Page 68 - May 2022

the time of the second fastest qualifier! Moreover, when Cascio met his colt in the winner’s circle, he saw that the colt was missing his right front and his left hind shoes. The deep, sticky mud had pulled the nails from his hooves. Windy Ryon had raced into history in the first race of his life, half barefoot on a slippery, tiring surface. By that time, I had been watching the races at Ruidoso Downs for 15 years and had never seen a horse before that break the 20-second barrier, even on the fastest of surfaces!
Cascio wants the record to be clear. “You know, Dash For Cash was already getting all the attention and the Phillips were saying they knew from the first time they saw him that he would be one of the greatest of all time and all that. Let me tell you— that wasn’t the way it was at all. Dash was kind of a thoroughbredy looking colt and they had decided to make a gelding out of him before they sent him to me. Then the night before they were going to cut him, they had a big storm, and that colt ran into something and peeled down a big old flap of skin on his shoulder. When the vet got there to cut him, instead he had to stitch up that shoulder, then they decided that was enough for him for one day and I could have him cut later after he healed up.” A wry smile comes to the trainer’s face. “Of course, it didn’t take me long to see he was special.”
So, if not for a storm and an injury, there very nearly was not such a thing as the Dash For Cash bloodline.
But despite all the talent, the summer of ‘75 didn’t go as planned for the Cascio stable. Fate and mountain weather have ways of disrupting the best of plans. Windy Ryon did not win the Rainbow Futurity and Dash For Cash did not win the All American Futurity. That trophy went to
Bugs Alive In 75—another great story in its own
So, if not for a storm and an injury, there very nearly was not such a thing as the Dash For Cash bloodline.
right. Windy Ryon’s physical problems prevented him from an extended race career, but he did earn the distinction of being the only son of Go Man Go to ever sire an All American Futurity winner— Rona’s Ryon (with Jerry Nicodemus aboard). Dash For Cash, of course, would go on to win 21 of
his 25 races, including consecutive victories in the Champion of Champions—in the first of which he shattered Jet Deck’s track record of :21.49 for the quarter mile. Nicodemus had his feet on the dashboard when they stopped the clock that night in a historic 21.17.
So, even though one became a legend and
the other became more of a footnote in history, memories of the two prodigiously talented colts still intrigue the only living person who knew them well. Bubba Cascio’s memories are priceless.
“Jerry and I were taking Windy Ryon to the starting gate one morning and I wanted to just pop him out of there with company and not
let him go too far. Anyway, here comes Don Farris with a couple and he was looking for some company, too, so I said, ‘Let’s go ahead.’ Then Don warned me he had won the Sun Country Futurity with this filly, and he didn’t want to scare this colt of mine when she left there on top. I just said, ‘Thanks, but we’ll just go on with you anyway.’ Jerry looked at me and kind of smiled and let me tell you, when they kicked it they hadn’t gone but about 30 yards when Jerry was looking back over his shoulder! Don and I rode down there on our saddle horses and Tommy Dean was sitting on his pony there by the wire. Don hollered at him, ‘Tommy, how far was that Cascio sonofabitch in front when they came by here?’ Tommy said, ‘He was about four lengths in front here, but Jerry had his mouth so wide open he looked like a alligator chasin’ a gar!’’’
Cascio shared another revealing memory: “Jerry and I were riding back from the track one morning and he had just worked Windy Ryon. We rode along there a minute and I asked him, ‘Do you think that other colt (Dash) can outrun this colt?’ And he thought for just a few seconds and said, ‘I don’t think he can outrun him.’”’
Dash For Cash and Windy Ryon are
just two stars in the galaxy of Cascio-trained runners. Justanold Love, Queen For Cash, Rocket Wrangler, Three Ohs, Pass Over and Dashingly are among many others. No one
was or is a better judge of horses. That talent, coupled with all he learned from his father, from his idol Matlock Rose (an all-around cowboy and trainer of multiple World Champions) and even, I suspect, from some of his rivals, forged
a truly legendary professional horseman. But it was the horses themselves, the good and great ones and even the less talented ones, who taught him his best lessons. His pride in his craft is reflected in one totally justifiable boast.
“I raced horses at Ruidoso for 20 years. You remember, there were lots of days we might run 20 futurity trials in one day and come right back with derby trials and that was all summer long. And I’d have something in nearly all those races. And you know, I never had a horse disqualified at Ruidoso Downs. I never had my number taken down—not just in trials but in all the races I ever started there.”
His closing words made me think back about the simple rails he put in front of those schooling gates. How many fewer bumping incidents would we have today if more young trainers would take a tip from one of the greatest to ever play the game?
66 SPEEDHORSE May 2022
Tommy Dean
Don Farris, a leading trainer of over $15 million.
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