Champion Sire Spit Curl Jess Dead at 15

OPELOUSAS, LA—SEPTEMBER 29, 2016—AQHA Racing Champion sire and Grade 1 winner Spit Curl Jess died last week following a long battle with laminitis.

A 15-year-old son of Mr Jess Perry owned by Fred Stanley of Madill, Oklahoma and Arbuckle Stables of Ardmore, Oklahoma , Spit Curl Jess stood most of his career in Oklahoma but had been at Louisiana Center For Equine Reproduction, near Opelousas, for the last three seasons.

At the track Spit Curl Jess won or placed in nine races to 3, while earning $141,719. He won the Grade 1 Heritage Place Derby and was second in the Speedhorse Gold & Silver Cup Derby(RG2) and Fair Meadows Juvenile. He was a finalist in the Texas Classic Futurity(G1), Heritage Place Futurity(G1), The Championship at Sunland Park(G1) and Oklahoma Futurity(G1).

From nine crops to race, Spit Curl Jess has sired 116 winners (59%), 29 stakes horses (15%), 1 AQHA Racing Champion and earners of $5 million with average earnings per starter of more than $25,000.

Among his top performers are three-time AQHA Racing Champion Spit Curl Diva SI 114 (19 wins to 5, $829,353 Refrigerator Handicap-G1, etc.), Pure D Spit SI 106 (17 wins to 7, $328,482 Eastex S.-G2, etc.), A Will And Away SI 101 (5 wins to 6, $238,112 2nd Remington Park Oklahoma Bred Futurity, etc.), Eye A Spit Curl Girl SI 106 (8 wins to 5, $193,391 Two Rivers S.-G3-twice, etc.), Cashshae SI 96 (3 wins to 3, $119,168 Fl Lady Bug S., etc.), Jess Curl My Prize SI 104 (7 wins to 3, $118,100 Les Bois Juvenile Challenge, etc.), Specials Jess SI 108 (5 wins to 4, $115,595 Boyd Morris Memorial H., etc.), Smoke On The Water SI 103 (5 wins to 3, $108,973 Four Corners Futurity-G3, etc.), Spit Like Jagger SI 96 (5 wins to 2, $105,045 Speedhorse Futurity-G2, etc.), Spit Curl Ten SI 96 (3 wins to 4, $95,857 Speedhorse Derby, etc.), etc.

Bred in Texas by Mitchell Ranch and Burnett Ranch, Spit Curl Jess is out of the stakes winner G3-placed On A High mare Lil Spit Curl SI 108 ($107,092), dam of 5 foals, 5 ROM winners and three stakes horses including G1 winner Spit Curl Jess SI 100 (see above), stakes winner Perrys Spittin Image SI 99 ($67,168) and stakes winner and track record setter Lil Lickitee Spit SI 113 ($52,625). She is the granddam of Grade 3 winner G2-finalist Haulin Candy Salt SI 105 ($164,238), This Candys Salty SI 102 ($86,185), Spitting Snow SI 97 ($72,798, etc.

The second dam is the Grade 2 Moon Lark mare Spit Curl Lark SI 100 ($42,973), a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Wash And Wear SI 108 ($78,534). Spit Curl Lark is the dam of 5 winners including Lil Spit Curl SI 108 (see above), G3 winner High Dollar Spit SI 104 ($48,079), RG3-placed Spitfire Red SI 96, etc.

Spit Curl Jess was just starting to come into his own as a broodmare sire. This season he is the dam sire of six winners from nine starters, including three stakes winners and earners of $759,396. He is the dam sire of 2016 Oklahoma Futurity(G3) winner Coronas First Diva ($495,773 at 2, 2016) and 2016 First Down Dash Invitational winner Stevie B First Cash (4 wins to 3, 2016 $184,056).