'The People's Horse' Joins Elite Company

When 7-year-old Welder coasted home to win the TRAO Classic Sprint Stakes at Will Rogers Downs by 6 1/2 lengths in a hand ride April 28, the gelding trained by Theresa Sue Luneack for Ra-Max Farms joined the elite company of Oklahoma-bred millionaires.

The victory in 1:09.01 for six furlongs marked the 22nd victory in 33 starts for the son of The Visualizer produced from the Tiznow  mare Dance Softly. Racing almost exclusively at Oklahoma's Remington Park and WRD, Welder has won 12 black-type races, and his eight stakes placings include seven in black-type company.

Welder's career earnings of $1,006,393 make him one of eight horses bred in Oklahoma to earn seven figures, a list headed by four-time grade 1 winner and miler extraordinaire Kip Deville, who is followed by Horse of the Year Lady's Secret.

"There are not many horses that ever win 22 races in their careers, let alone as many stakes races as he has," Luneack said of the striking gray. "He has done it the hard way. He is kind of the people's horse, and he has a fan base at Will Rogers and Remington Park. They really love him in Oklahoma and talk about him on Facebook. He is one of eight Oklahoma-bred millionaires, and those other horses did it at much bigger tracks and in much bigger races."

Welder is one of about 35 horses, including yearlings and horses of racing age, trained by Luneack for Clayton and Toni Rash, the owners of Ra-Max Farms near Claremore, Okla. Clayton Rash is the president of Global Industrial, a Tulsa-based specialty welding and oil refining company.

Luneack has been Ra-Max Farms' private trainer since making the transition some six years ago from the show horse arena, where the Rashes were among her clients.

"They have a beautiful facility that includes a track," the trainer said. "There is not a better place for a horse to live. They get the best care you could ever get. He spares no expenses. Welder has a large stall with a foot deep of shavings and a big fan and an automatic waterer. But it's not just Welder; they all have a very blessed life here."

Welder was bred by Center Hills Farm and was one of a half-dozen yearlings bought by Rash from Mighty Acres Farm, the Pryor, Okla., nursery that also bred Kip Deville.

"We went to look at the Okie-breds they had, and we bought six," Luneack said. "We had looked at him in the stall, and he was standing in the corner. I liked the way he was made. He was real balanced. We bought the package of six for about $6,400 apiece. He's earned his keep."

The trainer said Welder's greatest attributes are soundness and quickness. In his second consecutive victory in the David M. Vance Stakes at Remington Park last year, Welder set the track record of 1:08.13 for six furlongs under regular rider David Cabrera.

"He is by far the soundest horse I've ever trained," she said. "Not only is he fast, but he is fast for a long time. A lot of horses can go fast for a half-mile, but he rarely lets up. At his last race at Will Rogers, David never uncocked the stick. He's just really fast."

Noting that her stable star is "fueled by peppermints," Luneack said Welder has a unique personality.

"There is one thing he loves more than anything in the world, and that is watching the racetrack," she said. "Galloping this horse is a 45-minute process. When he comes onto the track, he stands with the outrider for 10-15 minutes, and then he will jog around to the backside and stand there for 10-15 minutes. He loves to watch the racetrack. A lot of times in the post parade, he will just stop and watch the other horses jog by and warm up. He loves his life."

While Welder has made the rare forays to out-of-state tracks like Oaklawn Park and Prairie Meadows, Luneack said there is no temptation to take the gelding to a bigger stage.

"He's always done so well around here. We're happy," said Luneack, noting that to take the horse on the road would take her away from overseeing the remainder of the Ra-Max stock. "He is 7 and he's made his $1 million now, and that was our major goal with this horse."

Luneack said Welder will remain in training as long as he remains sound and shows a willingness to train and race.

"I will not push this horse and will not run him if I feel like he's not ready," she said. "I don't overwork him, and I don't overtrain him. He lets me know when he's ready to run. When he tells us he doesn't want to run or train anymore, I have no doubt Clayton will let him retire and live out his life eating grass.

"(Rash) truly, genuinely loves these animals. His business is what keeps this farm going. The farm is his passion, and he loves racehorses and to go to the races to watch his horses run."