Pass ‘em Up was foaled on February 14th, 1965. He was by Nohlme II, the 1959 Australian Horse of the Year, and out of Vista Rose, by Port Vista. His sire and dam were both foaled in Australia and imported to the United States by Gene Goff, a wealthy oilman. Noholme II stood at Goff’s Verna Lea Farms in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Pass ‘em Up was in Noholme II’s second foal crop, which also included Nodouble, the 1969 and 1970 American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse. Vista Rose, the dam of Pass ‘em Up, produced six Thoroughbred winners including Vista Holme and Passup Holme. She also produced Vista Bug, a Quarter Horse mare by Lady Bugs Moon that won races at Blue Ribbon and Pompano Park. Movingholme, a full sister to Pass ‘em Up, produced Topholme, a Quarter Horse sire of racehorses and barrel horses. Setforholme, a full brother to Pass ‘em Up, also sired several Quarter Horses. Pass ‘em Up was the most prolific stallion from Noholme II and Vista Rose cross.
In 1967, at the age of two, Pass ‘em Up made five starts and won one race. As a three-year-old, he won three races. His final race record was 26 starts, four wins, four places, and five shows, with $11,526 in earnings, which is the equivalent of about $100,000 today. Pass ‘em Up entered stud the year after he left the track. Most of his first foals were bred by Mrs. C. L. Loreant of Giddings, Texas. She crossed Pass ‘em Up on daughters of Johnny Bars. In 1971, two of the Pass ‘em Up fillies that were foaled on Loreant’s ranch, Miss Cedar Oak and Little Miss Oak, became stakes winners. Loreant later bred more stakes winners by Pass ‘em Up including Ima Bailey Oak Too, Ima Peggy Oak and Lady Pass Oak.
Pass Over, Pass ‘em Up’s best starter, was also foaled in 1971. Pass Over was a sorrel filly out of Revision, by Pembina. She was bred by Dr. Nat Kieffer of Touchstone Farm in College Station, Texas. As a two-year-old, under trainer Charles Cascio, Pass Over won the Columbus Triple Crown Futurity and Kansas Futurity. She also set a track record at Sunland Park for 350 yards in 17.380 seconds and later equaled that same record in the Sun Country Futurity. For her accomplishments that year, Pass Over was named the 1973 AQHA Racing Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. At three, Pass Over won the All American Derby and earned the title of Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. As an older horse, Pass Over won the Los Alamitos Invitational Championship. She retired from racing with 14 wins in 39 starts and $521,076 in earnings. She went on to produce race winners A Classy Pass, A Special Pass, Pass Over the Cash and Pass the Pie. Pass Over died in 1996. She was inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.
Despite the success of Pass Over and his other early stakes winners such as Flying Passem, Biffy Pass and Kita Pass, it took several years for Pass ‘em Up to gain popularity as a sire. Around 1980, Joe Kirk Fulton of the Fulton Quien Sabe Ranch in Amarillo, Texas became a co-owner of Pass ‘em Up which changed the trajectory of his stud career. Over time, the offspring of Pass ‘em Up earned a reputation for being good-natured. Their pleasant attitudes and purported large hearts eventually made Pass ‘em Up one of the most sought-after sires of the 1980s.
In 1982, Passem Lika Flash, a sorrel filly bred by Richard O’Malley won the Firecracker Futurity and E.T.R.B.A. Poorboy Futurity. Passem Lika Flash won seven races and earned $269,070 on the track. She went on to produce Cashin Memories, the dam of several winning racehorses and barrel horses. Racin Free, a bay colt by Pass ‘em Up and out of Racy Lady, by Bunny Bid, was foaled the same year as Passem Lika Flash. He won the 1982 Port-A-Stall Longhorn Futurity. Racin Free also set new track records in the 440 Ranch Derby and the Manor Downs Derby. In 1984, he added wins in the Longhorn Maturity and Mr Kid Charge Handicap to his record. Racin Free retired with 14 wins and $122,340 in earnings. He went on to sire stakes winners Miss Racy Vike, Racin Vike and Racin Deal.
