Chub Wagon Named 2021 PA-Bred Horse of the Year

After a season of near perfection that included six stakes wins, Daniel Lopez and George Chestnut's homebred Chub Wagon was named 2021 Pennsylvania-bred Horse of the Year at the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's 43rd annual Iroquois Awards, held May 13 at The Inn at Mendenhall in Chadds Ford, Pa.

The richest state-bred of 2021 when banking $487,400, Chub Wagon scored in eight of her nine starts at age four, and was second in her only loss. After getting her first stakes win in the Unique Bella at Parx in April by 7 1/2 lengths, she followed with wins in the Skipat S. and Shine Again S. at Pimlico, and Dashing Beauty S. at Delaware Park. She rebounded off a second-place finish in the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial S. at Parx on Pennsylvania Day At the Races in August to take the Roamin Rachel S. against open company by four lengths two weeks later. She concluded her season in late September by winning the Plum Pretty S. in her first start beyond a mile.

A daughter of Lopez's homebred stallion Hey Chub out of the Lion Heart mare Takin The Plunge, Chub Wagon also took home awards for champion older female and champion female sprinter.

The evening's keynote speaker was Triple Crown-winning jockey Steve Cauthen, now a breeder/owner in Kentucky. The PHBA's Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in breeding in the state was presented to George Strawbridge, Jr., who over the course of the past five decades bred such Pennsylvania-bred standouts at GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Tikkanen and five-time Grade I winner With Anticipation.

Other divisional champions were:
• Two-year-old female–Morning Matcha (Central Banker)
• Two-year-old male–Dance Code (Honor Code)
• Three-year-old female–Leader of the Band (Bandbox)
• Three-year-old male and male sprinter–Beren (Weigelia)
• Older male and turf male–The Critical Way (Tizway)
• Turf female–Caravel (Mizzen Mast)

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Caravel Named Pennsylvania’s 2020 Horse Of The Year

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's 42nd Annual Iroquois Awards was held virtually on May 21 to celebrate the champions of 2020.

Leading the way was Caravel, who was named 2020 Horse of the Year.

The daughter of Mizzen Mast won four of five starts last year, going from last to first to win on debut at Penn National, then taking an allowance race at the same track with a front-running trip. Caravel then shipped to Presque Isle Downs to win the Lady Erie Stakes in her black type debut.

She took her only trip out of the state to race when she shipped to Pimlico Race Course for the Hilltop Stakes, where she finished third. Her season wrapped up back at Presque Isle, where she drew off to win the Malvern Rose Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths.

Caravel is owned, trained, and bred in Pennsylvania by Elizabeth Merryman. She is out of the winning Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom

Following is the complete list of 2020 Iroquois Award winners.

2-Year-Old Filly: Plane Drunk
Bred by Triple Threat Stables LLC

Dazzling in a Parx maiden special weight when winning by nearly a dozen lengths, Triple Threat Stables' homebred Plane Drunk captured Penn National's Shamrock Rose Stakes by more than three lengths after a second-place finish in Delaware Park's Small Wonder Stakes.

2-Year-Old Male: Fire's Finale
Bred by Kenwood Racing LLC

A last-to-first run in the Pennsylvania Nursery at Parx capped a busy season in which Jump Start's son Fire's Finale hit the board in three of five starts outside Pennsylvania before heading to Parx and getting back-to-back wins.

3-Year-Old Filly: Caravel
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman

A winner of four of her five starts at three, all by daylight margins, Caravel, a gray filly owned, bred and trained by Lizzie Merryman, accounted for the Lady Erie in her stakes debut and the Malvern Rose, both at Presque Isle Downs, and was stakes-placed on the turf in Pimlico's Hilltop Stakes.

3-Year-Old Male: Dreams Untold
Bred by Patricia L. Chapman

In a sophomore campaign that started with a 14 1/4-length romp in January at Parx, Pat Chapman's Dreams Untold, a homebred son of Smarty Jones, sprinted home in front of four of his eight starts during the year while earning $146,400, the most of any 3-year-old male in 2020.

