Page 37 - Speedhorse November 2019

Percentage
Myrtle Dee
Ballot Midway
Thirty-Third
Sinn Bulse Gossip Avenue
Voter
Cerito
Sir Dixon
High Degree Disguise Nethersole Magneto
Rose Tree Commando Running Stream Trenton
Sandfly
Ben Brush Sandfly Carlsbad Semper Victoire St Frusquin
Lady Loverule Cyllene
Scene
Henry Young Quiver Renssalaer Wantage
Voter
Running Stream Dr. Leggo Georgia Girl Yankee Fancywood Martinet
Agnes Brennan
Three Bars
Rosewood Ultimus Midge Patriot Civil Rule St Amant Doro Heno
Polly Runnymede Hymir Nonpareil Hassock
Luke McLuke
Civil Maid
Atwell
Three Bars, the sire of Rocket Bar, was once given away to a trainer/blacksmith who was able to heal a hind leg that was giving the colt problems.
The legendary Three Bars, the sire of Rocket Bar, is especially successful through his descendant Dash For Cash, and then through his son First Down Dash.
Cartago
Polly H
Golden Rocket
Morshion
Morvich
Cushion
Rocket Bar was rested, and he came back to race against Quarter Horses in the Winner Take All Stakes at Albuquerque. He finished third to Mackay Boy, by Top Deck. This race is where Rocket Bar earned his official ROM in Quarter Horse racing with the old AA rating. It was his only official start against Quarter Horses. He would still favor the injured left knee, and he never fully recovered despite efforts through various treatments to cure the injury.
Rocket Bar came back in 1954 with 11 starts, winning five, placing second three times and third twice. He earned $5,054. He made eight more starts at five, winning four, placing second twice and one third, earning $4,801. The 1956 race record shows that he earned
his official Thoroughbred black type when he won the Phoenix Gold Cup Handicap at Turf Paradise, which is now a Grade 3 race. He went the 5 1/2-furlongs in :57.8 and then later lowered that time to :57.6. He made nine starts and won three races, including the Phoenix Gold Cup Handicap. He earned $6,105. He came back in 1957 to win a second Phoenix Gold Cup Handicap. He made just two official starts, with two wins that year to earn $5,815. He was then retired after three races in 1958, with a third as his best finish. He earned $110.
The official race record for Rocket Bar shows that he made 35 starts with 16 wins, six seconds and four thirds, earning $22,904. He may have had starts, however, that do not show up on his official record. These include the Littleton Speed Handicap, a race that he won by 3 1/2-lengths while running on three good legs. This prompted a turf writer to write, “As for Rocket Bar, he ran well enough to impress this observer as perhaps one of the best sprinters of modern times, with his flaw being his pedigree with speed doubled on speed which gives him a safe limit of only
five furlongs.” The press labeled Rocket Bar the “Rocky Mountain Wonder Horse.”
Donovan retired Rocket Bar to stand at stud, opening up the next phase in the life of this great runner with the heart to endure the pain he suffered in his racing career. It was about
this time that George Kaufman, who many considered the dean of Quarter Horse trainers on the west coast in this era, decided he needed a stallion. Kaufman had been the leading trainer in the nation in 1957, 1958 and 1959. He was looking for a breeding stallion for his band of mares that included daughters of Joe Reed II, Barred, Red Joe of Arizona and Tinky Poo. The Kaufmans bought Rocket Bar for $36,000.
Dr. Donovan retained some breeding rights
Dash For Cash is the sire of 18 Champions and is the leading broodmare sire of Champions with 20.
First Down Dash, the all-time leading sire of money earners, is the leading sire of Champions with 37 and the broodmare sire of 13 Champions.
SPEEDHORSE, November 2019 35
SPEEDLINES
ROCKET BAR