It struck me the other day as I researched an article on the cutting horse Little Tenina, having just reviewed results of the Rainbow Futurity trials, how much influence Thoroughbred breeding still has on Quarter Horse pedigrees. It also made me wonder why there is less close up Thoroughbred breeding today than 20 years ago.

Early Morning Bite, the second-fastest qualifier to the $625,000 Rainbow Futurity, the second leg of Quarter racing’s Triple Crown, is by Fishers Dash (who is out of a daughter of Beduino TB) and out of the Thoroughbred mare Icy Morn. He was bred by Vessels Stallion Farm, who owns Icy Morn, a well-known stakes-winning sprinter in the Southwest, with 20 wins from 39 starts and earnings of $380,668.

Icy Morn (pictured), foaled in 1992 by Crowned Jewel, was ranked 55th among leading dams of 2006 money earners. There is one other Thoroughbred dam among the top 55, Bagalot, by Bag, although there are three mares sired by Thoroughbreds, all ranked among the top 15 producers for 2006. Among all-time leading race producers, 14 were sired by Thoroughbreds.

Little Tenina, bred by the famous King Ranch and sired by Peppy San Badger, was out of Tenino Fair, a Doc Bar daughter out of the Thoroughbred Fairway’s Gal. Doc Bar, arguably the most predominant influence on Quarter Horse performers, especially in the cutting arena, was sired by Lightning Bar by Three Bars TB. Tenino Fair is ranked with cutting’s all-time leading producers with offspring earnings of $854,680.

It was King Ranch who owned Find A Buyer, a Thoroughbred daughter of To Market, who produced the great Quarter runner and sire Dash For Cash, whose sire Rocket Wrangler was by Rocket Bar, a Thoroughbred son of Three Bars. Dash For Cash is surpassed only by his son, First Down Dash, whose offspring have earned a record $60 million, with $6.5 million in 2006, alone.