Page 142 - February 2021

at Arapahoe, wins at two in the Kansas Jackpot Derby-G3 and the QHBC Classics Derby, a win at four in the Dash For Speed Handicap, three seconds at five in the Dash For Speed Handicap, the Jet Deck Handicap and the Central Cham- pionship Challenge-G3. Her final year at six, she won the Red Earth Handicap-G3 and ran third in the Remington Gold Cup-G2 at Remington Park.
Among the Willhite-bred horses that John has trained were Fols Folk, Straw For Cash and Cashin The Wagon, the latter two of which were co-owned with Katherine and Dean Hart.
Another of John’s all-time favorites, the 1984 gelding Fols Folk by Fols Native and out of Easy Jet Doll by Easy Jet, earned $207,565 in four years, tallying a 54-16-12-6 record. “He won everywhere I took him,” John says. His high- lights include running second in the Rocket Bar Futurity-G3 and winning the Grade 3 Raton and the Colorado Stallion Breeders futurities, also at Raton, his first year out. His second year, he ran second in the Jayhawker Derby-G3 at Raton, then won the Los Potrillos Handicap
at Santa Fe and the Colorado Stallion Breeders Derby at the Adams County Fairgrounds.
HIS ALL-TIME TOP WINNER
Standing atop John’s all-time Best Horses ranking is the Graded stakes-winning gelding Three Olives N Smoke, owned by Margo Schares and Brad Thomas and bred by Margo. The 2013 gelding by Jess Louisiana Blue and out of the Corona Cartel mare Smokin Corona — who when running won the Cherry Creek Futurity in 2002 and the Mile High Derby in 2003 — tallied 30-9-5- 4 in four years with $285,635 in earnings. The recently retired gelding finished 2015 ranked 16th by wins.
As a freshman, Three Olives N Smoke won the Cherry Creek and Rocky Mountain futurities at Arapahoe, then at four he ran third in the Remington Championship Chal- lenge-G2 and second in the AQHA Chal- lenge Championship-G1. At six he won the Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge- G2, and at seven he ran third in the Canter- bury Park Championship Challenge-G3 and the Keokuk Stakes-G3 at Prairie Meadows, and second in the Two Rivers Stakes-G3, also at Prairie Meadows.
RIDING THE WAVE
These days, John finds his sweet spot riding the pony horses at the track each morning. “And I still like the unknown of what’s going to happen with the two year olds,” he adds. “It’s been especially rewarding that we ran the dams and granddams of so many of these horses and shared our owners’ pursuit of ‘the big horse’ through their breeding programs.”
He used to have 45-50 horses in training, but nowadays averages 20. But regardless of his career successes, he considers his greatest success to be raising his kids. “I just had a wonderful life doing this and I’m pretty content and proud of the kids and my wife,” he says.
He’s enjoyed giving back to the industry as well; he has served as an AQHA director for 20 years and currently is on the racing council.
Throughout his career, John has amassed 1,235 wins, 1,083 seconds and 945 thirds from 6,934 starts, and $10,423,735 in earnings — with 103 stakes wins, 94 stakes placed, and 95 stakes shows.
“You like to think your success is all from your hard work, but you have to have clients
John’s All-Time Best Horse
Three Olives N Smoke, shown winning the 2019 Bank of America Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge
A top trainee of John’s is Dolls Prodigy, shown with her connections after winning the 1998 Mile High Futurity.
John trained many horses for Marvin Willhite, including
Fols Folk, shown winning his 1987 Rainbow Cashin The Wagon, shown winning the 2011 Mile Derby trial High Futurity
140 SPEEDHORSE February 2021