Page 29 - NMHBA Spring 2022

Henderson-bred Watch A Native after winning the 1975 Shue Fly Stakes at Sunland Park.
$36,000 Kaufman paid for Rocket Bar turned into a windfall investment when he made the sale to Henderson et al for $360,000.
It was written that Rocket Bar (Three Bars- Golden Rocket) had “the look of eagles and the heart of a lion.” It was an accurate assessment.
The colt’s first out was at Raton going
four furlongs. He put away the field by an astounding 45 lengths. His second start was two weeks later, again at Raton, on a muddy track. He stumbled, injured his left knee, but still won by daylight. From that day forward, Rocket Bar never took a sound step, but it seemed to be nothing more than a minor inconvenience for the stallion. He racked up more win pictures, and in each one, he stood on only three legs. He had just one race against Quarter Horses. He retired with 35 starts; 34 of them contested on those three good legs. Rocket Bar never complained. He didn’t know he had that option. That’s the way class works.
Rocket Bar made an indelible mark on the racing industry. He sired Rocket Wrangler out of Go Galla Go by Go Man Go, and Rocket Wrangler sired the iconic Dash For Cash, the direct lead-in to the immortal First Down Dash.
It was Henderson who put together
the Rocket Wrangler pedigree. He chose Go Galla Go as the mare to hook up with Rocket Bar. It worked. Rocket Wrangler was foaled in 1968. In 1970 he was Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. He won the All American and the Rainbow futurities, earning more than $252,160.
Henderson was new to racing in 1966. He walked into the New Mexico sale and spotted a little filly called Dream Rocket (Rocket Bar-Dreams Gold Bar, Barred).
Her legs didn’t look as if they were quite sure which direction they should point. Henderson liked her anyway and paid $4,700 for her. In 1966 and 1967, the little filly racked up 25 starts, with a 12-4-2 record and $60,911. She won the Columbus, the Goliad, and the Laredo futurities. Her legs were a little bit crooked, but she ran true to her sire’s, Rocket Bar, class. “She was a fascinating mare,” said Henderson, “one of those once-in-a-lifetime dreams.”
Henderson was blessed with more than one of those once-in-a-lifetime dreams. There was also Goetta (Go Man Go-
Etta Leo, Leo). “Goetta won everybody’s hearts,” said Henderson. “There was just something special about her. She was a World Champion in 1964, won the All American Futurity in 1963, and ended up with $233,922. I wanted her so badly! She retired in California. I bought her, flew to California on a huge plane, and brought her back with me.”
Bartendress (Beat A Native-Bar
The Thought, Aforethought) was pure Henderson. She was Henderson-bred, owned, and campaigned. Foaled in 1980, she was a Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and earned $452,309 before retiring. She won the New Mexico State Fair and the Shue Fly futurities, along with the Rainbow Derby
the following season. “She was unbelievably fast,” Henderson reminisced. She was also kind, and always gave the best she had on any given day.”
Watch A Native (Sparkling Native-
Miss Bar Lay, Three Bars) was another of Henderson’s New Mexico-breds. Born in 1973, he was a piece of the New Mexico wind and a force to be reckoned with on the racetracks. He won the Shue Fly and Kansas derbies; and was second in the Sun Country and Sunland Park Fall futurities. He bested Dash For Cash and Bugs Alive In 75 when all three ran in the same trial heat for the Sunland Fall Futurity.
As earlier noted, Henderson was plagued with on-again-off-again health issues; some so serious that he was forced to take more than one extended hiatus. But, also as noted, he fought them off with a determination remindful of Rocket Bar’s courage. He temporarily relinquished many involvements during his last ill health episode but picked up the banners again in 2014.
“The Lord blessed me,” he said, “and everything is in remission. I was eager to play again, so we developed a plan to rebuild my racing stable. Going back to my horses, and to the racetrack, was what I really wanted to do. I’ve always believed the best horses are in the middle end of sales, so I decided that would be my target.”
So, over the next 24-months, Henderson bought horses. 17 yearlings, to be exact. He combined his own expertise
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