Page 162 - SPEEDHORSE April 2018

In 1932, Mason introduced Oklahoma Star (by Dennis Reed TB and out of Cutthroat) to his stallion battery, believing the 17-year-old bay would become the chief Quarter Horse reference sire of Cross J rodeo and speed horses.
When the AQHA was incorporated in 1940, Oklahoma Star (above left) became part of the small band of 19 foundation stallions defining the breed. Oklahoma Star at 25 (above right) was the sixth stallion to be registered, and P-6 was thereafter attached to his name.
Oklahoma Star, it seems, was not only
a hellbender on straightaways. He was also master of midnight pasture romance – prone to jump any fence that got in his way. In fact, he once consorted in the moonlight with his own mother, Cutthroat.
Club and gave him a new name in honor of his explosive speed – Sizzler. Sizzler went home to AQHA, receiving the early number of 760.
Some horsemen say that Sizzler, “the love- child,” was Oklahoma Star’s best son. He showed the Thoroughbreds how to go 440 yards the quick way and was already an aged stallion by AQHA terms when he took his wins in steady A time on straightaways in the early 1940’s.
Sizzler bequeathed race and arena ROM offspring to AQHA, and fifteen of his daughters produced ROM qualifiers.
Seventeen of Oklahoma Star’s daughters are listed as AQHA producers: Arizona Star out
dam of War Star, was by Quarter Deck TB and out of a full sister to Old Baldy - Pretty Lady (Red Buck-Babe Dawson). Quarter Lady also produced Sea Wolf, V’s Bert, V’s Quarter Boy, V’s Big Red and V’s Lad.
Bay Lucy, bay ’34, dam of Nowata Star, was by Chief, an own son of Peter McCue. Her dam was none other than the notorious sprinting darling, Roger Mills, an own daughter of Peter McCue out of the immortal Nellie Trammell, a granddaughter of Peter McCue.
Bay Babe, bay ’30, dam of Starboy and Oregon Star, was another full sister to Old Baldy. Brown Annie, unregistered, dam of Hillsides
Little Man, is recorded by Mason as a brown filly foaled in 1930 by Recluse TB and out of Black Annie.
Bonnie Star, bay ’37, dam of Double Star, was by Oklahoma Star and out of Nancy.
J4, dam of Snip Star, was one of Mason’s first mares, and he doted upon her. She appears in the back stretches of many Cross J horses. J4 was by Old Red Buck and out of a bay mare by Red Man by Tubal Cain by Berry’s Cold Deck by Cold Deck. Red Man was also the sire of Old Red Buck.
Lad’s Run TB, the dam of Sizzler, was also one of Mason’s favorites. Foaled in England, she was by Forerunner. In 1936, Ron proudly hauled Lad’s Run to the court of a Thoroughbred he admired, Sheridan (sire of the Mason mare Sheridina.)
“It was all for nought. Star had done it again.”
Oklahoma Star, it seems, was not only a hellbender on straightaways. He was also master of midnight pasture romance – prone to jump any fence that got in his way. In fact, he once consorted in the moonlight with his own mother, Cutthroat. Someone thoughtfully attached the name of “Grace” to the little filly that resulted.
In 1937, Lad’s Run foaled a little chestnut son. Mason promptly saw to it that all his Thoroughbred papers were in order. In the future when the colt made his debut on Thoroughbred tracks, he led the rest to the quarter pole, then followed them the rest of the way to the wire.
A couple of Cross J hands finally admitted that Star had found his way to Lad’s Run not long before she was hauled to Sheridan. The reason they gave for not coming forward with the information was that they were afraid to, plus they thought things might work out anyway.
Mason canceled the colt out of The Jockey
Corbett’s Star after winning the QH Derby for Ron Mason in Albuquerque on Sept. 28, 1955.
160 SPEEDHORSE, April 2018
LOOKING BACK - AN EXCERPT FROM MAY 1981 ISSUE