The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 1, 2008 Page: 15 of 36
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THE CANADIAN RECORD
THURSDAY 1 MAY 2DDB
Pr ited in the March 2DDS edition of
THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL
"I think this Colt's really green yet, but
it's possible he'll get better."
Texan Dan Urschel made that statement
on the heels of the 1981Kansas Futurity (now
G2) at Ruicloso Downs, won decisively by his
colt, Special Effort. The horse captured the
win by a length despite a poor break that gave
the field a couple of jumps on him.
Urschel had no idea what an understate-
ment his remark would turn out to be, as
Special Effort blazed into racing history that
Ruidoso summer.
Dan and his wife, Jolene, had purchased
Special Effort on the eve of the Kansas final.
The flashy sorrel had the fastest qualify-
ng time - a 17.90 in 350 yards, winning by
3 % lengths. The Urschels were impressed
enough to lay down $1 million for him. At the
time, it was the highest price ever paid for an
American Quarter Horse; in training.
The couple had made such gambles be-
fore, most notably buying Pie In The Sky
prior to his All American Futurity (now Gl)
win n 1979. But Special Effort was an "up-
start" with just more than $1,300 n earnings.
His only other race prior to the Kansas was a
maiden win at La Bahia Downs.
The youngster came from breeders Allen
and Jeanette Moehrig in Seguin, Texas. He
was by up-and-coming Thoroughbred sire
Raise Your Glass and out of Go Effortlessly
by Double Devil, a "moderately success-
ful" race mare bred by the Tom L. Burnett
Cattle Company. The Moehrigs sold the colt
as a yearling for $20,000 to Allen Taylor and
L.E. Willis of Beev le, who sent him to train-
er Johnie Goodman to start.Willis' sudden
death prompted Taylor and Willis' widow to
sell the colt after the Kansas trials.
His Kansas win was making the Urschels'
gamble look like amazing foresight.
The colt's next conquest was the 400-yard
Rainbow Futurity (now the Gl Ruidoso Fu-
turity), winning the elimination and time tri-
als by a combined 6 lengths. By the time the
All American Futurity rolled around, a lot of
folks were thinking that Special Effort really
was special. Before the trials, the horse was
syndicated for $15 million. The Urschels sold
tions and an early bump, the colt won by 3 V*
lengths, running the 440 yards n 21:69 for a
104 speed index. The Urschels' gamble had
more than paid off.
Special Effort did what no other 2-year-old
has ever done - won Ruidoso Downs' coveted
Tres Coronas, the Kansas, Rainbow and All-
American Futurities. He also set the fastest
qualifying times for each of the three races.
breeding shares, 150 of them, retaining 50
for themselves along with ownership of the
horse. Special Effort didn't disappoint his
new investors. In the trials, the sorrel won his
elimination race by 4 Vz lengths and
his time trial by 1 %. The final was held
n a driving rain on a sloppy track, but Spe-
cial Effort made the legendary Labor Day
race look l ike a romp. Overcoming the condi-
He also became the sport's second mil-
lionaire, after his fellow Goodman-trainee
Higheasterjet. Though, r.n ke his barnmate,
Special Effort accomplished the feat as a
freshman in only nine undefeated races.
He was crowned 1981 world champion and
champion 2-year-old colt. Even Sports Illus-
trated took note of the horse's brilliant cam-
paign with a feature article.
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© Ace <kic
5/11/08
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This colt retired at 3 with 13 wins from 14
starts and $1,219,949 in earnings.
Special Effort would be no less brilliant as
a sire. He entered stud in 1983 at the Urschels'
3 Bar D Ranch in Canadian, Texas. His first
few crops produced champions Bully Bullion
and Easygo Effort and 1987 All American
Futurity winner Elans Special, among oth-
ers.
In 1988, the horse went to the Lazy E
Ranch in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and remained
there through 1992. In 1993, the Four Sixes
Ranch made a big return to Quarter Horse
racing, and Special Effort moved to the ranch
n Guthrie, Texas.
Special Effort continued to sire top horses
throughout his career, including 1991 world
champion Special Leader and champions
Special Project, Sweet N Special and Spe-
cial Phoebe. He also sired the late Strawfly
Special, himself the sire of two All American
Futurity winners.
And breeders can't get enough of his
daughters. They include such individuals as
Genuine Knockout, dam of 1998 All Ameri-
can Futurity winner Falling In Loveagain;
Such An
Easy Effort, six-figure race mare and
millionaire-prodtieing broodmare; Tinys Ef-
fort, dam of champion Tiny First Effort; and
Miss O Toole, dam of champion and 2000 All
American Futurity winner Eyesa Special. In
fact, as the stallion aged, it's said that breed-
ers hoped for fillies by the horse even more
than runners.
Special Effort died in March 2006 at age
27 and is buried at the Four Sixes Ranch.
He sired 1,830 foals from 24 crops. His 1,416
starters have earned $18,499,003 (as of
1/15/08) - 73 are stakes winners and six are
champions.
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Brown, Laurie Ezzell. The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 1, 2008, newspaper, May 1, 2008; Canadian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth252702/m1/15/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hemphill County Library.