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SPEEDLINES
When we look at the inflfluence of Three Bars, we see that he had many sons beside Rocket Bar that were also successful sires of runners. They Include:
Mr Bar None
Lightning Bar
Magnolia Bar
Ballot Midway
Thirty-Third
Bulse Gossip Avenue
Voter
Cerito
Sir Dixon
High Degree Disguise Nethersole Magneto
Rose Tree Commando Running Stream Trenton
Sandfly
Ben Brush Sandfly Carlsbad Semper Victoire St Frusquin
Lady Loverule Cyllene
Scene
Henry Young Quiver Renssalaer Wantage
Voter
Running Stream Dr. Leggo Georgia Girl Yankee Fancywood Martinet
Agnes Brennan
Percentage
Three Bars
Luke McLuke
Civil Maid
Atwell
Polly H
Morvich
Cushion
Rosewood Ultimus Midge Patriot Civil Rule St Amant Doro Heno
Polly Runnymede Hymir Nonpareil Hassock
Myrtle Dee
Cartago
Golden Rocket
Morshion
mares, but the branch of the Three Bars sire line that has carried on is through his Thoroughbred son Rocket Bar.
In our November 2019 Speedlines we profiled the life of Rocket Bar. Now we will take another look back at this great stallion, and then we will look at the role of Rocket Bar in the Three Bars sire line. We will also highlight an interesting breeding pattern that has followed Rocket Bar and his ability to nick with Quarter Horse mares.
Rocket Bar was bred by Charles H.
Reed and was purchased as a weanling
by Dr. Harold Donovan of Raton, New Mexico. Donovan raced him from 1953
to 1958. Rocket Bar won his first race and then he injured his knee in his second start, an injury that plagued him through his entire race career. He made 35 starts with
16 wins, six seconds and four thirds with earnings of $22,904, including victories in the Phoenix Cup (twice) and the Littleton Speed Handicap. He made one start against Quarter Horses, finishing third in the Winner Take All at Albuquerque and earning an official AA rating.
Donovan retired Rocket Bar to stand
at stud and George Kaufman, a prominent Quarter Horse trainer, decided he needed a
stallion. Kaufman, who had been the leading trainer in the nation in 1957, 1958 and 1959, purchased Rocket Bar for $36,000. Dr. Donovan retained some breeding rights to Rocket Bar and that lowered the price to $30,000. Then Kaufman’s father-in-law,
O. W. Starlin, bought a few shares. Rocket Bar stayed with Kaufman until
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Peckham and Mr.
and Mrs. S. F. Henderson purchased the Kaufman and Starlin shares for $360,000, with Z. Wayne Griffin buying Dr. Donovan’s shares. Rocket Bar moved to Texas where he was syndicated in 1966 with the shareholders being Z. Wayne Griffin, Leo Winters, Jacob Bunn, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Carter, Dan Urschel, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Hall, Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Henderson and Harriet Peckham.
Rocket Bar died in 1970 at the age of
19. He became a million-dollar sire with earnings of $4,215,596. He sired 454
foals, 368 starters, 287 ROM, 45 stakes winners, 45 stakes placed foals and five Champions, including Mr Tinky Bar, Rocket Wrangler, Osage Rocket, Top Rockette
and Nug Rock. He also sired three AQHA Supreme Champions. Rocket Bar became the broodmare sire of $8,100,906, with 637 ROM and 46 stakes winners. The list of
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ROCKET BAR