The Story of a Now-Famous Stallion Never to See the Winner’s Circle

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2025

TRACK Magazine photo by Mark Herron

Eye Am King, considered to be New Mexico’s top quarter horse stallion these days, has never actually had his picture taken in the winner’s circle.

“It’s quite a story,” owner Mac Murray said from his horse ranch MJ Farms, a hundred-acre spread located in Veguita, New Mexico about an hour’s drive south of Albuquerque.

Mac and his wife Janis are the “MJ” in MJ Farms. The couple arrived in New Mexico around the turn of the century from having raised horses in Utah because the money and opportunity in horse racing was better here.

“It was back in 2015 that we had a mare named “Eye For Corona,” Mac said. “I watched as she gave birth to this strapping colt that walked around the pasture like he was king of the world.”

That’s why Mac named the colt Eye Am King. Mac then prepared the yearling for the All American Sale at Ruidoso Downs. If approved as a potential candidate for the sale, Eye Am King would be put in the sales catalog along with hundreds of other prospects.

“The sales manager at the time was Lowell Neumayer,” Mac said. “He came to the ranch and took one look at the colt, and Lowell said, ‘that’s the best looking yearling I’ve seen in years’ and he knew horses better than anybody.”

Lowell’s compliment stuck with Mac. A few months later, Eye Am King was sold in the auction ring for $300,000. That’s a lot today and a huge sum for a race horse ten years ago.

Here comes the unlucky part of Eye Am King’s story. Just before the two-year-old was to make his debut on the racetrack he suffered a severe case of colic (a digestive disorder that can be fatal in horses), which caused a giant set-back in his training. Then came Eye Am King’s first race as a three-year-old where he bowed a tendon (a common injury in performance horses that can result in lameness) in his right front leg—ending for good his racing career.

Eye Am King’s career race record: One start and nothing to show for it. 

“It was very unfortunate,” Mac recalled. He also remembered exactly what his friend Lowell had said about Eye Am King.

Hearing the news about the injury, Mac contacted Eye Am King’s owner about the possibility of re-purchasing the colt and bringing him back to MJ Farms as a potential stallion. The two came to an agreement and Eye Am King soon returned to the farm where he was born.

Then came breeding season. Eye Am King joined Mac’s famous stallion Big Daddy Cartel and others to cover many New Mexico mares. A few studs have been prosperous for MJ Farms, but 2025 is an exceptional year for Eye Am King.

Eye Am King’s son King of the Tide was fastest qualifier last week during trials for the $3 million All American Futurity which will be run on Labor Day at Downs of Albuquerque. King of the Tide’s yearling full-sister, Sea Pearl, was sold on Saturday at the New Mexico-bred Yearling Sale at  Ruidoso Downs for $425,000. That’s an all-time record for a New Mexico yearling. Eighteen yearlings bred by Eye Am King sold for an average price of $98,389, by far the highest average price of any stallion in New Mexico and across the nation’s quarter horse industry. With a stud fee of $6,000, Eye Am King artificially covered about 150 mares last breeding season.

Eye Am King has made his mark. The famous ten-year-old race horse that has never actually seen a winner’s circle is now on top of the breeding charts.