West 12 Ranch
"Big enough to serve your needs, small enough to know you."
Richly Blended - In Memory
1998 - 2006
~Sadly, we lost Richly Blended to colic in the summer of 2006.
He was an incredible horse to know, and we are deeply grateful for the short time we had him. ~
RICHLY BLENDED was an amazing racehorse. Unknown at the start of 2001, he burst onto the racing scene with a 15 length win in a MSW, earning an incredible 103 Beyer Speed Figure. He then returned to destroy an allowance race by 7 3/4 lengths. His owners Raymond Dweck and Ben Perkins Jr. began having dreams of glory and put him in the one mile Gotham Stakes -G3 at Aqueduct to test his mettle. He again won easily, this time by 5 1/4 lengths, defeating future Breeder's Cup Sprint Champion Speightstown.
Next up was a start in the prestigious G2 Wood Memorial. Richly Blended led throughout the race before tiring in the finish, ending up third to MGSW Congaree and eventual Derby winner Monarchos. Wheeling the precocious colt back into the Withers -G3 garnered another win, as Richly Blended cruised home much the best by 4 1/4 lengths.
It was Classic time. Richly Blended didn't make it into the Derby, but he did run in the Preakness. He led throughout the first half of the race, eventually finishing tenth to Point Given. It was discovered after the race that Richly Blended had fractured his cannon bone midway through the race.
Thus ended Richly Blended's short but brilliant racing career. He retired a MGSW, with six starts, four wins and a second. What is really amazing is that all of those races were in a twelve week period. Pretty impressive record for such a short time. He retired to stud with earnings of over $323,000. He was owned throughout his breeding career by the excellent horseman Del Chase.
Richly Blended's story continues on through his children. To date, he has sired many tough racehorses, though none have matched his ability and tenacity.. His best fillies ULTRA BLEND and SASSY BLEND are now a multiple stakes winners. He has also sired We are enjoying watching them run and win. Richly Blended's last foal crop will be two year olds in 2009.