Older Female: Jakarta
Bred by Arrowwood Farm Inc.

The richest PA-Bred runner of the year, Jakarta traveled the country, recording stakes wins at Gulfstream Park in the Powder Break and Claiming Crown Distaff Dash, winning at Kentucky Downs going gate-to-wire, and placing in the Grade 3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland and Caress Stakes at Saratoga. She earned nearly $250,000 with four wins in nine starts.

Older Male: Wait for It
Bred by Fantasy Lane Stable

At age five, Wait for It had his best season yet when winning four times and placing twice in eight starts while earning nearly $210,000. The son of Uptowncharlybrown drew off to easy scores in the Storm Cat Stakes at Parx and Hard Spun Stakes at Presque Isle Downs.

Turf Female: Jakarta
Bred by Arrowwood Farm Inc.

The PA-Bred champion older female adds the turf title after winning or placing in five of her six turf starts, three of them stakes. The richest PA-Bred runner of the year, Jakarta capped her season with a devastating stretch run to win the Claiming Crown Distaff Dash at Gulfstream. Earlier in the year she set the fractions until caught late when second in Saratoga's Caress Stakes, and blazed through the early running of the G3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland before finishing third.

Turf Male: The Critical Way
Bred by Blackstone Farm LLC

In a COVID-19 shortened year The Critical Way went from claimer in January to stakes winner in late summer in six starts. His biggest score came in dominating gate-to-wire fashion in the Marshall Jenney Handicap at Parx. Less than a month later he just missed by a head after setting the early fractions against open company in Monmouth Park's Virgil Buddy Raines Stakes.

Female Sprinter: Jakarta
Bred by Arrowwood Farm Inc.

Jakarta is also female sprinter after a season in which she won or placed in stakes from five furlongs to one mile. Her daylight win in the Claiming Crown Distaff Dash came at five furlongs, and she just missed in the 5 1/2-furlong Caress Stakes at Saratoga. She was only beaten a length by multiple Grade 1 winner Got Stormy in the 5 1/2-furlong G3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland after blazing through opening fractions of :21 and change and :44 and change.

Male Sprinter: The Critical Way
Bred by Blackstone Farm LLC

Six races, all at five or 5 1/2 furlongs, and The Critical Way was either first or second in five of them. The 5-furlong Marshall Jenney Handicap at Parx was his richest race, but he also won going 5 furlongs in allowance company at Tampa Bay and got caught late when second in Monmouth Park's 5 1/2-furlong Virgil Buddy Raines Stakes.

Horse of the Year: Caravel
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman

Caravel was exciting in each and every one of her five starts, with her four wins coming by daylight margins. The gray filly owned, bred and trained by Lizzie Merryman won Presque Isle Downs' Lady Erie in her stakes debut and added the Malvern Rose, winning by a combined eight lengths. In her second start she just missed the 18-year-old Penn National course record for five furlongs as she cruised home by more than five lengths.

PA-Preferred Female: Its a Journey
Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Szeyller
2020 earnings: $187,260
Won Mrs. Penny Stakes at Parx Racing

PA-Preferred Male: Wait for It
Bred by Fantasy Lane Stable
2020 earnings: $208,610
Won Storm Cat Stakes at Parx Racing and Hard Spun Stakes at Presque Isle Downs
3rd DTHA Governors Day Handicap at Delaware Park

Broodmare of the Year: Avani Force
Owned by Vicky Schowe & Beatrice Patterson
Dam of 2020 stakes winner Pink Caddy

Her first five foals of racing age are all winners, including multiple graded stakes winner Call Paul, the El Padrino filly Pink Caddy, a stakes winner at two and three, and 2020 juvenile stakes-placed Maythehorsebwithu, by Bullsbay.

