Page 62 - January 2018

CELEBRATING
1978
Dash For Cash received his second World Championship title as the 1977 World Champion, Champion Aged Horse & Champion Aged Stallion. With the passing
of his brother Chet the previous year, Dale Robertson announced the sale of the rights
to conduct the Haymaker Sales to Heritage Place. 1977 Champion 2 Year Old/Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding Town Policy was found, underweight but sound, in Durango, Mexico, after being stolen from his stall; Town Policy went on to race and become the 1978 Champion 3-Year-Old Gelding and 1980 Champion Aged Gelding. The Ruidoso Jockey Club purchased Sunland Park and Ruidoso Downs from Fortuna Properties, Inc. for $15 million. Los Alamitos announced the formation of an advisory board. In Memoriam: J.B. Ferguson, owner/breeder of 1955-1957 World Champion Go Man Go, died of kidney failure; Quarter Horse racing pioneer Elmer Hepler, who with his brother Charlie co-owned 1941-1943 World Champion Shue Fly and from whose stable came 1952 World Champion Johnny Dial, died when his car collided with a train; 1964 World Champion Goetta died while foaling an Easy Six filly; Johnny Dial, racing’s oldest World Champion at the time, died at age 30; 1958/1959 Champion Miss Louton died at 22.
1979
Miss Thermolark was named 1978 World Champion and was sold by breeder/owner Ronny Schliep to Melvin Hatley. For the first time in the 107-year history of Fair Grounds Racetrack in New Orleans, Louisiana, the track held its first ever Quarter Horse race in the Rapide Stakes for 3-year-old and older Louisiana-breds. Linzay Downs in Eunice, Louisiana, became the first all Quarter Horse racetrack in the state. The 40th Annual AQHA Convention adopted a rule to allow the registration of Quarter Horse foals produced as a result of embryo transfer. Speedhorse began publication of the Thoroughbred Times.
1980
Moon Lark was named 1979 World Champion. A record 2,273 head were nominated to the 1981 All-American Futurity. B.F. Phillips was elected president of the AQHA. Tom Mercer was named AQHA’s Director of Racing. A colostrum substitute was developed to give new foals adequate levels of antibodies. Colorado State University developed an oral prostaglandin to establish a “normal” estrus cycle early in the year. Walter Merrick earned the title of “Master
Breeder” from Oklahoma State University. Yakima Meadows found volcanic ash from the Mount St. Helens eruption useful for track resurfacing needs. Race Horses, Inc., managed by Ralph Shebester, entered a purchase agreement on Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw, OK. Blow By Blow, by Dash For Cash, sold for $140,000 at the Dash For Cash Sale at Los Alamitos in California, the highest price ever paid at public auction for a yearling colt. Miss Jelly Roll, the dam of Champion Pie In The Sky, sold for a record $1.1 million. Two all-time sale records at public auctions were broken at the Buena Suerte Sale: $450,000 for a broodmare and $300,000 for a weanling. Easy Jet was syndicated for $30 Million, an all time high. Ruidoso Super Select Sale Co., Inc. was formed and will debut in 1981. In Memoriam: Darrel Rose, manager for Roy Browning Ranch near Ada, OK, passed away while recuperating from a heart transplant; Champion Elan Again was euthanized due to a perforated intestine.
1981
Super Sound Charge was named 1980 World Champion. The 42nd AQHA Convention was held in Hawaii. A record 64 horses were nominated to the Vessels Maturity at Los Alamitos. Ruidoso Downs reported record purses of over $7.3 million during its 1980 meet. ABC telecasted the 17th running of
(An architects rendering of Blue Ribbon Downs) Ralph Shebester entered into a purchase agreement on Blue Ribbon Downs in 1980.
60 SPEEDHORSE, January 2018