Page 89 - September2021

“I remember how dominant he was and how he won races by big margins. To be honest I really don’t remember how many times I saw him run in person. I think every time I saw him run it was in a finals.” – Dr. Blodgett
He then added, “If you think about going through two sets of trials, that is even more amazing because now you have to win six races to win the Triple Crown, and back then you had to go through an extra set of trials in the Rainbow and All American to get there.”
Jolene echoed what Dawson and Smith said. “Billy Hunt would be sitting down getting him out in the elimination trials to get him going and then spend the rest of the time trying to pull him up. Because he was so fast and far ahead of everybody else. People came to tell us that he
stakes winners. He sired six Champions that earned nine titles. His champions include Special Leader, Bully Bullion, Easygo Effort, Special Project, Sweet N Special and Special Phoebe. Special Effort was an outstanding broodmare sire. His daughters produced 2,292 starters with 1,738 ROM and 122 stakes winners with earnings of over $40 million. This includes seven racing Champions in Eyesa Special, Double Down Special, Eye Opening Episode, Deelish, Tiny First Effort, Mars Blackman and Especially Rare.
It has to be noted that when Dr. Blodgett started his career, one of his clients was the Urschels and he was the first person to collect Special Effort. So when Special Effort came
to the Four Sixes, he was reunited with Dr. Blodgett, who became the last person to collect this famous horse.
When I asked Dr. Blodgett about bringing Special Effort to the Four Sixes, he explained how it came about. “It was the year we decided to get back into breeding on the racing Quarter Horse side of it. I had made a
deal to bring Streakin Six and Dash For Cash here, and I got a call regarding Special Effort and so made the decision to bring him here, too. I brought him in to compliment Dash For Cash and Streakin Six.”
When I asked Dr. Blodgett if he had seen Special Effort run and what he remembered about the horse as a runner, he replied, “Yes,
I did. I remember how dominant he was and how he won races by big margins. To be honest I really don’t remember how many times I saw him run in person. I think every time I saw him run it was in a finals.”
Someday we may see a second All American Triple Crown Champion. If
that happens, it will not diminish the accomplishment of Special Effort. He will always be the horse that did it first and with ease. A horse with phenomenal speed and a great desire to find the finish line no matter if it was an elimination trial or the finals. That desire could very easily be the quality that set him apart and made him the first All American Triple Crown Champion.
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needs to sit down and let him run. He never did whip him and once he was out of the gate, he never had to whip him, he was so far ahead.”
Then she interjected, “One time a man walked up to us and said, ‘Hey, I heard they had to do surgery on Special Effort.’ Dan said, ‘Really, I didn’t hear about it.’ The man said, ‘Ya, they had to try to pull the bit out of his mouth.’ They were laughing because Billy Hunt was always standing up trying to get him slowed down.”
It has to be noted that these three interviews were done separately and each of them offered their version of Special Effort running in the elimination trials. This is a memory each of them has about Special Effort and his pursuit of the All American Triple Crown, giving us an interesting perspective on this great horse and the heart and desire to run to the finish line.
The All American Triple Crown was in the books, and now it was on to contest the Derby Triple Crown. After winning his trial, he won the Kansas Derby. He continued his winning streak winning his Rainbow trial, but failed to qualify. He won his All American Derby trial and qualified for the finals. He lost only one race in his career and that was the All American Derby where he finished third to Justanold Love in first and Dashingly in second. He was named the AQHA Racing Champion Three-Year-Old Colt. He retired with the 13 wins in 14 starts
and earnings of $1,219,948.
Special Effort started his breeding career
with Dan and Jolene Urschel, and then he was purchased by Ed Gaylord, who stood him at
the Lazy E Ranch. He stood there until 1993 when he was purchased by the Four Sixes Ranch under the guidance of Dr. Glenn Blodgett.
He sired foals that earned $18.8 million from 1,434 starters with 1,048 ROM and 75