Page 174 - November 2020

NEWS BRIEFS
Vaughn Cook Passes Away
Longtime horseman Vaughn Myron Cook passed away on Oct. 19 at his home in Colorado, fol- lowing a long battle with cancer. Cook earned his bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Colorado State University in 1972 and researched equine reproduction and embryo transfer at CSU’s Equine Reproduction Laboratory. In 1990, he established Royal Vista Equine with his wife Jill Cook DVM, eventually expanding to include Royal Vista South- west LLC and Royal Vista Ranches LLC, where they were on the leading edge of embryo transfer technology. Among the many successful stallions they handled are Wave Carver, Good Reason SA, Rocket Wrangler, Special Leader, Fishers Dash, Ivory James and One Fabulous Eagle, and they
also built a quality broodmare band that included Champion Special Phoebe. Cook was an AQHA Racing committee member and director at large, served on the studbook and registration committee, public policy committee and research committee.
A Classic Dash Dies
1993 Champion Two Year Old, Champion Two-Year-Old Colt A Classic Dash (First Down Dash-Classic Canyon, Dusty Canyon TB) died in October at the age of 29. Bred by H.G. Stevenson and racing for Abigail Kawananakoa, the 1991 sorrel horse was trained by Connie Hall and ridden by Eddie Garcia. Competing only at two-years of age, A Classic Dash won seven of eight starts and earned $1,078,617 winning his trials to and the finals of the All American Futurity-G1 and Dash For Cash Futurity-G1. A Classic Dash is the sire
of nearly $7 million, including 2003 Champion Aged Mare Royaltime Classic.
Heza Ramblin Man Dies
Heza Ramblin Man (Takin On The Cash- Kiptys Kisses, Kipty Charger) died in Sep- tember. The 1993 chestnut gelding, who was bred by Ellen Kennedy and raced by Walter Fletcher, won 16 of 51 starts and earned $750,907. Among his 10 stakes victories
are the AQHA Juvenile Challenge Cham- pionship-G1 and the Los Alamitos Invita- tional Championship-G1 (twice), as well as a second-place finish in the 1996 All American Derby-G1.
Scarlett The Harlot Dies
Scarlett The Harlot (Easily Smashed-Hot Blooded Wrangler, Tiny Gay Bug) died Oct. 29. Bred by Sue H. May and owned by Dan Jones, the 1995 Quarter Horse mare pro- duced 100% money earners from five Paint starters including stakes winner Millennia Flash. Scarlett The Harlot is the granddam of World Champion Live Moonshine.
He and his wife are members of the Rocky Moun- tain Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame and were honored by CSU as 2016 Livestock Leaders. Cook was a director of the Colorado Horseman’s Association, was the 2009 Colorado Horse Coun- cil’s Horseman of the Year, and received the 2010 and 2012 Industry Partner Award from CSU Animal Science Department. Cook is survived by his wife Jill, four daughters, two grandchildren, and many other family members and friends.
Speedhorse Photo Archive Answer
The photo on page 171 shows Easily Smashed (Easy Jet-Smash It TB, Foggy Road) winning the Sun Country Futurity
at Sunland Park in 1980. Bred by Sue May, Joan Leach and Carol Child, Easily Smashed began his racing career at two and raced until he was three. Trained by William Foster “Bill” Leech, who also co-owned the colt, Easily Smashed won 14 races from 21 starts, including the 1981 Kansas Derby. He was also third in the 1981 Rainbow Derby and a finalist in the All American Derby
and Kansas Futurity. After his career on the track, Easily Smashed went on to sire earn- ers of over $9.3 million. Among his top earners are New Track Record Setter Chrises Smash, who won 10 races and five stakes including the Heritage Place Futurity-RG1. Easily Smashed is also a top broodmare sire, including of 2-time Champion Prospect To The Top ($992,670) and World Champion Whosleavingwho ($1,334,842).
PAINT ME PERRY
Paint Me Perry
(PYC Paint
Your Wagon-
Baby Perry, Mr
Jess Perry) will
stand the 2021
season at Delta
Equine in
Vinton, Loui-
siana. The 2012 bay stallion earned $288,637 winning two stakes races in the Oklahoma Futurity-G2 and Simulcast Services Stakes, also being named the Texas Hi-Point Three-Year- Old Colt. From just two crops to race, Paint Me Perry is a multiple blacktype sire of over $790,000 and $34,404 average earnings per starter, including LQHBA Million Futurity-G1 winner Mardi Gras Paint (2020, $488,375).
CALL ME COLE
Call Me
Cole (Corona
Cartel-Little
Surfer, First
Down Dash)
will stand
his second
season in
2021 season
at Southwest Stallion Station in Elgin, Texas. The 2015 sorrel stallion earned $298,122 racing from two to five years of age in 2021. Call Me Cole won three races and was third in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity-G1 and was a finalist in the Golden State Million Futurity- G1, Los Alamitos Super Derby-G1, Kaweah Bar Handicap-G3 and Z. Wayne Griffin Direc- tors Invitational Division 2.
172 SPEEDHORS November 2020