Page 21 - 11 May 2012

When Carl Pevehouse collapsed breeding a line of horses that all carry the set of mare mules that he got $700 for, so him
due to a bout of pneumonia that
exacerbated his myocarditis, the prognosis was grim. The only thing that
would save his life was a heart transplant, which he quickly underwent. Even with a new heart, his life expectancy, the doctors said, was a mere 10 years.
That was 16 years ago. Today, Pevehouse is still going strong, and is actively involved in his heart’s biggest passion—horse racing. Even if you haven’t had the pleasure of meet- ing Pevehouse in person, there is no doubt you know his horses. Just look for the candy.
Since the mid-1970s, Pevehouse has been
unique “candy” moniker. Send The Gals Candy...Send Me The Candy...Send Me A Candy Tree...they can be found competing in stakes races from Oklahoma to Florida, Texas to California, and even as far north
as Canada. While the origin of the candy name is where most assume Pevehouse’s story begins, his history in horse racing dates back even further, to his roots as a farmer’s son in eastern Oklahoma.
THE EARLY YEARS
“My father farmed, and he actually raised mule colts out of everything. I remember one
and my mother went to town and bought a new car,” Pevehouse said of his father’s appar- ent knowledge of and knack for raising and selling livestock. “Those old mother mares, those are the horses we rode. The mare I rode was named Cricket and she couldn’t outrun much, but that was my horse.”
As Pevehouse outgrew Cricket, his eye settled on a Paint filly named Spot that was owned by a neighbor. “I probably drove my dad crazy wanting him to buy her for me,” Pevehouse recalled.
His father eventually gave in and paid $25 for the filly, which Pevehouse broke and
SPEEDHORSE, May 11, 2012 19