Page 42 - September2021

SPEEDLINES
“A dramatic page in racing was written at Ruidoso Downs when 10 of the fastest two-year-old Quarter Horses in the country met in a showdown stampede for the third running
of the All American Futurity.”
Mr Three Bars, Three Chicks and Magnolia Bar. He was the grandsire of Art Bar, who was sired by Lightning Bar by Three Bars.
Pokey Bar earned $101,212.50 for his first place, but he wasn’t done for the year. They took Pokey Bar to Los Alamitos for the Thanksgiving Stakes and a win. He then started in the Los Ninos Handicap, earning a second. He finished the year with a win in the Kindergarten Futurity. The 1961 racing season was a good one with nine starts, six wins, two seconds
and one third. He was the leading money winner for the year with $120,698. He was named the AQHA Champion Two-Year- Old Colt. The All American held a lot of weight in 1961, as Bunny’s Bar Maid and Golden Note were named the AQHA Co- Champion Two-Year-Old Fillies.
The racing success of Pokey Bar kept going in his three-year-old season. He
had eight starts with six wins, including the Ruidoso Derby, Pacific Coast QHRA Derby and Los Alamitos Championship. His stakes placed finishes were second in the Peter McCue and third in the Ruidoso Championship. He was named the AQHA Champion Three-Year-Old Colt. His total
earnings record was $162,544 from 17 starts with 12 wins, three seconds and two thirds.
Pokey Bar retired to stand at stud, but the outcome wasn’t good. He would sire just 11 foals with eight starters/ROM including one stakes winner and one stakes placed runner. His foals earned $19,275. His stakes winner was Flick It Babe, winner of the Wabash Valley Downs Futurity. The daughters of Pokey Bar produced 37 foals, 21 starters and 13 racing ROM. His leading money winner was Val Lou, a stakes finalist in the Laddie Handicap.
Second-placed Bunny’s Bar Maid didn’t win another race, but she was second in the Pacific Coast QHRA Futurity. She retired to the Spencer Childers’ broodmare band to become a foundation mare for
his breeding program. Her descendants include horses like 1979 AQHA Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Black Sable and 2004 AQHA World Champion Be A Bono. Spencer Childers is an all-time leading breeder of horses that have won over $15 million. Fifth-placed Three Chicks went
on to win the 1962 Josie’s Bar Handicap and 1963 Go Man Go Handicap. He
sired many fine runners, including 1968
All American Futurity winner Three Ohs. Three Ohs is the sire of Sinn Fein, the broodmare sire of the #3 all-time leading sire of money earners with over $58 million in earnings Mr Jess Perry.
Longtime Racehorse writer Leslie Ernenwein told in his column “Down
The Straightaway” in the November 1961 Western Horseman the following about the 1961 All American Futurity. “A dramatic page in racing was written at Ruidoso Downs when 10 of the fastest two-year-
old Quarter Horses in the country met
in a showdown stampede for the third running of the All American Futurity.” He went on to point out his reason for that statement in that the purse figured out
to $10,000 per second or $500 per yard. The real eye opener is that the total purse was $202,425, which was higher than the Kentucky Derby purse of $163,000, the Preakness Stakes purse of $178,000 and the Belmont Stakes purse of $148,000. That was Pokey Bar’s All American Futurity,
and the second time in three years Hugh Huntley and Newton Keck found the All American Dream, having won the first running with Galobar.
Pokey Bar wins the 1961 All American Futurity.
40 SPEEDHORSE September 2021