Danada Farm Notable Horses
Lucky Debonair
Lucky Debonair is the best-known horse to ever carry Ada L. Rice’s colors. Foaled in 1962 at Danada Farm, the bay stallion by Vertex out of Fresh as Fresh grew from a lightly raced 2-year-old into a classic winner with a powerful, ground-eating stride. Bred by Dan and Ada Rice and raced under the Ada L. Rice Racing Stable banner, he became the horse who put the Danada name on the Kentucky Derby roll of honor.
Racing Highlights
In 1965, Lucky Debonair swept through a remarkable spring campaign. He won the San Vicente Handicap, then captured the Santa Anita Derby in stakes-record time, followed by victory in the Blue Grass Stakes. Those wins set him up for the Kentucky Derby, where, under Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker, he held off a late charge to win America’s most famous race for Ada L. Rice.
In 1966 he returned at four to win the Santa Anita Handicap, one of California’s premier races, confirming that his Derby year was no fluke. Over his career he won 9 of 16 starts and earned approximately $370,962.
Legacy
Lucky Debonair retired to stud at Danada, where he became a living symbol of the Rice racing program and of Wheaton’s place in Thoroughbred history. Today, his name lives on in local landmarks and in the memories of racing fans who watched a Danada homebred conquer Churchill Downs. He stands as the flagship horse of the Notable Horses collection and the clearest link between the quiet pastures of Danada and the roar of the Kentucky Derby crowd.
Talent Show
Overview
Talent Show was a tough, durable stakes horse whose career helped bridge the years between Pet Bully’s heyday and Lucky Debonair’s Derby triumph. Raced under Ada L. Rice’s colors, he piled up more than half a million dollars in earnings, making him one of Danada’s top money winners of the era.
Racing Highlights
As a 3-year-old, Talent Show distinguished himself in major Eastern races, including a strong showing in the 1958 Preakness Stakes, where he faced some of the best of his generation. He later blossomed into a high-class older horse, winning important events such as the Boardwalk Handicap at Atlantic City and the Excelsior Handicap in New York, and holding his own in top handicaps against proven campaigners. He appears again in the record books as runner-up to stablemate Chief of Chiefs in the Washington Park Handicap, giving Ada L. Rice a remarkable one-two finish in one of Chicago’s key races.
Legacy
Talent Show may not have a single “headline” race like the Kentucky Derby to his name, but his consistency, earnings, and willingness to ship and compete in major handicaps made him a mainstay of the Danada stable. His page ties directly to the Washington Park story and to Chief of Chiefs, showing how deep Ada Rice’s handicap division truly was.
Delta Judge
Overview
Delta Judge was one of Danada Farm’s most important homebred stallions, combining a strong race record with long-term influence at stud. Foaled in 1960 by Traffic Judge out of Beautillion, the dark bay horse raced for Danada and later stood there as a sire. Equibase+1
Racing Highlights
Delta Judge was a precocious 2-year-old, winning the Sapling Stakes and placing in several of the East Coast’s major juvenile events, including the Pimlico Futurity and Tremont Stakes. Pedigree Query As an older horse he showed serious sprint ability, winning high-profile New York handicaps such as the Fall Highweight and Gravesend, and placing in the Whitney. Pedigree Query
He finished his career with 8 wins, 3 seconds, and 3 thirds from 16 starts, earning $159,762, the same figure preserved in the Danada top-earners list.
Legacy
Delta Judge became a notable stallion at Danada, siring hundreds of foals and appearing in pedigrees around the world. He is also remembered as part of an influential female family that produced other Danada stars like Apatontheback and Advocator. His page connects the racing side of the stable to its breeding legacy and is a natural link back to the Ada L. Rice Racing Stables and breeding history pages.
Apatontheback
Overview
Apatontheback was a quick, classy filly who carried the Danada silks with distinction in juvenile stakes. Foaled in 1960, she represented the next generation of Rice-bred speed, combining sharp early pace with the courage to hold off deep fields of young fillies.
