INCENTIVES: Riata Buckle, Royal Crown, Gold Buckle Futurity, Top Gun

The Notorious B I G has continued his streak as a popular Junior Sire, booking full the two years the 2018 black stallion has stood to the public.

“He’s just the whole package,” owner Jessica Boston said. “People assume he’s a stud because of his looks. Honestly, while he is beautiful, it’s secondary. He’s freakishly good-minded and people are seeing that in his babies now, as well. He’s structurally appealing to a market that’s moving toward more bone and size and, of course, he boasts a pedigree that you just can’t go wrong with.”

He is sired by CD Lights, a million-dollar producer in the NCHA and NRCHA. His dam, DT Sugar Chex Whiz, was the 2019 AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year, campaigned by Billie Jack Saebens, and has since gone on to top the charts as a rope horse dam with more than $242,000 in produce earnings to date.

Saebens seemed an obvious fit to take the reins on The Notorious B I G and has since piloted him to nearly $67,000 in earnings They claimed the 2022 ARHFA 4-Year-Old Open Heeling Reserve World Championship and came back in 2023 to finish third in the Open Heeling of the same event. They also finished in the top 5 of the AQHA World Show in the Junior Heeling.

“Our plan for 2024 is just to get him to as many shows as possible,” Boston explained. “Juggling breeding and showing is tricky for a young stud. We feel like he deserves to compete the whole year his last futurity year. His oldest foals will be 2, as well. They’ll go to Tyson Benson first and then some to Billie Jack. It will be cool to see Billie Jack jockey now three generations of such great bloodlines. We’re excited.”