Page 45 - January 2021

SPEEDLINES
Jet Deck didn’t rest on his laurels after his win in the Kindergarten Futurity that came in December. He returned in April 1963 to win the Pacific Coast QHRA Derby at Los Alamitos. He went on to win seven more stakes in 1963. They include the Los Alamitos Invitational Championship and the Josie’s Bar Handicap at Los Alamitos. He won the Ruidoso Derby and the Ruidoso Championship Stakes at Ruidoso. He won the Rocky Mountain QHA Derby, the Colorado Wonderland Handicap #3 on Oct.
12 and Colorado Wonderland Handicap final on Oct. 19 at Centennial Race Course. He was second in a division of Colorado Wonderland Handicap on Sept. 21 before he won two divisions of the race.
The 1963 Josie’s Bar would be his last win as he would later finish fourth in an allowance after stumbling and nearly falling, but corrected himself to make up ground
to finish fourth. He then finished second
in the Autumn Championship, which was his final race. Both of these races were at
Los Alamitos. He made a total of 16 starts
in 1963 with 11 wins, three seconds and earnings of $62,284 for the year. He was named 1963 World Champion, Champion Stallion and the Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.
Jet Deck competed in 17 stakes races, winning 13 of them and placing second three times and third once, giving him a remarkably successful stakes record. But he also set five New Track Records at four different tracks
during his career. His first track record came at Arizona Downs where he made two starts. He set a track record of :20.100 for 400
yards and then he came back in his second start at the track to again set a track record that bested his previous record by going 400 yards in :19.900. This second start was in the Arizona Downs Juvenile Championship. He set three more track records at three different tracks, showing some versatility as he set a track record at Ruidoso Downs going 350 yards in the time of :17.680. He set a track record at Los Alamitos going 440 yards in :21.490 in the Los Alamitos Invitational Championship, and then at Centennial going 440 yards in :21.640.
When we combine the 1962 and 1963 racing record for Jet Deck, we see 31 starts with 22 wins, four second and two thirds. His combined earnings of $200,625 made him the first racing American Quarter Horse to win over $200,000. He became one of the great racehorses of the modern era, showing not only speed but the soundness it takes to win 13 stakes races in two years.
It is at this point that the “thin-necked, pot-bellied bay colt” would come back
into the life of Bud Warren. He apparently thought differently of Jet Deck, the World Champion, because he would later stand him at stud and then become a part owner. That is the next part of our story for a later edition of Speedlines.
Myrna Loy is the great grandam of Jet Deck
Merrick used Midnight Jr for a number of years and then he had an offer from H. Bissel and Midnight Jr went to New Mexico, where he was bred to Myrna Loy (shown).
Myrna Loy’s sister is Puzzle
Myrna Loy was foaled in 1935 and Puzzle (shown) was foaled in 1934. Both are out of Scott Mares, so they were at least 3/4-sisters or possibly full sisters in blood which means their dams were full sisters.
Jet Deck with Jay Chambers and Bud Warren
in 1971. When Chambers purchased Jet Deck, Warren said, “If that’s a racehorse, then I’m gonna quit the business!” Warren saw “a thin-necked, pot-bellied bay colt.”
He (Bud Warren) apparently thought different of Jet Deck, the World Champion, because he would later stand him and become a part owner.
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