An excerpt from the book, "Speed and the Quarter Horse: a Payload of Sprinters" (1973) by Nelson C. Nye The daddy of 259 starters the last time we looked, Sugar Bars is a familiar name to connoisseurs of the leading sires lists. He was bred by George E. Wood and foaled at El Paso, Texas, in 1951. Sired by Three Bars (TB), Sugar Bars is out of Frontera Sugar by Rey, a good son of the well remembered Captains Courageous (TB), sire also of the celebrated Miss Bank. The dam of Frontera Sugar was the Dun Mare by Ben Hur.
While standing in the ownership of Bud Warren this stallion got such speed merchants as Barface (AAAT), Bar Moore Miss (AAAT), Connie Reb (AAAT), Gofar Bar (AAAT), Johnny Bars (AAAT), Pacific Bars (AAT), Sugar Band (AAAT), Sugar Comb (AAAT), Sugar Rondo (AAAT), Vanna Bar (AAAT) and others too numerous to set down here. His racing get have earned in excess of $350,000 and he had, at last count, twelve AAAT, fourty-five AAA and fifty-six AA offspring to his credit. Additionally, he is the father of 641 registered foals and stands eighth among leading sires of Register of Merit qualifiers having fifty-seven or more such get (actually 113), and eighth in the list of those with seven or more AAAT get. He is the leading living maternal grandsire of ROM get (1945 through 1969). He has gotten more registered foals than any other sire of Register of Merit qualifiers, an unquestionable testimonial to his long-time popularity with mare owners.
In addition to the Sugar Bars get which have gone to the races, many others have gone the show ring route and some, like Sugaree Bars, have toured both circuits. She, as it happens, was his first foal to be rated AAA AQHA Champion.
Sugar Bars is currently owned by Sid Huntley and Dean H. Parker and stands at the Huntley Ranch outside Madera, California. One cannot remember when this stallion did not have a full book. Mr. Huntley says he bred at least ninety mares each of the past two seasons.
In his straightaway days Sugar Bars was himself a AAA sprinter, one of the first twenty Three Bars' get to go into the then-highest rating. The others were Bardella, Barjo, Barred, Cee Bars, Deep Water, De Witt Bar, Gold Bar, Ipana Bar, Josie's Bar, Lightning Bar, Make's Bar, Miss Myrna Bar, Miss Wonder Bar, Nug Bar, Rocket Bar, Third Reader, Tonto Bars Gill, War Bar and War Chant. Certainly their success on the tracks conspicuously contributed to their sire's popularity in the stud. In 1954 Three Bars (TB) led the all time list of leading sires with twenty AAA, six AA and seven A. Leo was next with sixteen AAA, twenty-two AA and twenty-one A. Third on that list was Depth Charge (TB) with ten, seven and eleven. Piggin String (TB) was fourth with ten, seventeen and sixteen. Texas Dandy stood fifth with eight, nine and twelve. Sixth was Hard Twist with six, seventeen and six. Joe Reed II was seventh with six, twenty-one and twenty. Eighth was Top Deck (TB) with six, eight and two. Vandy was ninth with five, five and one. And the tenth on that list was War Bam (TB) with five, one and one.
Incidentally, I just came across an old program from Rillito Race Track dated January 15, 1955, a Quarter Horse Allowance at 300 yards, hand timed at :16.9 over a heavy track, which shows Sugar Bars -- top weighted at 126 and giving away four to seven pounds - finishing second by a nose to Oleo (an upset winner) with the rest of the field finishing as follows: Tucson Gangway, Half Twist, Black Easter, Deep Water, Duck Foot, E. Day, and Moon Cat. In this go, Sugar Bars was running in the silks of R. Hittson. From American Quarter Horse Association |