Racing Highlights
As a 2-year-old, Apatontheback stepped directly into stakes company and delivered. She won the Fashion Stakes at Aqueduct, a traditional launching point for top fillies, scoring at five furlongs in fast time. She followed that with a victory in the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park, one of the premier juvenile filly races on the East Coast, in a crowded and competitive field.
Across 33 starts she compiled 9 wins, 11 seconds, and 3 thirds, earning $158,060, making her one of Ada L. Rice’s most reliable stakes fillies.
Legacy
Apatontheback’s family became a foundation line for Danada. She and her relatives tie into a broader pedigree that also produced Advocator and Delta Judge, giving this filly outsized influence beyond the winner’s circle. It is a natural place to talk about Danada’s approach to breeding fast, durable fillies.
Pet Bully
Overview
Pet Bully was the hard-knocking handicap star who helped lift the Danada name into national headlines in the early 1950s. Foaled in 1948 by Pet Rose out of Camelina, the bay stallion was bred at Danada and became Ada L. Rice’s first major national headliner.
Racing Highlights
Pet Bully’s career nearly ended before it began. He raced at two, then fractured a bone in his foot and missed his entire 3-year-old season. When he came back at four, he came back as a powerhouse, winning eight of sixteen starts, including the Washington’s Birthday Handicap at Santa Anita.
He followed with a blistering 5-year-old season in California, winning major Hollywood Park races such as the Hollywood Premiere, Inglewood, and Lakes and Flowers Handicaps. At six he became one of the top handicap horses in the country, winning the Washington Park Handicap in Chicago, then traveling east to capture the inaugural Woodward Stakes, the Fall Highlight, and other major handicaps, all while giving future Hall of Fame jockey Bill Hartack one of his first true “big horses.”
Pet Bully’s final tally was 23 wins from 47 starts and $365,702 in earnings.
Legacy
Pet Bully set the template for Danada’s handicap division: durable, willing travelers who could ship to any major track and win big purses. His success helped establish Ada L. Rice as a serious national owner and shaped the public image of the stable long before Lucky Debonair’s Derby run.
Mr. Paradise
Overview
Mr. Paradise was a bright juvenile star for Ada L. Rice in the early 1950s. A quick, handy colt, he became best known for his success in rich 2-year-old futurities, where he announced Danada as a force in Midwestern juvenile racing.
Racing Highlights
In 1952, Mr. Paradise scored his signature win in the Washington Park Futurity, one of the richest 2-year-old races in the country, with Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro in the saddle. Contemporary accounts note that he outfinished a large, competitive field to earn first money of nearly $80,000, a huge payday for the time.
He also appears in historical notes as a major futurity horse at Arlington Park, adding to his reputation as a serious juvenile stakes winner in Chicago. Facebook
Legacy
Mr. Paradise’s earnings helped fuel the expansion of the Rice stable during the 1950s, and his success in juvenile futurities underlined Danada’s ability to prepare youngsters for the pressure and speed of big-money 2-year-old racing. His page connects neatly to the Washington Park Futurity story and to other early stars like Pet Bully.
Pia Star
Overview
Pia Star was a powerhouse handicap horse whose speed and stamina kept him in the national spotlight in the mid-1960s. Foaled in 1961, the bay stallion by Olympia out of Inquisitive was bred and raced by Ada L. Rice and became one of her last great national champions.
Racing Highlights
Pia Star’s 4-year-old season in 1965 was exceptional. At Arlington Park he won the Equipoise Mile Handicap while equaling the world record for one mile on dirt, then added the Suburban Handicap and the Brooklyn Handicap in New York, defeating high-class rivals including multiple champion Kelso. In 1966 he stretched his form to Florida, winning the prestigious Widener Handicap at Hialeah.
He retired with 10 wins from 29 starts and earnings of $306,240. At stud he later sired stakes winners and appears in the pedigrees of major horses like Mom’s Command and Star of Cozzene.
Legacy
Pia Star represents the height of Danada’s handicap program in the 1960s. His world-record mile, coast-to-coast success, and impact at stud make his page a centerpiece of the Notable Horses section and a natural bridge to discussions of Danada’s breeding influence.
