All-time leading Quarter Horse sire First Down Dash surpassed $70 million in offspring earnings on January 10, when his son Templar Knight won the Sunland Winter Futurity. The 26-year-old syndicated stallion leads his own sire, Dash For Cash, who ranks second with $39,990,245; Chicks Beduino is third in all-time offspring earnings with $34,667,423.

Bred by A.F. Stanley Jr. and B.F. Phillips Jr., out of Stanley’s mare First Prize Rose, First Down Dash was purchased for $100,000 as a yearling from the Phillips Ranch Sale by Millie Vessels, widow of the late Frank Vessels, Jr.

First Down Dash won 13 of his 15 career starts and $857,256. In 1987 he was named world champion racehorse and shortly thereafter was syndicated for $7 million by Frank “Scoop” Vessels III. He stands at Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsell, CA.

From 19 crops and 1,850 foals, First Down Dash has sired 1,114 winners from 1,510 starters (74 percent) and 218 stakes winners (14 percent), as well as 33 racing champions. He sits third on the list of all-time sires by winners behind Easy Jet with 1,382 and Chicks Beduino with 1,116.

“First Down Dash continues to amaze us all,” said Scoop Vessels. “What a wonderful time it has been for this horse to be in our barn for all these years. He truly is one of a kind.”