Flying Paster

Flying Paster (1976–1992) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse bred in California by his owner, Bernard J. Ridder of the Knight Ridder newspaper chain. Named for a printing process mechanism, the colt was a grandson of the British and North American Champion Sire, Nasrullah, who in turn was the son of the great Nearco.

An outstanding racehorse, Flying Paster had the misfortune of being foaled in the same year as Spectacular Bid, a future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee and a horse that The Blood-Horse magazine would rate as America's 10th best horse of the 20th Century. Ridden by Don Pierce, in 1978 Flying Paster was the dominant two-year-old on the U.S. West Coast, winning six stakes races, usually with a powerful stretch drive. He became the first 2-year-old to be voted California Horse of the Year.

With Pierce in the saddle to start his three-year-old campaign, Flying Paster won February's San Vicente Stakes, was third in the March San Felipe Stakes, then captured the West Coast's most important race for three-year-olds, the Santa Anita Derby. Sent to the Kentucky Derby, Flying Paster was the second choice among bettors behind the heavily favored Spectacular Bid. However, the colt suffered a cut in his right foreleg during the race and finished fifth. After tying the Pimlico track record for the first quarter, Flying Paster finished a distant fourth in the Preakness Stakes. He did not run in the third and final leg of the Triple Crown series, the 1½ mile Belmont Stakes. Regaining his form, near the end of the 1979 racing season, Flying Paster came back with an important win in the Grade I Hollywood Derby.

Racing at age four, in 1980 Flying Paster finished second four times to Spectacular Bid including in the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap. Ridden by Chris McCarron in 1981, he started the year with wins in the San Pasqual and San Carlos Handicaps, then made it three in a row by capturing the San Antonio Handicap.

Retired to stud duty, Flying Paster sired 48 stakes winners and was California's leading sire for five consecutive years from 1987 through 1991. His progeny included Grade I winner Cats Cradle and the Jack Kent Cooke-owned California Champion, Flying Continental whose wins included the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

At the pinnacle of his breeding career, Flying Paster died unexpectedly at age sixteen from a heart attack on August 22, 1992 at Cardiff Stud Farm in Creston, California.