Thermos was foaled on April 2nd, 1965. He was bred by Duntreath Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Thermos was by Kentucky Pride, a son of leading sire Bull Lea. Kentucky Pride won thirteen races, including the 1959 Royal Poinciana Handicap. He sired Thoroughbred stakes winners Pete’s Buckeye, Big Dare, Sails Pride, Kentucky Sherry and Channing Road. His sons Kentucky Butler and Wheat Crop sired Quarter Horses.
Arctic Royal, the dam of Thermos, was bred by Mrs. D. C. Kerr in Ireland. She was by Royal Hamlet and out of Arctic Beech, a daughter of Arctic Prince, winner of the 1951 Epsom Derby. Arctic Royal was imported to the United States as a foal alongside her dam. She made 52 starts, won seven races, and earned $12,480 on the racetrack. Arctic Royal produced four foals for Duntreath Farm and T. A. Grissom. Her foals Anarctic and Cool It Pat were race winners.
In 1967, Thermos won his debut in a three-furlong race at Fair Grounds by ten lengths. He then won a six-furlong allowance race over multiple stakes winner Judge Kilday. Thermos retired from racing after he made just two starts as a three-year-old. His final race record was four starts, two wins and one second, with $3,525 in earnings.
Clifford E. Stewart of Arkansas bred the first Thoroughbred stakes winners by Thermos – Ole Toot and Barjo’s Bay. Ole Toot won the 1972 Arkansas Futurity at Oaklawn Park. Barjo’s Bay won the 1972 Freshman Derby at Hazel Park. He also set a new track record at Beulah Park for six furlongs in 1:09.20. Barjo’s Bay went on to sire 202 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals that earned $529,925 on the racetrack. Thermolee, a chestnut stallion bred by Hugh V. Plunkett Jr., in Minnesota, became the third Thoroughbred stakes winner by Thermos when he won the 1976 Expectation Trails at Fonner Park.
Miss Thermolark, the best Quarter Horse starter by Thermos, was bred by Ronny Schliep in Oklahoma. Miss Thermolark was out of Miss Jo Lark, a race-winning daughter of Lanolark. She was undefeated in her first nine starts, which included the 1977 Blue Ribbon Downs Spring Futurity, Northeast Kansas QHA Futurity and Rainbow Futurity. At age three, Miss Thermolark won the 1978 World’s Championship Classic and Champion of Champions. She was named the 1978 AQHA Racing Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, Champion Three-Year-Old and World Champion Racing American Quarter Horse. At four, she added wins in the 1979 Miss Princess Invitational Handicap and HQHRA Inaugural Handicap to her resume. When Miss Thermolark retired at the end of her five-year-old year, her race record was 38 starts, 17 wins, 5 seconds and 2 thirds, with $498,877 in earnings.
Miss Thermolark went on to produce thirteen AQHA registered foals. She was the dam of three stakes winners – Next to the Limit, Hesaspeciality and Miss Acetylene. Next to the Limit won the 1986 Dan Lockie Derby and Sweetwater Downs Derby and set a new track record for 400 yards at Energy Downs in Gillette, Wyoming; Hesaspeciality won the 1988 Foster City Handicap; and Miss Acetylene won the 1997 Ft. Pierre South Dakota Bred Futurity and 1998 South Dakota Bred Derby. Miss Thermolark also produced Racing ROM earners Forever an Effort, Thermal Effort, Kay Pie, Nogal Peak, Lace Allure, Miss Larks Easy and Takin a Hike. She was the second dam of stakes winners The Chicago Special and Pistol Packin Perry. Stakes winners Glimpse of Fire and Chieftainess were also direct descendants of Miss Thermolark.
Thermal Express, a brown gleding by Thermos, was bred by Dave Riley in Texas. After two years of running in allowance and claiming company in the United States, Thermal Express was sold to Mexico. There, he placed in numerous stakes races and set a new track record at Mexico City for 350 yards in 17.640 seconds. He also equaled the track record for 300 yards in 15.500 seconds. Thermal Express was the 1986 Mexico Champion Aged Horse. Other Quarter Horse stakes winners by Thermos included Miss Thermodeck, Past Tense, Thurbun and Thermos Bug.
Grey Lark was the leading point earner by Thermos. Like Miss Thermolark, Grey Lark was also bred by Ronny Schliep and out of a daughter of Lanolark. He won the World Champion titles for Junior Heading and Junior Heeling in 1978. At the 1979 AQHA World Show, he came in fourth in Junior Reining, seventh in Junior Tie-Down Roping and seventh in Junior Heading. The following year, he was the Reserve World Champion in Senior Heeling. He won his third World Champion title in Senior Heeling in 1982. His fourth and fifth World Champion titles were in Senior Heading in 1985 and 1989. At twenty years old, Grey Lark placed eighth in Heading at the AQHA Youth World Show with Trey T. Miller. He was one of the greatest rope horses of all time.
Sacred Land, a full-sister to Grey Lark, was the Junior Tie-Down Roping Reserve World Champion in 1980. Other Performance ROM earners by Thermos included Charmer Doo Dad, Trojan Blue and Hidey Hidey Ho. Thermos Bug, Thermo Grey, Thermo Hug, Resolute Spirit, Thermo Jewel, Arctic Ice, Thermos Five and Thermal Rocket earned performance points.
By 1980, Thermos had been syndicated and was standing at Mighty Acres in Pryor, Oklahoma. Altogether, he sired 371 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in eighteen foal crops. His offspring included 139 race winners, 118 ROM earners, 27 stakes finalists, eight stakes winners, eight Superior Race Award earners, one Regional Champion, two Reserve World Champions and two World Champions. They earned $1,726,122 on the racetrack and 1,175.0 points in the arena.
Sons of Thermos sired 780 AQHA registered foals. Aside from Barjo’s Bay, Thermos Bomb, Thermo Frost and Grey Excitement were the largest contributors to that number. Most barrel horses with Thermos in their pedigrees descend from his Thoroughbred son Osage Streaker. Osage Streaker was the damsire of the great Mulberry Canyon Moon.
Daughters of Thermos produced 496 Quarter Horse foals that earned $951,106 on the track and 1,173.0 points in the arena. His Thoroughbred daughter Bertha Marie was the dam of Miami Prince, the leading earner out of a Thermos mare. Miami Prince won 23 races and earned $274,047. His biggest wins were in the Remington Distance Handicap, Governor’s Cup Marathon, Bull Rastus Handicap, Remington Park Pepsi Challenge Handicap, Pauls Valley Handicap and Remington Challenge. Bjs Stiff Sentence was another multiple stakes winner out of a daughter of Thermos. Bjs Stiff Sentence won the 1995 Oklahoma Bred Derby and 1998 Sooner State Stakes. Mojo Magic, Blaze On Bunny, Thermys Image, Private Edition and Ohscuseme were stakes winners.
Only Blue By You was the leading point earner out of a Thermos mare. Only Blue By You competed in Halter, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation, Pleasure Driving and Showmanship. She earned 276.0 points and two AQHA Champion titles. Other Performance ROM earners out of daughters of Thermos included Hide and Sneak, Zans Cotton Crop, Jacks Cotton Picker, Hoosier Bug, Jacks Fame, Parr Cotton, Jackie Fame, Sir Winsong, Huntin For Rockin, Litewinner, Scootn For Money, Rare Blue Aggie, Achieva, Gold Democrat and Angels Over Me.
The last foals by Thermos were born in 1986 when he would have been 21 years old. He is still prominent in the pedigrees of racehorses and barrel horses today!
Sources: Equineline, Equibase, American Quarter Horse Association, Speedhorse Magazine, All Breed Database