Leading Breeder Award Recipients:

Blackstone Farm LLC
Award Earnings: $171,522

Glenn E. Brok LLC
Award Earnings: $149,268

Leading Breeding Fund Recipient (horse): Wait For It
Bred by Fantasy Lane Stable
Award Earnings: $191,540

Leading Total Breeding Fund Recipient: Northview Stallion Station Inc.
Award Earning: $306,970

Leading Stallion: Jump Start
Owned by Northview Stallion Station Inc.
Earnings: $172,796

Leading Overall Breeder of Pennsylvania-Breds: Blackstone Farm LLC
Earnings: $1,676,119

Lifetime Achievement Award: Patricia L. Chapman

Award of Merit: Pastures of Point Lookout

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PHBA Iroquois Award Winners Announced

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association’s Iroquois Awards, honoring the top Pennsylvania-bred Thoroughbreds of 2019, was held via Zoom Friday night.

The big winner of the night was Grade I victress Mirth (Colonel John), who took home Horse of the Year, Older Female and Turf Female. She wired both the GI Rodeo Drive S. and GIII Robert J. Frankel S.

Top 2-year-old filly went to stakes winner Weed Wacker (Artie Schiller) and the leading juvenile colt was Newstome (Goldencents), a three-time stakes winner. The leading sophomores were stakes-winning filly Gotta Be Strong (Strong Mandate) and GSP Parsimony (Dominus), who captured the Curlin S. in Meydan.

MGSW Prince Lucky (Corinthian) took home top older male and dual graded victor Pumpkin Rumble (English Channel) was named leading turf male. Pennsylvania’s best sprinters last year were Bronx Beauty (Liaison), a three-time stakes winner in 2019, and Midtowncharlybrown (Uptowncharlybrown), who captured a pair of black-type events.

The steeplechase category went to Senior Senator (Domestic Dispute). PA-Preferred Female was awarded to Imply (E Dubai), who also took home leading breeding fund recipient, and the PA-Preferred Male was Midnightcharly (Uptowncharlybrown). Mirth’s dam DI’s Delight (French Deputy) was named top broodmare.

Leading total breeding fund recipient was Northview Stallion Station; Leading overall breeder of PA-breds was Blackstone Farm; Leading stallion was the late Jump Start; and OTTB went to Fairly Obvious. Bettina Jenney took home the lifetime achievement award and the award of merit went to Touch of Kindness Sanctuary.

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Mirth Named 2019 Pennsylvania-Bred Horse Of The Year

This year's Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association Iroquois Awards was held on Friday, June 26 via Zoom. The event virtually hosted top Pennsylvania breeders from all over in celebration of the 2019 stakes winners and champions.

Following is the complete list of winners from Friday's ceremony.

Horse of the Year, Older Female, Turf Female – Mirth

Bred by Barlar LLC

Mirth didn't make her stakes debut until June of her 4-year-old season in her 13th career start. Three months later, she was a Grade 1 winner. She won Santa Anita's Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at 1 1/4 miles while leading at every call in 1:58.47, wrapped up the year with a score in the G3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes, and in between, set the pace in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf before giving way late to be beaten less than six lengths. She won or placed in seven of 11 starts for the year and earned $347,281.

2-Year-Old Filly – Weed Wacker

Bred by Triple Threat Stables LLC

A winner first time out, a stakes winner in her second start and outfinishing all but Pennsylvania-bred champion juvenile colt Newstome in her third start, Weed Wacker dominated her own division. She won the Mrs. Henry D. Paxson Memorial Stakes at Presque Isle Downs by 3 1/4 lengths after a 2 3/4-length maiden win.

2-Year-Old Colt – Newstome

Bred by Equivine Farm

A stakes winner at Presque Isle Downs in the Mark McDermott by three lengths, and at Laurel Park in the James F. Lewis III against open company, Newstome had three wins from five starts for the year and concluded his season with a third-place finish in the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes.

3-Year-Old Filly – Gotta Be Strong

Bred by Scott Naylor

A busy season saw the bay filly win or place in 11 of 14 starts. Tops among her five wins was Penn National's New Start Stakes in which she rallied from last to win in the final strides. She also finished third in the Alma North Stakes at Laurel Park.