Cerise Reine
Overview
Cerise Reine was a high-class filly from an important female family, best remembered for her victories in major 3-year-old filly stakes and her continuing influence in pedigrees. She appears in Danada records as one of the stable’s significant money-earning fillies.
Racing Highlights
Cerise Reine won both the Delaware Oaks and the Ashland Stakes, placing her firmly among the leading 3-year-old fillies of her year. She later captured the Santa Margarita Handicap in California, a key test for older mares, demonstrating that her talent stretched beyond her 3-year-old campaign. Her earnings of $143,052, preserved in Danada’s top-earners list, reflect a career spent consistently in stakes company.
Legacy
Cerise Reine’s lasting impact comes through her descendants. Modern bloodlines trace important winners back to her and to the same family that produced other stakes performers. On the site, her page helps connect the Danada horses to broader Thoroughbred history, showing how mares from this program still echo in present-day pedigrees.
Pucker Up
Overview
Pucker Up was one of Ada L. Rice’s greatest mares and a national champion. Foaled in 1953 by Olympia out of Lou Lea, the bay mare was bred at Danada Farm and raced under Mrs. Rice’s name, trained by future Hall of Famer James “Jimmy” Conway.
Racing Highlights
Pucker Up built a remarkable record: 32 starts, 16 wins, 8 seconds, and 4 thirds, earning $304,585. As a 3-year-old she captured stakes such as the Misty Isle and Jersey Belle. At four she blossomed into a dominant older mare, winning the Arlington Matron Handicap and Washington Park Handicap in Chicago, then shipping east to win the Beldame Stakes at Belmont.
Her performances earned her the title of American Champion Older Female Horse in 1957. Arlington Park later named the Pucker Up Stakes in her honor.
Legacy
Retired to broodmare duty at Danada, Pucker Up produced several winners, including Plucky Plan by Bold Ruler. She remains one of the clearest examples of Ada L. Rice developing a champion mare from the ground up. Her page naturally links to the story of Jimmy Conway and to the broader history of Danada’s champion fillies.
Doll Ina
Overview
Doll Ina was a tough, consistent mare whose long career and multiple stakes placings made her a valuable part of the Rice program and later an important broodmare. By Helioscope, she appears in Danada’s earnings list with $134,429 and a reputation for always showing up on race day.
Racing Highlights
Doll Ina won 13 races between the ages of three and six, highlighted by victory in the Margate Handicap at Atlantic City. She also placed or showed in a series of major races, including the New York Handicap, Gallorette, Maskette, Sheepshead Bay, Lake Forest, and Miss Rheingold Handicaps, proving she belonged in top company over multiple seasons.
Legacy
In the breeding shed, Doll Ina produced multiple winners and stands in the female line behind later champions, including Proud Delta, an Eclipse Award winner. She connects the dots between mid-century Danada race mares and later graded stakes winners, showing how Ada Rice’s investment in sturdy, classy mares paid off generations later.
Advocator
Overview
Advocator was a rugged colt whose name is forever tied to the 1966 Kentucky Derby, where he nearly gave Ada L. Rice a second Derby victory. Bred from the same female family as Apatontheback and Delta Judge, he combined solid speed with genuine staying power.
Racing Highlights
Advocator’s most famous moment came at Churchill Downs in 1966. In the 92nd Kentucky Derby he finished second to Kauai King, giving Ada L. Rice and trainer Clyde Troutt a coveted placing in America’s classic. The following year he returned to New York sprint ranks and won the Toboggan Handicap at Aqueduct, a historic six-furlong stakes, under jockey Laffit Pincay Jr.
His overall record earned him $289,596 and a place among Danada’s top earners.
Legacy
Advocator carried the Danada banner with distinction on the Triple Crown stage, then returned to excel in top-level sprints. His page gives you a place to discuss Danada’s near-miss at a second Kentucky Derby and to connect back to the Bleebok family that produced several of Ada Rice’s best runners.
Flight History
Overview
Flight History was a solid handicap horse whose name shows up repeatedly in midwestern stakes results. Racing for Ada L. Rice, he added depth and earnings to the stable’s older-horse ranks during the late 1950s.
