Nativo was foaled on April 10th, 1968. He was bred by William T. Pascoe III in Murietta, California. His sire, Raise a Native, was the 1963 Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. Raise a Native was by two-time Horse of the Year Native Dancer and out of Raise You, by Case Ace. He was undefeated in four starts, including the Juvenile Stakes and Great American Stakes at Aqueduct. Due to a bowed tendon, Raise a Native did not return to the races at age three. He retired to Spendthrift Farm where he became one of the greatest sires of all time. He sired Alydar, Crowned Prince, Exclusive Native, Mr. Prospector and Majestic Prince. Raise A Native contributed to Quarter Horse racing through his sons Raise Your Glass, the sire of Special Effort, and Heisanative, the dam sire of AQHA World Champion Refrigerator.
Racoco, the dam of Nativo, was a product of Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney’s prestigious breeding program in Lexington, Kentucky. She was by black-type stakes winner Revoked and out of Mahratta, by Mahmoud. Racoco made 36 starts, won eight races, and earned $28,970 on the track. She produced race winners Three’s a Crowd, Holiday Light and Prophet’s Choice. Nativo was her last foal on record.
In 1970, at the age of two, Nativo won his debut in remarkable fashion. He bested his opponents by fifteen lengths in a 5 ½ furlong race at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. The leading Quarter Horse jockey at the time, Jerry Nicodemus, said that “Nativo is as fast as any horse I have ever ridden.” Unfortunately, much like his sire, Nativo was fated to have a successful but short racing career. He made one more start and won, but never raced again. His final record was two starts, two wins, and $1,695 in earnings, which is the equivalent of about $13,000 today.
After Nativo retired from racing, he was owned by Louis Brooks and Tom Neff. He stood at Briarwood Farms in Purcell, Oklahoma. His first foals arrived in 1973. It was immediately apparent that Nativo would be a versatile sire. Among his first foal crop was Last Card Up, a Thoroughbred stakes winner, Jack Mac, an AQHA performance point-earner, and AQHA racing ROM-earners Briar Brush, Native Blue and Raise Her Skirt. In the following decades, Nativo continued to sire outstanding Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.
In 1977, Blue Blazer, Nativo’s best Quarter Horse starter was foaled. Blue Blazer was a gray gelding out of Deep Blue Bar, a daughter of Deep Sun. He won the 1983 7-11 Maturity, Boise 440 Championship and Geo Mills Memorial Futurity. Blue Blazer set a new track record at Sweetwater Downs for 400 yards in 20.200 seconds and another track record at Wyoming Downs for 440 yards in 21.720 seconds. In total, Blue Blazer made 65 starts, won 24 races, and earned $29,197 on the track. He passed away in 2002 at the age of 25. Other Quarter Horse stakes winners by Nativo included Native Susan, Unexcelled, Nativo Pass and Diamond Mayo. Natural Wave, a Quarter Horse filly by Nativo and out of Micro Wave, by Three Oh’s, set a new track record at La Bahia Downs for 440 yards in 22.010 seconds. His other Quarter Horse record setters included Letting Off Steam, Little Flynn, Free Dancer, Country Cutup and Quick Screen.
Twist Her, a Thoroughbred mare by Nativo and out of Sub Home, by Noholme II, was his best Thoroughbred starter. Twist Her won the 1982 Riley Allison Futurity at Sunland Park. Other Thoroughbred stakes winners by Nativo included Hot n Pearly, Nativo Rango, Sonrisa and Run For Jay. Mill Iron, a Thoroughbred colt by Nativo and out of Princess Tahiti, by Tahitian King, equaled the track record at La Mesa Park for 4 ½ furlongs in 51.20 seconds. His Thoroughbred starters often ran against Quarter Horse company. Lockridge, a Thoroughbred colt by Nativo and out of Speed Plan, by Speed Count, placed third in the Three Bars Handicap at Albuquerque Downs. Final Drive and George Aros also raced and won against Quarter Horses at short distances.
In 1984, Sauvage, Nativo’s best performer was foaled. Sauvage was a sorrel mare out of Aabacuss, a daughter of Shawne Bug. She was the 1992 Amateur World Champion Hunter Hack. Sauvage also won the All-Around in the Amateur and Youth divisions. Furthermore, she earned High Point and Superior awards in Working Hunter. In total, Sauvage earned 273 performance points across all divisions. Other performance point-earners by Nativo included Placate and Leo Native.
In total, Nativo sired 406 registered Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in 17 foal crops. They included 157 race winners, 92 ROM earners, 21 stakes finalists, 11 stakes winners, two Superior Race Award earners and one World Champion. They earned $2,033,874 on the track and 277.0 points in the arena.
Nativo’s Thoroughbred son Kentucky Maximus sired a small number of Quarter Horses. His Quarter horse sons Champs Nativo, Free Feeling, Native Melody and Oklahoma Native also sired a few foals. While his sons were mediocre sires, his daughters produced 495 Quarter Horse foals. Among his grandget were 144 ROM-earners, 131 race winners, eight stakes winners and three regional champions. They earned $1,686,476 on the track and 77.0 points in the arena.
Ali Dandi, a sorrel mare by Nativo and out of Fly Lady Price, by Flying Bar, produced Dashing Fly Lady, the dam of stakes winners Buckle High, Likeachicillbegone, Oh So Chilly and Shez Jess Toxic. Of course, Shez Jess Toxic was the dam of the 2021 AQHA Racing World Champion, Danjer. Nativo was also the dam sire of Blazin Sin, winner of the Brad Len Stakes and Blue Ribbon 440 Derby. Blazin Sin went on to become the foundation of Lisa McMahon’s breeding program. She produced champions Blazin Fire and The Blazin Man. Other stakes winners out of Nativo mares included I Got Spirit, She Thinks Like That, Gamblin On Sin, Janas Six, Go Gray Man, Burners On and Hustle and Hum.
Additionally, his daughters produced talented performers. Wahini, a sorrel mare by Nativo and out of Sugar Breeze, by Sugar Bars, earned just $156 in four starts on the track. Although she failed as a racehorse, she became a blue hen barrel horse producer. Wahini was the dam of Ms Wahini Bug, winner of the TBRA Barrel Racing Futurity. Ms Wahini Bug went on to produce Famous Bugs, Cashini, Ms Perky Bug, Ms Shoo Bug and Wahini Cash. Wahini’s other daughters Wahini Jet, She Bugs, Go For Wahini, Ms Rollin Jet, Bugs Breeze, Cuzini and Martini Moon also produced good barrel horses. Her sons Bugs Bullion and Bugs Cuz Too earned money in barrel racing. Furthermore, Wahini was the dam of Hewani Bug, a sorrel gelding that earned a performance ROM, as well as racing ROM-earners Wahini Bug and Hewani Moon.
Nativo impacted the barrel horse industry through his other daughters too. Miss Maylove, a sorrel mare by Mr Maydeck and out of Echos of Love, by Nativo, qualified for the AQHA World Show in barrel racing. She earned a performance ROM. Other performance point earners out of Nativo mares included Native Tex, Shady An Shaky, Macho Dancer, A Native Invader and Raise a Native Jet. Sheza Native Chick, a sorrel mare by Gann’s Three Chick and out of Sheza Nativerose, by Nativo, earned 15.0 halter points.
Nativo passed away in 1989 at the age of 21. His descendants are still competing in racing, barrel racing, roping, jumping, and more!
Sources: Equineline, Equibase, American Quarter Horse Association, The Quarter Horse Journal, All Breed Database
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