Passem Dirty was another great race mare by Pass ‘em Up. Passem Dirty was out of Dirty Diaper, by Mito Paint. She was bred by Ty Rampy. In 1988, Passem Dirty won the Sophomore Handicap, Manor Downs Derby and Vandy’s Flash Handicap. For her accomplishments that year, she was named the California Hi-Point Three-Year-Old Filly. At age four, she won the 1989 Gr. 1 Los Alamitos Invitational Championship and the Vespero Handicap. She was again honored as the California Hi-Point Aged Mare. Passem Dirty won 11 races and earned $233,808 on the track. She went on to produce stakes winner Dirt in Your Face, as well as race winners Dirty Dashin, Dirty Magic, Dirty Rona, Let Me Rock You, Passin for a First, Runaway N Passem, Stealin Dreams, Streakin and Passin and This Chicks Passin. Passem Dirty died in 2010.
Other impressive racehorses by Pass ‘em Up include Master Pass, Rebels Passup, Alapass and Games Up Gary, who all earned over $100,000 on the track. Pass Em Lace, a sorrel filly by Pass ‘em Up and out of Manila Lace, by Mr Kid Charge, set a new track record at Prescott Downs for 330 yards in 16.650 seconds. Atigun Pass, a bay colt by Pass ‘em Up, set a new track record at Detroit Race Course for 350 yards in 18.520 seconds. Other stakes winners by Pass ‘em Up include Pass Em West, Hips Passing Gear, Bims Pass, Soul What, Didee Passem, The Cartel, I Mae Pass, Ariel Pass, Marie Laveaux and Feintastic Pass.
In total, Pass ‘em Up sired 1,664 registered Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in 23 foal crops. He had 799 ROM-earners, 743 winners, 50 Superior Race Award-earners, 41 stakes winners, five Regional Champions, four graded stakes winners and one AQHA Champion, with earnings of $8,255,672 on the track. Not included in those statistics are his Paint and Appaloosa progeny that also won money on the track. Several of Pass ‘em Up’s sons were accomplished sires. His Thoroughbred sons B. Holme Too, Dusty Pass and Pass Em Quick stood to Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa mares in Texas and Oklahoma. His top Quarter Horse sons include Bailey Oak, Break a Record, Pass Em Ojo, Pass Em Up, Pass the Forester, Roll On Holme, Romancing Em All, Serious Rumors, Top Pass and Up N Truckle. His Appaloosa sons Pass ‘Em Easy and Passem Bay sired several successful Appaloosa racehorses.
Daughters of Pass ‘em Up produced winners of over $12 million on the track. His Thoroughbred daughter, Cedar Trudy, produced stakes horses Master Tiny, Tiny Illusion, Exclusive Plan and Sky Fire. His daughter Dimples Up produced stakes winners Down Home Dash and Up Down Dash. His daughter Tres Pass produced the 1993 Mexico Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Socks and Cash and notable sire Another Hero. Pass ‘em Up was also the dam sire of the 1999 AQHA Champion Aged Mare Joanna Kate, as well as stakes winners Hesa Passem Magic, Haulin Pass, Mighty Easy Pass, Deadly Dart, Easy Pass Request, Creative Image, Go Miss Fein, Dixieland Dash, Holland Hollywood and Woodstock Brown. RC Pass N Time, an APHA Superior Race Horse, is also out of a Pass ‘em Up mare.
His daughters were especially well-known as producers of winning barrel horses. Pass Em Susie, a sorrel mare out of a daughter of Jet Smooth, crossed well with Dr Nick Bar. She produced CD Nick Bar, the dam of Kisskiss Bangbang, and Pass Em Nicky, the dam of Nicky Brick House. Both Kisskiss Bangbang and Nicky Brick House have run barrels at the National Finals Rodeo. Regional Champion is another daughter of Pass ‘em Up that was an exceptional barrel horse producer. She was the dam of View This Jet, Jets Last Payday and Nonstop Kokomotion. Pass ‘em Up was also the dam sire of Pass Em Bar Up and countless other 1D barrel horses.
Pass ‘em Up’s last foals were born in 1993. Some of his noteworthy descendants include Passem Up Perry, Big Daddy Cartel, Pure Victory Dash, Threevdashtavictory, Royal Woman, SV Pass Em Fire, LK Heza Fame and Rock On Guys.
Sources: Equineline, Equibase, Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Speedhorse, All Breed Database
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