Hailee's Lost Opportunity -- Got Country Grip!

Well, right now, there is a gelding who is trying to run down Cigar and Citation's 16 straight races records. Got Country Grip was born in 2003 and lives in Oklahoma where he just won his 14th race in a row. In 2005, he won the Speedhorse Sprint Futurity, and he is just explosive at 350 to 400 yards! He is owned by Linda Fox! His relatives include Dash for Cash, Bold Ruler, Sky Jet, Go Man Go, and his dad and mom are Country Quick Dash and Got a Grip! I just love those names! He and Hailee share Moon Deck and Top Deck. His owner got him for a trade, and when he first saddled him, Got Country Grip jumped clear out of a 7' round pen, he's just that macho. Anyway, I am sort of bummed because he's as cute as a button, as well as the speediest and best paint racer ever. I think he and Hailee could have made the most wonderful children! You can read, hear, and see more about him at the following links!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11214837
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM-kOem3oNM
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdryFFYb5P8

Hailee's Top Deck!!

Hailee is related to the 1990 AQHA Hall of Fame sire Top Deck through at least two lines. He appears through his child Speck Deck and then through Moon Deck who is in the lineage of Easy Jet. He was born in 1945 at the King Ranch and right away at age 2 began producing amazing babies. He produced Star Deck F the AAA runner and winner of the Texas Futurity. Among his famous children are Go Man Go, Decketta, Barbara 3, Top Lady Bug, Astro Deck, and Moon Deck!! He produced 405 foals with 228 ROMS, 5 world champions, and 15 world championships. His children earned millions of dollars!

Hailee and Violet's Equipoise!!!

Hailee and Violet are related to one of the most famous handicap horses of all time! Equipoise was born in 1928, and his record was 59-29-10-4. He earned $338,610 in his lifetime and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1957. He was also voted the #21 of the Top 100 20th century race horses by Blood Horse magazine. Among his many stakes wins, he won the Pimlico and Whitney. He was called the Chocolate Soldier by his fans. He was the U.S. Champion 2 year-old in 1930, and U.S. Champion Older Horse in 1932, 1933, 1934. He was Horse of the Year in 1932 and 1933, a rare feat to be voted twice. He died young, but was voted Leading Sire in North America in 1942. In the Pimlico, he was left at the gate, but then raced so fast that he raced right out of 2 of his shoes. His jockey, Sonny Workman was asked whether that Pimlico was his greatest race. He replied, "My greatest race? Hell, it may have been the greatest race anybody ever saw." He carried heavy weight. In fact, he gave 26 lbs to the runner-up, but still won the Metropolitan. He also set a world record at Arlington Park. He appears at least twice in Hailee's pedigree through her Top Deck line. Equipoise was bred to Frilette, Man 'O War's daughter from a cross to Frillery, Broomstick's daughter. Broomstick is the sire of Equipoise's mom, Swinging, as well as the sire of the mom of Equipoise's Frilette -- a double Broomstick cross on the dam side of the grandparent line. Equipoise produced Equestrian, the AQHA Hall of Fame sire and sire of Top Deck. So, this royal pedigree is part of Hailee's Easy Jet line. For Hailee, Equipoise appears on both the sire and dam side of her daddy. For the sire of her daddy, Speckled E.T., it goes Jagajet, Easy Jet, Jet Deck, Moon Deck, Top Deck, Equestrian, and Equipoise! For Violet, he appears at least once in her Classicist line where he is helping to make another great Handicap horse, Stymie. You can read more about Equipoise at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equipoise_(horse)

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=66

or

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,745970,00.html

Hailee's AQHA Hall of Fame Family!

Hailee has many American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Hall of Fame members in her family tree, including the following: Clabber, Doc Bar, Doc O'Lena, Easy Jet, Jet Deck, Joe Hancock, Joe Reed P-3, King P-234, Lena's Bar, Moon Deck, Oklahoma Star P-6, Peter McCue, Poco Bueno, Three Bars, Top Deck, and Traveler! That's 16 Hall of Fame family members in the AQHA. My girl is a "decked out" on fame!

Man 'O War and My Girls!

Man 'O War is the #1 race horse of the 20th century. Stories about him are legendary. He is buried at the Kentucky Horse Park. One story says that he passed away of heartbreak within a month of his groom's Will Harbut's death. And why not, since Mr. Harbut really understood his Man 'O War. Mr. Harbut once said, "That's Manny Wah. When he wants to git up, he gits up. When he wants to lie down, he lies down." Man 'O War raced 21 times, winning 20 of them. He only lost to Upset on a non-gate start. He was being turned to face the line-up and the bell went off. He had his back to the track when the other horses ran. He won the Preakness and Belmont, but never had a chance to win the Triple Crown because his owner, Mr. Samuel Riddle, didn't like Kentucky and didn't think 2 year olds should run so early in the season. He changed his mind, by the time he was racing Man 'o War's baby, War Admiral. And notice that War Admiral is a Triple Crown Winner! Man 'O War beat Sir Barton, a Triple Crown winner, in a match race -- the first complete filmed horse race on historical record.

My girls are related to Man 'O War, of course. Violet is related through 7 lines! She has War Admiral crosses three times, and then Man 'O War's children Furlough, Sunset Gin, Frilette, and War Glory. Hailee is related twice through Top Deck. She has Man 'O War's children Frilette and Taps in her family tree, each occurring twice. So, Violet and Hailee share Frilette.

You can learn more about Man 'O War at the following links:

http://www.angelfire.com/stars/acer/manowar.html

or

http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/manowar.html

or listen to his funeral at:

http://www.claibornefarm.com/media/