Page 38 - September 2018

The 1968, 1978, 1988, 1998 & 2008 All American Futurity Winners
1968 All American Futurity winner Three Oh’s.
A look back at the Grade 1 All American Futurity each year brings with it a set of stories that makes each All American unique. Yet, each All American is a part
of the overall history of this great race, with some of the participants setting records as breeders, own- ers, trainers or jockeys. Our look
at the All American winners Three Oh’s (1968), Moon Lark (1978), Merganser (1988), Falling In Love- again (1998) and Stolis Winner (2008) will show the uniqueness of each story, while at the same time we will profile a part of the path one trainer and one jockey made to win more All American Futurities than anyone else.
1978 All American Futurity winner Moon Lark
Three Oh’s Wins The 1968 All American Futurity
36 SPEEDHORSE, September 2018
When physician and rancher Dr. Don G. Strole from Abilene, Texas, bought Three Oh’s, the plan was to make the colt the lead sire on his ranch. Strole Ranch was a cattle operation with an interest in good cutting horses. The foundation sires for their ranch included performance stallions Bartender and El Bandito, a 3/4-brother to King P-234. But a change was being implemented
that led to an interest in race horses and race
horse bloodlines. It was change that took the Strole family to the winner’s circle of the 1968 All American Futurity. It was also the first time they had entered a runner into the prestigious race.
Three Oh’s, by Three Chicks and out of Oh My Oh by Spotted Bull TB, was bred by Henry Hurd of Shawnee, Oklahoma, and purchased
by Strole as a yearling from L. R. French Jr. of Midland, Texas. The plan was to make Three Oh’s an AQHA Performance Champion, but because of his bloodlines they thought he deserved a shot at getting his racing Register of Merit.
Dr. Strole sent his new horse to trainer Bubba Cascio, who became a legend in Quarter
Horse racing through horses like Three Oh’s, 1970 All American winner Rocket Wrangler and his son 2-time World Champion Dash For Cash. Strole told Speedhorse (formerly Quarter Racing World) in 1973 that Cascio wouldn’t say much about Three Oh’s as a runner, but “told everyone else that he thought he was.”
Three Oh’s made his first start in the Columbus Triple Crown Futurity, where he won his trial but didn’t qualify for the finals. He came back to win the second consolation for the race. Three Oh’s then won his trial to the Texas Futurity at Lubbock Downs and finished as a finalist. Three Oh’s made three starts at La Mesa Park before the All American Futurity. The first was an allowance race that he won. The next race came in the Raton Futurity trials with a win and then a third in the finals.
The summer racing at Ruidoso Downs found that the main competition for the All American Futurity would come from two horses. They were Kansas Futurity winner Lady Bug’s Moon, who was also second in the Rainbow Futurity, and Rainbow Futurity winner Joada Bux.