Page 103 - Speedhorse June 2019

Sarah Henderson of Sarah-Toga Farm at El “I didn’t really care if I had fillies or colts.
Paso, Texas, is one busy business lady. She’s intelligent, astute, quick, open and forthright. Add to all that the quality of obvious honesty and the combination is as nearly complete as possible.
How did this attractive blonde lady with the diamond-studded Sarah-Toga belt buckle become involved in the hectic world of race horses? She was raised in the flower business in Ft. Worth . . . and that’s a far piece from equines. The story began in 1964 when Sarah and her husband, Sonny, purchased two mares. “From there we bought
a yearling filly by the name of Dream Rocket,” explains Sarah with the quick smile that’s an integral part of her basic personality. “Call it beginner’s
luck, but Dream Rocket was the beginning of my life’s career. We paid $4,500 for her in the 1965
All American Sale and she won $61,000. She ran
in 1966 and was fourth in the Kansas, fifth in the Rainbow and sixth in the All American Futurities. In fact, she was the first Triple Crown qualifier
for all three finals. Shortly after that we bought Rocket Bar, Dream Rocket’s sire, in partnership with Harriet and Billy Peckham. The syndication of Rocket Bar in 1968 was one of the very first efforts in our industry toward joint ownership . . . something I feel strongly about in 1982.”
There was nothing haphazard about Sarah’s progression in the horse business. She set out with one primary objective – to own and to raise great race horses. In 1970, Rocket Bar died and was replaced by Sparkling Native TB. With her customary forthrightness, Sarah explains what happened next. “I had several young Rocket Bar mares and decided the best route for me was to become a market breeder. At that time, I felt like going to the racetrack was too complicated and expensive. Besides, I had to make money – not spend it.”
I just wanted to be able to make certain they would be saleable in the racehorse marketplace. Making that decision wasn’t the only thing I had to accomplish. I needed an entire image to establish myself as an entity within the industry. I came up with the name of Sarah-Toga. I call that my pun! I didn’t even have a ranch at the time. My horses were boarded out. I then set about creating an image through the media
by advertising for a year on the back cover
of the Quarter Racing World, and now in the Speedhorse. In 1982, I can only hope the name Sarah-Toga has become synonymous with quality, knowledge and honesty.”
It took some doing before the wheels of that image were set into motion. Following a divorce, Sarah and her two daughters (SuAnn now 21 and Shannon now 17) moved to the El Paso farm in 1973. Even the geographical location of her facilities was unique. The
house is situated in El Paso, Texas, while
the ranch grounds are in New Mexico with
the Rio Grande running along the backside boundary. Nothing separates the house from the ranch other than a strange line of territorial demarcation.
With the farm established, Sarah was ready to launch her new image in earnest. She attended the All American Sale with six head and was shown to the back barn, certainly something
less than a prestigious position. Her average for that first sale venture? A whopping $4,000 –
not a figure to set heads spinning. “That year taught me an important lesson,” muses Sarah.
“I returned home and began an improvement program. There were times when I would sell
six mares in order to buy one half of another one. The basis of my thinking was that I would
After Rocket Bar died in 1970, Sarah replaced him with multiple stakes winner Sparkling Native TB.
After success on the track with Dream Rocket, Sarah, in partnership with Harriet and Billy Peckham, purchased her sire, Rocket Bar, shown below with Harriet.
O O n n e e o o f f t t h h e e fi fi r r s s t t h h o o r r s s e e s s S S a a r ra a h h p p u u r rc c h h a a s s e e d d was Dream Rocket, shown winning the 1966 Columbus Futurity.
SPEEDHORSE, June 2019 101
LOOKING BACK - AN EXCERPT
T F
FR
R
OM J
JU
UL
LY
Y 198
82 I
S
SSU
UE
E