3-Year-Old Colt – Parsimony

Bred by Maria Montez Haire

Starting at least once a month through November in 2019, Parsimony made starts at Santa Anita, Oaklawn Park, Keeneland, Los Alamitos and Del Mar. Four times he was sent out in graded stakes, and finished second to champion Game Winner in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby. He was also second in the Cinema Stakes and finished in the top three in nine of his 16 starts at three.

Older Male – Prince Lucky

Bred by Daniel W. McConnell Sr.

The richest Pennsylvania-bred runner of 2019, Prince Lucky kicked off his 4-year-old season with dominating back-to-back stakes scores in the G3 Hal's Hope, winning by six lengths, followed by the G2 Gulfstream Park Mile by nearly five lengths. Racing exclusively in stakes, he added a win in the State Dinner Stakes at Belmont in July and turned in a game performance to just miss when second in the G2 Kelso Handicap.

Turf Male – Pumpkin Rumble

Bred by Smart Angle

Making his first start of the season in late June, the veteran Pumpkin Rumble made five starts, four in graded stakes company, and won twice – defending his title in Woodbine's G3 Valedictory Stakes by more than five lengths, and taking his only start away from his base in Canada in Parx Racing's Alphabet Soup Handicap. He also finished third in the G2 Nijinsky and G3 Dominion Day Stakes.

Female Sprinter – Bronx Beauty

Bred by Blackstone Farm LLC

Six starts, all stakes. Three wins at three different tracks. Bronx Beauty flew home in the Penn Ladies Dash at Penn National in 1:08.57 for six furlongs; battled home to win the Dashing Beauty at Delaware Park; and proved tough when taking Monmouth Park's Regret. She was also third in the Roamin Rachel at Parx.

Male Sprinter – Midtowncharlybrown

Bred by Godric LLC

A two-time stakes winner in the tough sprint division, Midtowncharlybrown shot to the lead and flew home in the Chocolate Town Sprint at Penn National, and followed with a gutsy performance in the Banjo Picker Sprint at Parx Racing while turning back multiple challengers.

Steeplechaser – Senior Senator

Bred by Charles C.D. McGill

The timber star made history by winning the Maryland Hunt Cup for a third time, the first horse to do so in 36 years, and also accounted for his third consecutive Grand National Timber Stakes.

Pennsylvania-Preferred Female – Imply

Bred by Barlar LLC

2019 earnings: $240,980

Won Lyphard Stakes at Penn National, Northern Fling Stakes at Presque Isle Downs and Mrs. Penny Stakes at Parx Racing.

PA-Preferred Male – Midnightcharly

Bred by Uptowncharlybrown Stud LLC and Godric LLC

2019 earnings: $267,888

Won Lyman Handicap at Parx Racing; 2nd Fabulous Strike Stakes at Penn National, Banjo Picker Sprint Stakes at Parx Racing; 3rd Chocolate Town Sprint Stakes at Penn National

Broodmare – Di's Delight

Owned by Barlar LLC

A stakes-placed daughter of French Deputy owned by Barlar since being purchased in November 2011, she has five Pennsylvania-bred foals of racing age, all winners, three of them stakes performers. Two were stakes winners in 2019 – Grade 1 winner and Pennsylvania-bred Horse of the Year Mirth and the Jump Start filly Vault, who won or placed in seven of eight starts.

Leading Breeding Fund Recipient (horse) – Imply

Bred by Barlar LLC

$307,170

Leading Total Breeding Fund Recipient – Northview Stallion Station Inc.

$434,751

Leading Overall Breeder of Pennsylvania Breds – Blackstone Farm LLC

$2,151,160

Leading Stallion – Jump Start

$251,650

Lifetime Achievement Award – Bettina Jenney

OTTB – Fairly Obvious

Bred by Ghost Ridge Farm

Award of Merit – Touch of Kindness Sanctuary

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