Sired by Eye Take Time who is out of the legendary Mr Eye Opener (si106) with earnings of $202,978 (stud fee private treaty) and the dam Take After Me who is by Bully Bullion (si104).  Mr Eye Opener is the sire of 11 Champions, 221 stakes horses and $ earners of nearly 26 million dollars.  Bully Bullion is the sire of 105 stakes horses with $ earners of nearly 9 million dollars making him the # 3 Leading All-Time Living Broodmare Sire and a leading Barrel sire with lifetime barrel earnings of nearly 1.6 million dollars.  Eye Take Time is a full brother to Eye Yin You (si 99) with earnings of $193,489 and a G1/G2/G3 stakes winner.  He is the only horse to ever win both the Remington Park Futurity and Derby.  From his first foal crop he is the sire of 100% money earners. 

 

Out of the dam Rapadash (tb) who is blacktype at distances from 6 furlongs to 1 1/16 mile.  His grand dam Seven L. Dandy was a prolific performer/producer who only raced in stakes races as she gave her heart and more in every race.  His entire dams side is blacktype performers and just as importantly producers.  His dams ½ sister Excessively Sweet (by same mother) was unbeatable  and competitors actually stopped entering races she was in!!!  Rapadash was a stunning, slender, statuesque mare with a huge presence that she passed on to Elvis.

 

Elvis was born and raised here.  His dam was an exceptional mother who milked and worried her heart out.  This required 3 daily feedings and hands on care and attention throughout.  He was handled daily and practically halter broke himself.  When weaned he was with the fillies for a short while but they proved too rough for him.

 

As a two year old Elvis was only scheduled to enter stakes races which makes for the stiffest of competition.  Having no “track” experience ourselves, we tried to select a trainer that was best for Elvis as well as our “hands-on” style.  Let’s face it, we have handled and trained our own horses our entire lives, there is no way we could just “turn him over” to someone.  After a few disappointments and surprises by mid-season we were forced to take over training of Elvis ourselves.  During the interim a thoroughbred trainer at Northlands helped us out (he trained out of Northlands for 4 weeks) and we finished out the season alone.  His best 2 year old race was the last of the season!!!

 

Finishing the season a little disappointed, tired and a lot wiser, we started to prepare for Derby year. 

 

We started 2010 with guarded optimism and excitement hoping for the best.  Our goal was to achieve his Register Of Merit and get full Quarter Horse papers for him.  We only worked Elvis at home and took him to Northlands in Edmonton for timed works.  In timed works (gate start) on an “A” track Elvis posted 220 yards in 11:43 (which is 39.1 miles/hour).  No other track in North America clocked a time that fast for a work that day!!!  The world record for a 220 yard race is 11:62 set by Junior Meyers in 1969.  We entered the Bank Of America Maiden Challenge race and progressed to the finals after timed trials.  With our focus more on a safe trip we were ecstatically pleased when Elvis was nudged out of third by only a neck to place fourth.  He was now a stakes finalist, stakes money earner and achieved his Register Of Merit.  Wow – our season goal was achieved in the first month!!!  Let’s face it, everyone loves to win at racing, but when you add to the excitement by being the breeders, owners and trainers, it is a pretty thrilling experience!!!  After proving him as a performer and reaching the goal we had set for the 3 of us, we had some tough decisions to make.  Elvis was so big for his age and was continually packing on more muscle to support skeletally that we decided to be cautious and suspend training for the remainder of the year.  Plus we had also seen first hand and up close and personal just how rough a race can be.

 

We know Elvis better than we ever would have had we not taken over his training.  He has some amazing characteristics that are beneficial to a track or barrel performer.  He has an amazing work ethic.  Not pushy – but always willing to give more.  On race day he goes “into the zone” that human athletes work their whole career to reach.  He gets a calm over him that is bordering on eerie (the first couple times we worried he was sick).  He rests, eats, drinks, lowers his head and patiently waits for race time.  In the paddock he is the definition of a gentleman.  Leading on a loose line, stands in his stall like a statue to be saddled and then stands with his nose at chest height and peeks out to watch the mayhem and unrest of the others.  Once on post parade he always has to do one rocking horse jump and then he is back to all business.  He was always eager to load in the gates and then stood like a statue staring straight down the track waiting for the gates to open.  He usually (all but once) broke third from the gates and was even with the lead to the 100 yard mark (what all barrel racers look for)!!!  Elvis is a very efficient and consistent starter and is extremely fast at short distances but has the size to go the distance as well.

 

 In 2011 we decided to work on getting some of his offspring on the way and put his training on hiatus until breeding season is done.  He has proved to be a respectful stallion as his gentleman characteristics from the track carry over.  He has only been crossed with TAAA mares and his  babies are outstanding!!!