Bloody Blade was foaled on March 13th, 1975. He was bred by Barr Inman in Colorado. Bloody Blade was by Blade, a son of Bold Ruler. Blade won four races and placed second in the 1969 Delaware Valley Handicap and third in the 1970 Phoenix Handicap. He stood at Nuckols Farm where he sired Thoroughbred stakes winners Geysha Girl, Dee Lance, Go With the Times, Turnablade, Tempered Halo and Slashing. His sons Celtic Saber, Eds Novel, Jungle Blade, Poly’s Blade, Rusty Blade, Sharp Kid and Sword Devil sired Quarter Horses.
Mineola Maid, the dam of Bloody Blade, was by Misty Day, a stakes winning son of Nasrullah. Mineola Maid made 39 starts, won five races, and earned $18,333 on the track. Bloody Blade was her first foal. She produced ten more foals for Barr Inman in Colorado and Kentucky. All four of her race winners were by Blade. They included Hopin Popin, Bladewise and Bless This Blade.
Bloody Blade was owned by B. R. Evans and trained by Gray A. Thomas. On March 25th, 1977, he won his debut in a four-furlong Maiden Special Weight at Sunland Park in New Mexico. In his next start, a trial for the Phoenix Futurity at Turf Paradise, Bloody Blade ran 4 ½ furlongs in 0:50 4/5 seconds, which was just 2/5ths off the track record. He qualified for the Phoenix Futurity which he won over stakes winners Chance Dancer and Hy Lucky Jay. A week later, Bloody Blade won a Riley Allison Futurity Trial at Sunland Park. He then won the five-furlong Riley Allison Futurity over stakes winners Hopeful Journey and Butter ‘um Up.
Bloody Blade suffered his first defeat in his sixth start. He finished third in the Land of Enchantment Futurity Trial at La Mesa Park. Bloody Blade continued racing until June of his three-year-old year, but he never found the winner’s circle again. He retired from racing with a record of eleven starts, five wins and one third, with $174,090 in earnings, which is the equivalent of about $865,000 today.
After he left the track, Bloody Blade stood at Rancho De Pena Blanca in Pena Blanca, New Mexico. He was 15.3HH with a massive hip and shoulder. Quarter Horse breeders were attracted to him right away. His first foal crop arrived in 1980 and included Racing Register of Merit earners Dear Ike, Cut and Divide, Rio Grande Blue, Shona Bars Too, Brother Blood and Dula Blade. His first foal crop also included Performance ROM earner Dynamic Blade.
Bloodthirsty, a sorrel Quarter Horse gelding, was the first stakes winner by Bloody Blade. He won the 1982 Western Slope Futurity. Bloody Bullet, a brown Quarter Horse mare by Bloody Blade, won that same race in 1985. Bloody Bullet went on to produce Racing ROM earners Royal Runaway, Rumbulletta, Guns N Glory and LW Anny Get Your Gun.
Rebel Blade, the best Quarter Horse starter by Bloody Blade, was foaled in 1983. Rebel Blade won eight races including the 1986 New Mexico Breeders’ Derby and the 1987 New Mexico Breeders’ Championship. He also set a new track record for 440 yards in 21.630 seconds in the El Camino Real Handicap at Santa Fe. In total, Rebel Blade made 76 starts and earned $64,202 on the track. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 25.
Other Quarter Horse stakes winners by Bloody Blade included Tinky Blade and Blades Miss Tinky. Both horses were out of daughters of Mr Tinky Bar. Investin Blood, a brown Quarter Horse gelding by Bloody Blade, set a new track record at Pocatello Downs for 1,000 yards in 54.980 seconds. The best Thoroughbred starters by Bloody Blade included stakes contenders J. J. Blade and Ribbons of Lace.
Altogether, Bloody Blade sired 240 registered Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in 10 foal crops. They included 77 race winners, 49 ROM earners, five stakes winners and three Superior Race Award earners. Collectively, they earned $600,867 on the track and 28.5 points in the arena.
His sons Shady Blade, Gee I’m a Blade and Bartons Blueblade sired a handful of AQHA registered foals.
His daughters produced 207 AQHA recognized foals that earned $897,662 on the track. They included 97 ROM earners, 73 race winners, eight stakes winners and four Superior Race Award earners. Moving Away produced Blaze Can Move, the highest Quarter Horse earner out of a Bloody Blade mare. Moving Away also produced Racing ROM earners Moving With a Dash and The Coyote Express.
Diala Blade was probably the best producer by Bloody Blade. She was the dam of Three Blade Runner, winner of the 1988 Gr. 3 Prescott Downs Futurity. Diala Blade also produced stakes winner and track record setter Model Number, as well as Racing ROM earners Diala Oh, Repeated Dial, Signature On File and Oh Blades. Other noteworthy producers by Bloody Blade included Sparkling Moolah, the dam of stakes winners Sparkling Pick and Moolah Blade; Bright Blade, the dam of stakes winners Yearnings and A Cutting Edge; Tinys Blade, the dam of stakes winner Tinys Ms Nasty; and Lucky Truck, the dam of stakes winner Summertime Cash and 1D barrel racing money earner Dash to the Truck.
Bloody Blade passed away in 1989 at the age of fourteen. He still has a few descendants competing in racing and barrel racing today.
Sources: Equineline, Equibase, American Quarter Horse Association, Speedhorse Magazine and All Breed Database
The Western Thoroughbred 