Horse sale for a tidy profit, it proved fortuitous, leading Larry and Royal Quick Flash down the road to Paint prosperity. Following a racing career of his
own that included being named 1998 APHA World Champion, Royal Quick Flash has enjoyed a flourish- ing career as one of the industry’s top sires of running-bred Paint Horses— in 2012, he became only the second stallion with APHA progeny earnings of more than $4 million. Royal Quick Flash’s get have come out of the gate firing in 2013, winning three of the year’s first seven stakes races. Their victories have ignited a hot race for one of APHA’s pinnacle honors: No. 1 Lifetime Leading Sire of Money- Earning Paint Horses.
Born to Run
Despite Flash’s colorful coat, Larry had little doubt the colt could run. His sire was AAAT racehorse Royal Quick Dash, an AQHA champion, winner of the All American Futurity and earner of more than $1 million. His dam, the Hempen (TB) daughter Venice Song, was an AAAT runner with a 101 speed index to her credit. “He was a nice baby,” Larry said.
“His mother, Venice Song, we had run her as a Quarter Horse and she could run a bunch. We just knew this colt had racehorse written all over him. He looked the part.” Registering Flash with APHA, Larry and his father, Don, stuck to their original plans to run the sorrel overo
before standing him at stud. Though a spitfire to handle, Flash was all busi- ness on the track. “He just started right out in his first race at Blue Ribbon Downs—that’s where we were running then—in the Red River Paint Futurity trials. He outran everybody in his trial and had the fastest time, and came back and won the finals. We knew then he was going to pan out for us.” Ineligible for many of the big-money stake races, Flash managed to start 12 times in his freshman season, racking up a pair of stakes wins and $20,079. At the time, APHA World Champi-
ons were determined based on points earned during the season—rather than voting—and Larry was determined to do everything he could to help his young stallion end up on top. That included a strategic move to squeeze in one more race in mid-November to give Flash an additional chance to earn the final point he needed to beat out defending World Champion Izzy Legal. “Back then, Izzy Legal was the big horse—we were just a couple of points behind Izzy Legal at the end of the sea- son. I knew his owners really well, and they took him home and turned him out at the end of the season. There was an allowance race at Blue Ribbon Downs after he went home, and we stuck Flash in that allowance race to try to make him World Champion. He
22 MAY 2013 PAINT HORSE RACING
Angel Easter Flash High Class Turnpike
APHA FILE PHOTO
APHA FILE PHOTO
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