In 2020, Inferno Sixty Six’s first foals hit the show pen. Now, less than two years later, he has become the latest stallion to become a National Reining Horse Association Million Dollar Sire.
The flashy stallion, by NRHA Seven Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya out of Hall of Fame mare and Million Dollar Dam Snip O Gun, has been poised for success from the beginning.
When Inferno Sixty Six was born in 2012, owner Domenico Lomuto posted the newborn’s photo on social media with the caption “First step last night for the Futurity Champion 2015!”
That prediction was pretty accurate, as Inferno Sixty Six, piloted by Million Dollar Rider Franco Bertolani, tied for the high score of the 2015 NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Finals. The pair were edged out of the championship in the run-off by a scant half-point, but that didn’t matter. Bertolani and the stallion accumulated lifetime earnings of more than $205,000 in just three years of competition.
Inferno Sixty Six’s highest-earning foal is 4-year-old Winding Inferno (out of Wind Her Up Chic), owned by Teton Ridge. The stallion has won more than $191,000, including a co-reserve championship at the 2021 NRHA Futurity and a reserve championship at the inaugural Invitational.
His second high-money earner is the 2021 NRHA Futurity Level 4 and Level 3 Non Pro Champion Surprizing Sixty Six (out of Dun With Surprizes) with $101,610. Rounding out the top three is Starfire Sixty Six (out of Wind Her Up Chic), who was ridden to a top-five finish at the 2020 NRHA Futurity.
According to Lomuto, this milestone is one of the most important steps of the stallion’s career. “To me, reaching one million so fast is something exceptional, and is an achievement that is unbelievable,” he said. “Since the beginning, I have worked together with Franco on the training side and Giorgia (Codeluppi) on the breeding side to create something special with him. I think he’s the only horse with a fashion brand under his name—it’s a worldwide sportswear brand.”
Lomuto had just gotten his start in reining when he decided he needed to purchase another horse. His first horse was a Nu Chex To Cash, so he began perusing Tammye Hutton’s Hilldale Farm website when a mare caught his eye.
“I contacted her to try to buy a mare I picked out from her website—Snip O Gun—but I didn’t know anything about the mare. Everything was a blank screen,” he recalled with a laugh. “She asked me, ‘Are you serious?’ and then explained to me what kind of mare Snip O Gun was.”
Hutton did, however, have an embryo out of Snip O Gun by Gunnatrashya, the 2009 NRHA Futurity Champion. “I didn’t even know who Gunnatrashya really was, but I knew that he was owned by Arcese and he’s an Italian guy. I said I would buy the embryo and that would become my reining horse,” he shared.
He laughed, and added, “I’ve ridden him a couple times, but Giorgia has not allowed me to show him.”
Inferno Sixty Six now stands at NRHA Global Event Partner Toyon Ranch, owned by John Tague, in Pilot Point, Texas. “I think they are great with him and are doing a fantastic job. John is a super person, and he handles things as I like from a managerial style,” he said.
Lomuto thanked his wife and co-owner of Inferno Sixty Six, Cristiana, and daughter, Giulia, for their support and patience, and Franco and Georgia for everything they’ve done for Inferno. He added a special thank you to Inferno Sixty Six’s vet, Marcelo Grilo, who has been with the stallion from the beginning.
“I also thank all the people who have believed in this horse and have trusted him. A global thank you to all of them is a must,” he said.
Inferno Sixty Six’s Top 10 money-earners are:
- Winding Inferno (Wind Her Up Chic) – $191,256
- Surprizing Sixty Six (Dun With Surprizes) – $101,610
- Starfire Sixtysix (Wind Her Up Chic) – $58,297
- Girlz On Fire (Gotta Git Ya Dun) – $53,331
- Simple The Best 66 (ARC Yellow N Lime) – $41,757
- Blue Inferno (Showtimes Lil Step) – $39,885
- Heza Frozen Inferno (Sailor Will Win) – $36,630
- Gunna Whoa (Whoawhiz) – $36,323
- Gangsta Sixtysix (Rush N Cat) – $36,212
- Smokin 66 (Nuthin Chic) – $35,466
There may be some movement in that list in the coming week as the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel has 15 Inferno Sixty Six’s in the Open preliminaries and 13 in the Non Pro.
For more information about Inferno Sixty Six, visit Inferno66.com or toyonranchllc.com/infernosixtysix