Peter J. Cofrancesco
III of Sparta, New Jersey; Bobby D. Cox of Fort Worth, Texas; Past AQHA Executive Committee member Dick Monahan of Walla Walla, Washington; and Sandra Vaughn of Hernando, Florida.
•Dashing Phoebe was a fast runner and
the mother of fast runners. The 1983 sorrel mare by Dash For Cash won or placed in 15
of 20 career starts, earning $609,553 on the racetrack. She was a two-time AQHA racing champion filly, earning that honor in 1985
and 1986. She earned her AQHA Supreme Racehorse title in 1987. In 2008, she was named an AQHA Dam of Distinction after producing 15 winners, five stakes winners and the earners of nearly $2.4 million. She was bred by San Jose Cattle Co. of Rockport, Texas, and was euthanized in 2013. She was buried on owner Kirk Goodfellow’s Dreams Come True Ranch near Nacogdoches, Texas.
•Racing stallion Strawfly Special sired two winners of the All American Futurity, Streakin Flyer and Ausual Suspect. The 1987 stallion by Special Effort was bred by Dan and Jolene Urschel of Canadian, Texas, and was owned by Double Bar S Ranch of Moreno Valley, California. Strawfly Special’s offspring earned more than $25 million on the racetrack, and his gelded son Tailor Fit was racing world champion in 1999 and 2001. Strawfly Special died in 2004.
•The 1961 mare Casey’s Ladylove was the foundation of a barrel racing dynasty. James and Frances Loiseau of Flandreau, South Dakota, bought the mare as a 2 year old for $720, looking for a horse their children could
ride. Later, they started breeding her, selling the colts and keeping the fillies for their broodmare band that led to such barrel racing and rodeo champions as French Flash Hawk, known to barrel racers as “Bozo,” and Frenchmans Guy, a leading sire of barrel racing horses.
•Majestic Scotch, a 1994 sorrel gelding, won 10 world championships in western riding and western pleasure and seven reserve world championships in those classes plus showman- ship. •Zips Chocolate Chip was a leading sire of award-winning western pleasure horses and became a Breyer horse model.
•Marvin Barnes of Ada, Oklahoma, was the owner and trainer of Mr Master Bug,
a Supreme racehorse and winner of the All American Futurity, and FL Lady Bug, an American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductee. The 50-year cumulative breeder and his late wife, Lela, were fixtures in Oklahoma Quarter Horse racing for more than 50 years. Barnes bred the earners of more than $3.9 million on the track and two world champion horses who earned seven world championships.
•Peter J. Cofrancesco III of Sparta, New Jersey, was the first president of the American Quarter Horse Youth Association to become president of AQHA. Cofrancesco grew up showing horses with his family in many aspects of AQHA competition, later specializing in halter. He was elected to the AQHA Executive Committee in 2008 and served as president in 2011-12, focusing on youth involvement.
•An owner and 30-year breeder of American Quarter Horse racehorses, Bobby D. Cox of
Fort Worth, Texas, bought his first racehorse
in 1976. His homebred mare All About Ease won the Ruidoso Futurity in 2004, the same year his homebred stallion Brimmerton won the Rainbow Derby and the All American Derby.
In 2007, his homebred Dont Let Down won the All American Derby. In all, horses Cox bred have earned $20 million on the track. Horses Cox has owned have earned $16 million on the racetrack.
•Racehorse owner and breeder Dick Monahan of Walla Walla, Washington, bought his first race-bred yearlings in 1969. He and
his wife, Brenda, raised and raced American Quarter Horses for more than 30 years. He was elected as an AQHA director in 1985. At the time of his death in 2009, Monahan was serv- ing on the AQHA Executive Committee.
•Judge, breeder and AQHA Professional Horsewoman Sandra Vaughn of Hernando, Florida, became a professional trainer at age 19. She has trained horses to multiple Champion titles and has ridden horses to seven world championships and 11 reserve world championships. In 1995, the first year the award was given, Vaughn was named the Professional Horsewoman of the Year.
Congratulations to the Hall of Fame class of 2017!
Ruidoso Downs’ general manager Shaun Hubbard & Dr. Leonard Blach holding Go Man Go’s remains to be buried near the monument
It’s mountaIn tIme
Ruidoso Downs opens its annual meet May 27 and runs through the traditional Labor Day closing. This summer’s meet will be headlined by the $3 million All American Futurity-G1 on Labor Day. The 440-yard classic offers the world’s largest purse for any 2-year-old race.
The purse for the All American Juvenile will be raised to $500,000 this year, up from $200,000 in 2015 and $100,000 in 2014.
The Ruidoso Downs’ futurity program offers $5.7 million in purses and, in addition
to the All American, includes the Grade 1
$1 million Rainbow and $1 million Ruidoso futurities. The Quarter Horse derby program leads the sport with the three richest derbies
in the industry. The 440-yard All American Derby projects to have a $2.5 million purse, the 440-yard Rainbow Derby is expected to have a $1.2 million purse, and the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby is on target to become a $1 million stakes, up from $815,045 last year.
New this year at Ruidoso is the Go Man Go Memorial. Go Man Go’s cremated remains have been moved to the track along with a bronze plaque describing the three-time world champion’s accomplishments.
A 1953 foal, Go Man Go was world cham- pion from 1955-1957. The Top Deck TB son is the only colt to ever be world champion at ages two, three and four. He retired from the track and became a champion in the breeding shed.
He earned the title of being a rogue when he burst through the starting gate in his first race, ran around the track, was reloaded and still won the race. He won 27 of 47 starts with 17 stakes wins. He set three track records and world records at 350 yards and 440 yards.
Go Man Go sired seven champions and 83 stakes winners, including two All American Futurity winners.
A ceremony honoring Go Man Go will be held on opening weekend. For complete Ruidoso Downs’ information, go to www. raceruidoso.com.
SPEEDHORSE, May 2016 11
track chatter
Ty Wyant