For nearly a decade, the surest bet in the Pennsylvania breeding industry was that Jump Start would top the list among state sire awards.
Heading into 2022, the late Jump Start had led the standings each of the past seven years, and he spent much of the year once again at the front of the pack. Heading into the final quarter of the year, though, Weigelia put a neck ahead in the race. We're still waiting for the final stallion awards to be tallied up, but the resident of Wyn Oaks Farm might end up being the horse to break the streak.
The owner of a Pennsylvania-based stallion at the time of a foal's conception is eligible for stallion awards generated by that foal. Stallion owners receive 10 percent of the purse earned when a registered Pennsylvania-bred and- sired runner finishes in the top three in any pari-mutuel race within the state.
Through Oct. 31, Weigelia's runners had brought in $167,404 in incentive monies for Wyn Oaks Farm, while Jump Start had earned $159,306 for Northview Stallion Station.
The leading contributor to Weigelia's figure was Ninetyprcentmaddie, a then-2-year-old colt who generated $14,124 in stallion awards through the end of October.
Ninetyprcentmaddie was unbeaten in three starts over that span of time, starting with a well-timed ride by jockey Frankie Pennington to win the colt's 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight debut at Parx Racing by a nose. In August, the colt jumped up into stakes competition, leading nearly every step of the way to take the Whistle Pig Stakes at Parx by 3 1/2 lengths as the post time favorite.
Ninetyprcentmaddie & jockey Frankie Pennington win the 100,000 Whistle Pig Stakes for 2 yr olds going 5 1/2 furlongs on PA Day at the Races for trainer Butch Reid, Jr. & owner/breeder LC Racing LLC. #PTHA #PABred #ParxRacing @JockeyFrankie pic.twitter.com/gQOmzVmj76
— PTHA (@PTHA17) August 22, 2022
The final, and most impressive start in that sequence came on Oct. 31, when Ninetyprcentmaddie took command in the stretch of a six-furlong allowance optional claiming race and drew off to win by 7 1/2 lengths.
Ninetyprcentmaddie races as a homebred for LC Racing, trained by Robert Reid, Jr. He is out of the stakes-placed Private Interview mare Amblin Easy.
Also contributing to Weigelia's total in 2022 was Beren, who tallied $13,875 in stallion awards through the end of October.
Though Beren has competed up and down the East Coast, the newly-turned 5-year-old horse generally stayed close to home in 2022.
A homebred for Susan Quick's St. Omer's Farm and Christopher Feifarek, Beren started his season with a pair of runner-up efforts in Page McKenney Handicap at Parx and the Chocolate Town Stakes at Penn National. He then shipped to Laurel Park to win the listed Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes.
Beren returned to Pennsylvania for his next four starts, including a 3 1/4-length score in the Jump Start Stakes at Parx to finish out his schedule prior to Oct. 31.
Weigelia, a 22-year-old son of Safely's Mark, stands at WynOaks Farm in Delta, Pa., for a private fee.
He won 13 of 48 starts during his own on-track career, and he earned $1,007,708, highlighted by victories in the Grade 3 Carry Back Stakes and Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap. He also finished second in the G1 King's Bishop Stakes.
Leading Pennsylvania Sires By 2022 State Incentive Earnings, through Oct. 31
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