WHITESBORO, TX—APRIL 17, 2014—Dan and Jolene Urschel of Canadian, Texas have purchased champion sire Desirio from Jim and Marilyn Helzer, Les and Leah Horner and Ray and Lola Willis. The Grade 3 winning son of Strawfly Special stands at JEH Equine Reproduction Center near Whitesboro, Texas.

Longtime Quarter Horses owners, the Urschels campaigned the only 2-year-old Quarter Horse Triple Crown winner in history—Desirio's paternal grandsire Special Effort in 1981. They have won the All American Futurity twice, including in1979 with Pie In The Sky.

The Urschels also bred Desirio's sire Strawfly Special, a son of Special Effort from the their homebred Pie In The Sky mare Fly In The Pie. She is out of the Rocket Bar (TB) mare Flying Rockette who won the 1973 Rainbow Futurity for the couple.

"We have strong ties to Desirio through his paternal side," Mrs. Urschel said on Thursday. "The team at JEH has done an outstanding job with him. We have bred a number of mares the last two years and do not have any plans to move him. Desirio has recently had his best two seasons in the stallion barn and we look forward to those crops hitting the track," she added.

From a limited number of starters in six crops to race, Desirio has sired 42 winners, two grade 1 winners, eight stakes horses and 1 champion with earnings of $2.3 million. His starters have average earnings per starter of $28,400.

Among his top performers are AQHA Racing Champion 2-Year-Old Filly PJ Chick In Black SI 101 (8 wins to 3, $652,081, Ruidoso Futurity(G1), etc.), Los Alamitos Super Derby(G1) winner Deniro SI 103 (6 wins to 4, $511,661), stakes winners Karolina SI 103 ($102,667), RG3 winner Posies Desiria SI 90 (2 wins to 3, $65,420), 2014 West Texas Futurity(G2) runner-up El Damazo SI 90 ($64,477 at 2, 2014), etc.

At the track Desirio won or placed in nine of 12 career starts with earnings of $256,786. He won the All American Juvenile Invitational(G3), Zia Park QH Championship and James Hobbs Stakes. He was third in the Lovington Stakes and finalist in the Championship at Sunland Park(G1) and Ruidoso Derby(G1).

Desirio is out of the G1 winner and multiple stakes producer Lady Tenaya SI 105 ($280,375), by Sixarun. She is the dam of 18 ROM, three stakes winners including Hobbs America Derby(G2) winner Corona For A Lady SI 104 ($124,191) and No Ordinary Love SI 96 ($70,153), etc.

The second dam is a G1 finalist by Dash For Cash who is a sister to champion and former Broodmare of the Year Florentine SI 108 ($1,123,102), champion Calyx SI 117 ($164,468), stakes winner's Stamen SI 114 ($105,997), Stylus SI 109 ($50,424), Shillings ($34,42) and a half-sister to champion Ive Been Blessed SI 102 ($94,877) and stakes winner Royal Miracle Dip Si 97 ($112,1117).

Desirio stands for a 2014 fee of $2,800. For additional information or breeding contracts call Andrew Gardiner, JEH General Manager, at 903-564-1630.