Digital Downs is full of horses whose bloodlines harken back to the days of the monsters of the track. Horses such as Jumpin\' Jack Flash, Pension Plan, Zoom, etc. can be found in the pedigrees of many current runners daily in the forms for each day, which makes what happened yesterday, February 4th all the more rare. Obscure Golden State Bloodstock stallion Fast Ride, who has no pedigree since he was created with the press of a button and a 10k wish, got himself another winner in yesterday\'s 5th race, a 5f sprint on turf. The winner Tinacomegetsomeham (out of Vo Vo Von Trapp) broke like a shot from his rail slot and ran the first 2f in 22.11 seconds. He then blazed the second quarter mile in 22.78 around the turn, running a half mile in 44.89 seconds. He never looked back and won by a diminishing head, earning a stout 96 speed figure. Who finished 2nd? Another Fast Ride offspring of course, Golden Rail (out of Rail Position).  Golden Rail was outrun early, but settled nicely while two wide and unleashed a powerful stretch move to pass four horses in the stretch and just miss getting the money by a head.  It\'s happened before with more fashionable stallions, but for a stallion who is pretty much unknown, hails from a low percentage barn, and only a winner in 3 of his 21 races lifetime?  How he became a stallion in the first place is a miracle, let alone sire the first two finishers of a race.

Where did Fast Ride come from? 

Well, consider him The Chosen One of stallions by Golden State Bloodstock.  He was claimed for 20k in April of \'09 and was one of the few stallions who survived the break in action by GSB when they folded up their tents and took a break of roughly six months to \"recharge the batteries\".  The entire barn was either sold or retired except for two horses, Fast Ride and Splashed, another obscure stallion.  Splashed was used first when GSB came out of hiding and had a non-descript offspring.  Splashed was then retired to pasture, which left only one.  Fast Ride.  GSB Barn Manager Stuey had this to say about Fast Ride:  \"He was always a trier, and got there a few times as well.  With any luck he could\'ve won a few more than he actually did, but he never got embarrassed and always gave it a good effort.  It was also pretty evident he loved the grass, and performed much better on the grass than the dirt.\"  Indeed, Fast Ride was 0 for 9 on the dirt, but 3 for 12 on the turf with 4 seconds, making the exacta in 7 of 12 races on the sod.  Stuey continued:  \"When he dropped in for $20k, I let Ron the owner know, and the rest is history.\"

What exact history is that?  Well, Fast Ride hasn\'t had a stakes winner yet, but Stuey is high on Tinacomegetsomeham and Golden Rail, both of whom are showing signs of being pretty darn good, and also carrying the family trait of enjoying the turf a little more than the dirt.  There are also a few Fast Rides still figuring things out, including Jule Thief, who finished 2nd by a head in his debut at 4f and earning the highest speed figure of any Fast Ride so far, a 98.  Only one Fast Ride has been retired by GSB out of the 10 or so offspring they\'ve bred so far, The Ride.  \"Couldn\'t outrun me.  It happens.\" Stuey says with a glare. 

What is next for Fast Ride as a stallion?  Numerous barns have already tried their luck with him and if works are any indication, Fast Ride might not be obscure any longer, which will not sit well with Stuey.  \"There are four breeds going to the public for 5k apiece still sitting out there.  I hope Ron gets his act together and saves them for us.  We can\'t ever get them back.\"

Time will tell ultimately, but so far, Fast Ride offspring have hit the track 82 times in all with 13 winners, 16 seconds and 13 thirds for a slightly above average 16% winning percentage and a 51% ITM overall.

Not too bad for a horse without a history.