Say Speed was foaled on April 23rd, 1965. He was bred by Hanson Stables in North Platte, Nebraska. His sire, Vagabond King, was a stakes winning son of Alibhai, a British Thoroughbred who was imported to the United States by Hollywood movie mogul Louis B. Mayer. Alibhai was injured during training in California so he never made it to the races, but he was an extremely influential sire. He sired 54 stakes winners, including Cover Up, On Trust, Your Host, Solidarity, Bardstown, Flower Bowl, Honey’s Alibi, Traffic Judge Bornastar and Mr. Consistency. His son Determine won the 1954 Kentucky Derby and later sired Quarter Horse stallion Glen Avon. His sons Ali Bye Bye, Altruist, Call Bell, Comparison, Dear Sir, Determine, Khanhai, Summa Cum and Winter Park also sired Quarter Horses.
Say Phoebe, the dam of Say Speed, was by Spotted Bull, a Kentucky-bred stallion that was stakes placed in official Thoroughbred races. Spotted Bull also entered Quarter Horse races a Rillito and earned an AQHA Racing Register of Merit. He went on to sire Quarter Horse champions Arizonan, Table Tennis and Panama Ace. Say Phoebe won two races and earned $1,275 on the track. Her first foal was a sorrel colt by Bob’s Folly named Say Bob. He went on to sire 86 AQHA registered foals. Say Phoebe also produced six Thoroughbred foals for John P. Hanson and Hanson Stables. Her most accomplished starter, Say Alibhai, won the 1964 Ak-Sar-Ben Juvenile Stakes and Laddie Stakes. Her foals Lincoln County, Go Big Red and Chase County were also race winners.
Say Speed made three starts as a two-year-old and broke his maiden in a four-furlong race at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In 1968, Say Speed won two races and reportedly ran the quarter in :22 1/5 at Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha, Nebraska. He found the winner’s circle three times as a four- and five-year-old. At six, he earned his highest speed rating when he was beaten a nose at Sportsman Park near Chicago, Illinois. His speed did not waver even after he turned seven. In his last fourteen starts against Thoroughbred company, he was never headed at the half-mile. Say Speed also hit the board in two out of the three Quarter Horse races he entered at La Mesa Park in Raton, New Mexico. His final race record was 86 starts, nine wins, thirteen seconds and nine thirds, with $31,344 in earnings, which is the equivalent of about $250,000 today.
After he retired from racing, Say Speed was owned by J. C. and Verla Wilson in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The hard-knocking warhorse stood 15.3 hands high. He had exceptional conformation and an excellent disposition. In 1973, Say Speed sired just two AQHA registered foals – Say Top Speed and Hyspeed. Say Top Speed was a bay mare out of a daughter of Top String. She set a new track record at Midway Downs for 440 yards in 22.060 seconds. She went on to produce Racing ROM earners Decka Speed, Chicks Blue Ribbon, Top String Miss, Say Blue Chips, Easily Montero and Easily Sabrina.
In 1978, Captain Hatch, a dark bay Thoroughbred colt, became Say Speed’s first stakes winner when he won the Scotch Foursome Spring Laddie Stakes at La Mesa Park. Four years later, King Vagabond, a chestnut colt by Say Speed, won the same race. King Vagabond also won the 1982 Scotch Foursome Fall Laddie Stakes.
Say Speed’s best Quarter Horse starter, Chick Called Happy, was foaled in 1982. Chick Called Happy was a bay filly bred by Harold and Louise Bray in Oklahoma. She won seven races including the 1984 Garfield Downs Poor Boy Futurity. Chick Called Happy earned $206,593 on the track. As a broodmare, she produced Miss Six Moons, the 1992 Oklahoma Hi Point Three-Year-Old Filly and the 1993 Oklahoma Hi Point Aged Mare. Notably, Miss Six Moons was the third dam of Jess Savin Candy, winner of the 2021 Gr. 1 Ruidoso Futurity, and Tooflyforafrenchguy, a barrel stallion standing at Highpoint Performance Horses.
Say Chick, a full-sister to Chick Called Happy, placed second in the Pal’s Top Deck Championship. She also set a new track record at Blue Ribbon Downs for 350 yards in 17.270 seconds. Say Chick was one of Say Speed’s greatest producers. She was the dam of Say Six Moons, winner of the 1994 Gr. 3 Oklahoma Bred Futurity and Gr. 3 Hopes and Dreams Futurity. Say Chick also produced multiple stakes winner Say Guy. Racing ROM earners out of Say Chick included Say Pie, Say Smashed, Say Chick Too, Say Dash, Tricky Speed, Catcher Dream, HB Blazen Blue and Suspect Runnin.
Heza Say Speed, a brown gelding by Say Speed and out of Barcin, by Barrage, earned a Performance ROM and qualified for the AQHA World Show in Hunter Hack. Say Lyn, another gelding by Say Speed also earned a Performance ROM.
Altogether, Say Speed sired 163 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in fourteen foal crops. They included 55 race winners, fifty ROM earners, fifteen stakes finalists, three stakes winners and two Superior Race Award earners. His offspring earned $542,216 on the track and 27.5 points in the arena.
Sons of Say Speed only sired 35 AQHA recognized foals. Say Speed Jr, a full brother to Say Top Speed, sired the second dam of Eyes of Pistol Pete, an Appaloosa Futurity winner
Daughters of Say Speed produced 231 AQHA recognized foals that won $840,596 on the track and 133.5 points in the arena. Say Gypsy produced No Magic, the highest racing money earner out of a Say Speed mare. Say Gypsy also produced stakes winner Drifting Illusion, who in turn produced stakes winner The Maui Butterfly. Say Gypsy also produced Racing ROM earners Fols Magic Fantasy, Say Digit, Zevis Magic, Immagictwo, Cash Point, Gypsy Moons, Take That Cash, Sheza Fast Mover, Dashing Memory and Strawflyin Hank.
Rockem Chris and Haley Smash It were two of the best barrel horses out of Say Speed mares. Haley Smash It won $15,090 with the Barrel Futurities of America. She went on to produce Smashin Ta Fame, winner of the 2012 Cornhusker Futurity with Troy Crumrine. Smashin Ta Fame is the dam of Tasha Welsh’s amazing stallion, Seis Smashin Fame.
Say Speed’s last foals were born in 1986 when he would have been 21 years old. He died under the ownership of the Monty Brooks Farm in Blanchard, Oklahoma. Other noteworthy descendents of Say Speed include stakes winners Cartels Belle and Say Speedy Driven; barrel racing money earners Ougtht to Perk and All This Bug; and Say Rey Doc, the 2016 AQHA/PRCA Steer Wrestling Horse of The Year Reserve Champion owned by owned by Tom Duvall and bred by Emmit J. Duvall.
Sources: Equineline, Equibase, American Quarter Horse Association, The Quarter Horse Journal, All Breed Database
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