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Con Lima Named 2021 Texas Horse Of The Year

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Erik Nikolaus Del Toro, and Troy Johnson's Con Lima has been named the 2021 Texas Horse of the Year by the Texas Thoroughbred Association. Con Lima has also been named champion 3-year-old Texas-bred filly for 2021 following a remarkable season.

Con Lima, a now 4-year-old filly by Commissioner out of the Consolidator mare Second Street City, bred in Texas by Lisa Kuhlmann, was a tour de force in 2021. She capped her impressive 3-year-old campaign with a front-running score in the $700,000 Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes on the turf at Saratoga in August, defeating a field of international sophomore fillies.

Her 3-year-old season began in early January with a wire-to-wire victory in the listed Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park; that was just the beginning of an impressive season for the Texas-bred filly. She followed that with four victories in graded stakes races, including the G3 Herecomesthebride Stakes, the G3 Wonder Again Stakes, and the aforementioned Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes. Con Lima was also second in the G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes and the G3 Sweetest Chant Stakes. She was off the board just once in eight starts in 2021, amassing a record of 8-5-2-0 with $795,015 in earnings.

Con Lima's dam, Second Street City, has been named the 2021 Texas Broodmare of the Year. And her breeder, Lisa Kuhlmann, is the Texas Thoroughbred Association's 2021 Breeder of the Year.

The leading Accredited Texas-Bred money earner for 2021 was Douglas Scharbauer

The human awards—the T.I. “Pops” Harkins Award for lifetime achievement and Allen Bogan Memorial Award for TTA member of the year—will be announced at a later date.

Following is the complete list of the 2021 champion horses:

2-Year-Old Filly: Eagle Express (by Eagle) • Owner: W.S. Farish • Breeder: W.S. Farish

2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Tengo Mis Papeles (by My Golden Song) • Owners: Wayne Sanders & Larry Hirsch • Breeder: Mascassar Corporation

3-Year-Old Filly: Con Lima (by Commissioner) • Owners: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Erik Nikolaus Del Toro, and Troy Johnson • Breeder: Lisa Kuhlmann

3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Stone Cafe (by Stonesider) • Owner: 1. Douglas Scharbauer; 2. Henry Witt • Breeder: Douglas Scharbauer

Older Filly/Mare: Shes Our Fastest (by Oratory) • Owner: Mark Norman & Norman Stables LLC • Breeder: Eureka Thoroughbred Farm

Champion Older Horse: Sunlit Song (by My Golden Song) • Owners: Carolyn Barnett and Becky Harding • Breeder: Carolyn Barnett

Champion Broodmare: Second Street City (by Consolidator)

Horse of the Year: Con Lima (by Commissioner)

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Champion Afleet Alex Pensioned From Stud Duty

Afleet Alex, the champion 3-year-old male of 2005, has been pensioned from stud duty at Gainesway in Lexington, Ky., the farm announced Monday.

The 16-year-old son of Northern Afleet is in good health. He will remain at Gainesway for the entirety of his pensioned life, and he will remain available to visit on farm tours.

“He was an outstanding colt on the track and was an exciting stallion to retire to Gainesway,” said Gainesway's Sean Tugel. “His stallion career was successful in producing seven Grade 1 winners and making his mark as a broodmare sire.”

Afleet Alex stood his entire career at Gainesway, entering stud in 2006 after a dual-classic winning racetrack career where he earned more than $2.7 million. He has sired 14 crops of racing age, with 550 winners and combined progeny earnings of more than $51.6 million.

His debut crop of runners arguably reached its zenith during the 2010 Travers Stakes, when Afleet Alex was represented by three runners: Admiral Alex, Afleet Again, and winner Afleet Express. Afleet Again would go on to win the Breeders' Cup Marathon a year later.

That class also included Grade 1 winner Dublin and Grade 2 winners Afleeting Lady and Harissa.

Afleet Alex saw his best 2-year-old ascend in 2014 when Texas Red won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park and finish as an Eclipse Award finalist for champion 2-year-old male. He won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes the following year.

Other Grade 1 winners by Afleet Alex include Iotapa, Materiality, and Sharla Rae.

His best international runners include Canadian champion Skywire, Korean champion Dolkong, and Puerto Rican champions Cuqui's Love and Advier.

As a broodmare sire, Afleet Alex is responsible for Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston, Grade 1 winner Dream Tree, and Argentine Group 1 winner Mahagonny, along with other notable runners Bourbonic, Suddenbreakingnews, Attachment Rate, and Estilo Talentoso.

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Groupie Doll’s Tapit Daughter Doll Baby Impressive In Debut

Doll Baby, a 3-year-old daughter of two-time champion Groupie Doll, debuted with an impressive front-running victory Sunday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Trained by Ralph Nicks for Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm LLC, Doll Baby broke alertly from the gate to assume the early lead in Race 4, a seven-furlong maiden special weight race for sophomore fillies and continued on to prevail by a length under Jose Ortiz.

“It was just awesome and it was at a distance mama liked,” Pope said of her homebred filly by Tapit. “Hopefully, she's Groupie Doll incarnated. It's only one race but a good start.”

Mandy Pope

Groupie Doll won the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) back-to-back in 2012-'13 at seven furlongs to be honored with the Eclipse Award as outstanding female sprinter both years. Bred by trainer Buff Bradley and his late father, Fred, Groupie Doll was purchased at the Keeneland November sale for $3.1 million by Pope. After finishing fourth against colts in the Cigar Mile, Groupie Doll closed out her career with a thrilling come-from-behind victory in the 2014 Hurricane Bertie (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Doll Baby is Groupie Doll's third winner from her first five foals.

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‘Uncanny’ Resemblance: First Foal Is A Filly For Lane’s End Stallion Honor A. P.

Grade 1 winner Honor A. P.'s first foal arrived Jan. 27, 2022 at Coteau Grove Farms in Sunset, La. The filly, bred by Coteau Grove Farms is out of multiple black type winner and graded stakes performer Joanie's Catch (First Tour – Caught Speeding, by Saint Ballado).

“The resemblance of this filly to her sire is uncanny, right down to her four white socks,” said Andrew Cary, Coteau Grove Farms' bloodstock advisor. “There is no doubt about who her sire is. Honor A. P. was right up there with the best of his generation and we likely only saw a fraction of what he was capable of. We have two more mares due to foal to Honor A. P., including a mare who produced a $400,000 Saratoga yearling for us, so we are very excited about the sire and his future.”

Honor A. P., broke his maiden as a 2-year-old at Santa Anita by over five lengths posting a 91 Beyer, one of the highest of his generation. The impressive stallion went on to win the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby with a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

“This filly is really nice, she has good size and a great shape to her with a beautiful head,” said Coteau Grove Farms' broodmare manager Jacob Cyprian. “We're very excited about her.”

Honor A. P. is out multiple grade one winner and multiple graded stakes producer Hollywood Story. He is the highest priced offspring of his sire, having sold for $850,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

Honor A. P. stands for $15,000.

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