Simplification was named the 2022 Florida-bred Horse of the Year in a vote by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association board of directors and announced at the FTBOA Awards Gala held the evening of April 24 at the Circle Square Cultural Center in Ocala. This year's gala celebrated 75 years of FTBOA history as the association was founded in 1948.
Bred by France Weiner and her late husband Irwin Weiner, Simplification, who was also the 2022 Florida-bred champion 3-year-old colt, was recognized for his victories in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes in April and in the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes in January, both at Gulfstream Park. The then 3-year-old colt also produced several other graded-stakes performances in 2022 including a fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. He was second in the G2 Holy Bull Stakes; and third in the G1 Florida Derby Stakes, G3 the West Virginia Derby, and the G3 Harlan's Holiday Stakes.
Trained by Antonio Sano for Tami Bobo and Tristan de Meric, Simplification finished the year with two wins, a second, and three thirds from 10 starts while earning $761,300. By Not This Time, Simplification also helped his dam, the Candy Ride mare Simply Confection, take home honors as the 2022 FTBOA Broodmare of the Year.
The 2022 FTBOA Florida breeder of the year and leading owner by Florida-bred Earnings award went to Arindel, who led all breeders from the Sunshine State with $3,050,911 in Florida-bred earnings. They also topped all owners with $1,943,436 in Florida-bred earnings and with Florida-bred stakes winners with six. All six of Arinel's black-type winners, including graded stakes-winner Key Biscayne, are by Arindel's Florida-based stallion Brethren. Their other stakes winners during the year were Clapton, Gatsby, Lynx, Octane, and Turbo.
Khozan is the 2022 Florida stallion of the year with progeny earnings of $4,513,950. It was the third consecutive year that Khozan was the leading Florida sire by progeny earnings as he had totals of $3,521,813 in 2020 and $3,671,794 in 2021.
Only Montbrook (2002-03, 2008-09) and Wildcat Heir (2010-11, 2013-14) have more Florida stallion of the year titles, but Khozan is the only one to be honored for three consecutive years since 1991.
Khozan's leading earner for the season was graded stakes-winner Hot Peppers, who banked $381,500 on five wins and one second in eight starts, and was named the Florida-bred champion female sprinter.
Other equine champions on the night were Florida-bred champion 2-year-old filly Lynx, Florida-bred champion 2-year-old colt Awesome Strong, Florida-bred champion 3-year-old filly Midnight Stroll, Florida-bred champion older female and Florida-bred champion female turf horse Our Flash Drive, Florida-bred champion male turf horse Golden Pal, Florida-bred champion sprinter and Florida-bred champion older male C Z Rocket, and champion juvenile sire and champion freshman sire Girvin.
The 2022 Bruce Campbell Award was presented to Florida-based trainer Kathleen O'Connell, who is the most honored Florida-bred trainer with 18 awards to her credit. The Bruce Campbell Award is presented by The Florida Horse magazine for outstanding achievement when deemed appropriate to individuals or groups who have brought honor and prestige to Florida's Thoroughbred industry.
On March 12, O'Connell became the leading female Thoroughbred trainer by wins in North America with 2,386 career wins.
Other individuals recognized on the night were John B. Penn, who was presented the 2022 Needles Awards as the state's small breeder of the year; Beth Bayer and Blas Perez Stables were awarded the 2022 Joseph M. O'Farrell Memorial Award, presented by Ocala Breeders' Sales to the consignors of Havnameltdown, the top Florida-bred graduate of an OBS auction; Saffie Joseph Jr., the leading Florida trainer of Florida-breds by earnings and wins; and Carlos A. David, the leading Florida trainer of Florida-bred black-type winners.
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