Port Master was a half-brother to Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Alysheba. He was one of the winningest and soundest sons of Raise a Native. After he made 50 starts at tracks across the U.S.A. and Canada, he retired to stud in Texas. He sired Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse stakes winners. He has a few descendants competing in racing and barrel racing today!
Port Master was foaled on April 12th, 1976. He was bred by Preston Madden in Kentucky. His sire, Raise a Native, was the 1963 Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. Raise a Native 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 most influential sires of all time. He sired Alydar, Crowned Prince, Exclusive Native, Mr. Prospector and Majestic Prince. Raise A Native also covered Quarter Horse mares and sired at least one AQHA registered stakes winner. Raise Your Glass, Will Win, Sparkling Native, Heisanative, Nativo, L’natural, Raise Caine, Masked Native, Exclusive Native and Special Secret were a few of his Thoroughbred sons that sired Quarter Horses. Altogether, his sones sired more than 8,000 AQHA recognized foals.
Bel Sheba, the dam of Port Master, was a Madden homebred. She was by multiple stakes-winning sprinter Lt. Stevens and out of Belthazar, by War Admiral. Bel Sheba made 22 starts and won five races. She placed second in the 1972 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga. Bel Sheba retired to Madden’s Hamburg Place Farm in Kentucky where she produced thirteen Thoroughbred foals. Her best runner was Alysheba, winner of the 1987 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Bel Sheba also produced stakes winners Grabelst, Alysbelle and Enjoy Plan. Her sons Lively Lark, Titanic and For Sure were moderately successful sires.
On April 14th, 1978, Port Master won his debut. He led wire-to-wire in a 4 ½ furlong Maiden Special Weight at Greenwood Raceway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A month later, he won the Swynford Stakes at Woodbine. In June, Port Master traveled to Belmont Park where he placed fourth in the Youthful Stakes behind Coup de Kas. He spent the remainder of his two-year-old season in Canada where he won the Vandal Stakes, placed second in the Summer Stakes and ran third in the Clarendon Stakes.
As a three-year-old, Port Master won three races, including the Col. R. S. McLaughlin Handicap at Woodbine. He also ran third in the Friar Rock Stakes and Fairbank Handicap. At four, Port Master won the 1980 Fair Play Stakes. He also placed third in the King Edward Gold Cup Handicap, Eclipse Handicap and Durham Cup Handicap. He returned to the United States as a five-year-old where he placed second in the Turf Paradise Handicap. At the time of his retirement, he was training under Robert J. Frankel and owned by the Edwards Bloodstock Agency. His final race record was 50 starts, 11 wins, 7 seconds and 7 thirds, with $175,050 in earnings, which is the equivalent of about $625,000 today.
Port Master made his final start a week before Special Effort won the 1981 Kansas Futurity. Later that summer, Special Effort won the American Quarter Horse Triple Crown at Ruidoso Downs. Special Effort was by Raise Your Glass, by Raise a Native. His dominance on the racetrack made sons of Raise a Native instantly popular with Quarter Horse breeders. As one of Raise a Native’s winningest and soundest sons, Port Master was very desirable. He was syndicated and stood at Hoot-Owl Hill Ranch in Fayetteville, Texas. His first crop of foals arrived in 1983. Stakes-placed Thoroughbreds Cloud Master and El Tacon Dorado were among his first crop of foals.
Gulfport Queen, a brown Quarter Horse mare out of Easy Jet’s Queen, was also in Port Master’s first foal crop. She ran second in the 1985 TQHA Texas Futurity (Gr. 3) at Manor Downs. Gulfport Queen later ran third in the National S. Invitational Futurity and Bernalillo Handicap. Her final race record was 15 starts and 3 wins with $42,359 in earnings. She was Port Master’s chief Quarter Horse money earner on the track.
Masters First Lady, a dark bay mare out of a daughter of Rattle Dancer, became Port Master’s first Thoroughbred stakes winner when she captured the 1986 Jean Lafitte Futurity at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana. She later won the Rebel Stakes at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City. In total, Masters First Lady won four races and earned $126,332 during her racing career. She was Port Master’s leading earner. was exported to Australia where she produced race winner Aerobic Rose. Other Thoroughbred stakes winners by Port Master included Monkeysee Monkeydo, Ventus and The Main Thing. Glenrio, a chestnut Thoroughbred gelding by Port Master, set a new track record at Trinity Meadows for 1 3/16 miles in 1:58.80.
Master Won, a sorrel stallion out of a Quarter Horse daughter of Shecky Greene, was Port Master’s first Quarter Horse stakes winner. He won the 1986 Kansas Bred Futurity at Eureka Downs. Altogether, Master Won won 13 races and earned $29,408 on the track. Just a Lil Bit Hot, a bay Quarter Horse gelding by Port Master, won the 1990 William Barney Stakes at Blue Ribbon Downs. Other Quarter Horse race winners by Port Master included Raise a Master, Port of Prince, Charleston Rag, Potenate, Easily Expensive, Pirelli, Mistress Razzure, Masterpool, Port Lover and Georgias Xanthe.
Race Artist, a gray gelding out of a Quarter Horse daughter of Mito Paint, was Port Master’s leading point earner. He earned a Performance Register of Merit and qualified for the AQHA World Show twice in Equitation Over Fences with youth exhibitor Kate Windscheif. Port Master’s sons Barbary Coast Gent, Magnus Master and Little Port Bar also earned Performance ROMs.
In total, Port Master sired 239 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in fourteen foal crops. They included 82 race winners, 27 ROM earners, 5 stakes winners, 3 stakes finalists and 1 Superior Race Award earner. Collectively, his offspring earned $1,092,635 on the track and 241.0 points in the arena.
Willhee Winnit, Easily Expensive and Donny Whiteshoes are Port Master’s only sons with any AQHA registered foals. His daughters produced 79 AQHA recognized foals that earned $113,159 on the track. His daughter Pretty Preppy produced five Quarter Horse foals, including Pretty Dashing, winner of the 1998 Independence Day Handicap at Los Alamitos.
Miss Manipulator, a chestnut mare by Port Master, produced four Quarter Horse foals, including performance point earners Red Iron Girl and Miss Smokin Iron. Miss Smokin Iron was a consistent 1D barrel horse. She went on to produce barrel horses Favorite Misstake, Lil Miss Smokin Iron and Miss Lion Manipulator. Miss Manipulator also produced Texas Tee Bird, a San Antonio Stock Show Barrel Racing Youth 1D Reserve Champion. Texas Tee Bird went on to produce successful barrel horse Mr Streakininmytbird.
Port Master sired very few foals towards the end of his life. He did not sire any foals in 1993 or 1995. His last foal, Tugboat Money, was foaled on May 21st, 1997 at the Wagon Wheel Ranch in Texas. He would have been 21 years old.
Sources: Equibase, Equineline, American Quarter Horse Association, All Breed Database
The Western Thoroughbred 