Racing Highlights
Historical records identify Flight History as the winner of the Billings Handicap and the Clang Handicap, races that required both tactical speed and determination. He was a regular in competitive handicap fields at Chicago-area tracks, helping keep the Danada silks prominent on racing programs throughout the season.
With earnings of $127,730 he may not have been a headline horse like Lucky Debonair, but he was a reliable earner and a familiar name to local racegoers.
Legacy
Flight History represents the many solid Danada campaigners who rounded out the stable beneath the champions. His page is a good place to talk about the depth of the Rice operation and the day-to-day reality of managing a major handicap stable.
Air Pilot
Overview
Air Pilot was a strong, traveling handicap horse for Ada L. Rice, remembered especially for his success in Ohio. His career earnings of $275,916 place him among the upper tier of Danada runners by money won.
Racing Highlights
Air Pilot’s signature victory came in the Buckeye Handicap at Randall Park in Ohio, where he carried the Danada silks to a stakes win outside his Chicago home base. He appears frequently in period coverage as a consistent performer in middle-distance handicaps, picking up checks and adding to his earnings line by line.
Legacy
Air Pilot’s story illustrates how far the Danada string ranged in search of good racing opportunities. His page connects Chicago racing to the broader Midwest circuit and pairs naturally with Flight History and Rare Rice in telling the story of Danada’s traveling handicap brigade.
Rare Rice
Overview
Rare Rice was a talented colt with a meaningful name, linking the Rice family itself to his racing accomplishments. Bred from the same extended family as classic winners, he combined pedigree with genuine stakes ability..
Racing Highlights
Rare Rice’s biggest win came in the Chesapeake Stakes at Laurel, where he led all the way to capture the $29,500 event and earn a substantial purse for the Rice stable. He later added the Jamaica Handicap in New York, confirming that his Chesapeake victory was no fluke and that he belonged in top company on both Maryland and New York circuits.
He retires in the Danada records with $126,154 in earnings and the distinction of being one of the stable’s better traveling handicappers.
Legacy
Rare Rice’s page is an ideal spot to explore how the Rice family’s name found its way into pedigrees and race charts, and to connect to the broader family that produced other stakes winners mentioned in American Classic Pedigrees.
Chief of Chiefs
Overview
Chief of Chiefs was the underrated gelding who handed the great Kelso one of his rare defeats and delivered one of the biggest wins in Ada L. Rice’s handicap history. He may not be a household name today, but on Labor Day in 1961 he stole the show.
Racing Highlights
In the 1961 Washington Park Handicap at Arlington, Chief of Chiefs broke sharply, took command early, and never looked back, winning the $120,400 race while Kelso, the five-time Horse of the Year, finished fourth. Stablemate Talent Show finished second, giving Ada L. Rice an extraordinary one-two finish in one of Chicago’s richest races.
That performance ended Kelso’s long winning streak and remains one of the signature upsets in Washington Park history.
Legacy
Chief of Chiefs embodies the idea that any given day at the races can produce a surprise that history remembers. His page should sit close to Talent Show’s and link directly to the Washington Park Handicap story, underscoring how powerful the Danada handicap division was at its peak.
Why These Horses Still Matter
Taken together, these horses show what Dan and Ada Rice built at Danada Farm. They were not just winning purses and collecting trophies. Their runners carried the Rice colors onto the biggest stages in American racing and, in the process, helped shape the future of the farm, the estate, and the philanthropy that followed.
From Pet Bully and Pucker Up to Lucky Debonair, Pia Star, and the rest, each name on this list links the quiet fields of Wheaton to Churchill Downs, Arlington Park, Washington Park, and tracks across the country. Their earnings, their headlines, and even their upsets helped fund the life that later became Danada House, the forest preserve, and the community spaces people enjoy today.
This Notable Horses collection is a starting point, not an ending. As more research surfaces and more stories are pulled from archives, newspapers, and personal memories, additional horses will be added so that the legacy of Dan and Ada Rice, and the stable that carried their name, is preserved in one place for future generations.
