Page 48 - September 2019

Easy Jet in the winner’s circle with breeder/owner/trainer Walter Merrick and jockey Willie Lovell after winning the 1969 All American Futurity.
1969 World Champion Easy Jet became the sire of nine Champions and the broodmare sire of
12 Champions.
Easy Jet wins the 1969 All American Futurity
When Easy Jet won the All American, the purse had risen to over $400,000 in the ten years since its inception. Easy Jet was a son of Jet Deck and out of Lena’s Bar TB by Three Bars. Easy Jet’s breeder and owner and trainer was Oklahoma rancher and racehorse enthusiast Walter Merrick, who was well known in racing circles. Merrick started his life with horses through match races, and then went on to organized racing. He raced individuals like Grey Badger II, Mona Leta, Bob’s Folly and Lena’s Bar, the dam of Easy Jet, to name a few. Merrick’s record in the All American showed that he had trained Mary Sunshine in
the first All American and he leased and trained Chickamona, who was second to Go Dick Go in the 1966 All American.
Easy Jet came into the All American with
a phenomenal record of 16 starts and 12 wins, including five stakes wins in such races as the Kansas Futurity, Blue Ribbon Futurity and Columbus Triple Crown Futurity. His race record was a phenomenal feat, especially for a two year old. So, the question coming into the All American was what effect this busy two-year- old campaign would have on him? He started racing in January and it was now August. He
46 SPEEDHORSE, September 2019