Page 43 - January 2021

When J. B. Ferguson wanted to find some Cajun-Bred running mares, he called on Claude Morien of Ville Platte, Louisiana. One of the mares Morien found was Moonlight Night and she went to Texas. She produced four foals. Her first foal was Paul S, by Babe Ruth, who has no AQHA number but did get an ROM in the old American Quarter Racing Association. Thunderbolt Landry, by Babe Ruth, was her next foal, who earned his ROM and was a stakes finalist in the 1952 Gage Boot And Saddle Purse at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. Her next foal was Mackay Glory, by Joe Louis, who has no official starts.
Moon Deck was the last foal for Moonlight Night and made 62 starts with 11 wins, 11 seconds and six thirds with earnings of $22,086. Moon Deck won the 1955 Los Alamitos Invitational Championship and the 1953 New Mexico State Fair Derby and was a finalist of 12 more stakes, including thirds in the 1953 State Fair Stallion Stakes and the 1955 Champion Stakes.
Peace Pipe TB, the sire of Moonlight Night, was an Army Remount Stallion with no race record and records show that he may have
sired just two foals in the American Quarter Horse Association. They report in the book Cajun-Bred Running Horses that Peace Pipe had a race record, but he had broke down at the
Fairgrounds in New Orleans. He is by Under Fire, an imported horse from Great Britain. Records show that Under Fire was a 2-time stakes winner in the Lexington Cup and the S. R. Bradley Handicap. He finished third in the 1919 Kentucky Derby that was won by Sir Barton,
the first Thoroughbred Triple Crown winner. The field included beaten favorite Eternal, who finished tenth. Eternal is the sire of Ariel, the sire of Piggin String, a Champion Stallion.
Under Fire is the sire of 139 foals with 121 starters and five stakes winners. His runners earned $606,947. One of his stakes winners was Silent Shot, a multiple stakes winner including the Manos Purse at 5.5 furlongs and the Harford Handicap at 6 furlongs. This horse made 192 starts with 23 wins, 25 seconds and 28 thirds. Under Fire was sired by Swynford by John O’Gaunt and Swynford is out of Canterbury Pilgrim, one of the great Thoroughbred mares. The dam of Under Fire was Startling by Laveno and Startling was out of Astrology by Hermit.
Mae, the dam of Moonlight Night,
was owned by David Colligan. She was a successful racehorse and this is indicated in the book by LeBlanc that “Mae won so many races in Cajun Country that she earned for herself and her master a license to breed to the stud of Colligan’s choice.” Peace Pipe was his choice and Moonlight Night was the foal.
The next foal for Mae was Callier’s Bar, an unregistered horse sired by the Thoroughbred Los Molinos, who earned his racing ROM in the old AQRA. The next foal was Rosedale, one of the mares J. B. Ferguson brought to Texas. She is the dam of Mackay Boy, winner in the 1953 Winner Take All at Albuquerque, and his full brother is Mackay Jimmie who was second in the PCQHRA Futurity. Rosedale and her full sister Lady Bob R were by Flying Bob by Chicaro. Lady Bob R was reportedly unraced, but she is the dam of
several ROM including Jody B Reed by Joe Reed II and she was a AAA/ROM runner.
Mae was a true Cajun-Bred mare. She is by The Dun Horse, who is also the sire of Clear Track, the second dam of Go Man Go. The Dun Horse is by Dewey by Sain, who was bred in Great Britain and by St Serf by St Simon. The dam of Dewey is Sister To Uncle Bob by Luke Blackburn. Dewey is the sire
of such horses as Zerringue’s Belle, the dam of Flying Bob, and he may be the sire of the La Hernandez Mare the dam of Della Moore who is the dam of Joe Reed P-3. Mae is out of La Bergeron by Doc Horn TB by Flying Squirrel. The dam of La Bergeron is a Dedier Mare by Dedier or Old D J as we know him today. Old D J is the sire of Della Moore.
Barred, who was bred by Melville Haskell, is by Three Bars and out of Ready by Red
Joe Of Arizona. Red Joe Of Arizona is by Joe Reed P-3 and out of Little Red Nell. Red Joe Of Arizona was a 3/4 brother to Joe Reed
II. Little Red Nell is the dam of Nellene, the dam of Joe Reed II, a son of Joe Reed P-3. This makes Barred one of the early runners sired by Three Bars that is an example of the successful nick of Three Bars with Joe Reed P-3 bred mares. Ready is out of Ruby by Red Cloud by Possum by Traveler. Red Cloud is out of Rita Del by Bulger by Traveler.
Belle Of Midnight was foaled in 1943, but her pedigree story starts with Walter Merrick. As a young man, Merrick was interested in Quarter Horses for his ranch as well as having an interest in racing. He lived in Southwest Oklahoma, the one-time home to horses like Joe Reed P-3 and Chief P-5, by Peter McCue. But it was the Peter McCue horses associated with Skip Montgomery that interested Merrick. Montgomery bred a mare named Salty to Midnight and the foal was Midnight Jr, and he was purchased as a yearling by Walter Merrick.
Top Deck’s leading money
winner is Champion Top Ladybug,
(shown) the winner of the seven stakes
races including the 1966 Rainbow Futurity,
which is now a Grade 1 event. Lightfoot
SPEEDLINES
Ferguson purchased mares like...
Sis, the dam of three-time AQHA Racing Rosedale, the dam of the AAA stallion Mackay Boy World Champion Go Man Go (shown), by Top Deck. (shown), by Top Deck.
SPEEDHORSE January 2021 41