mike pegram | Horse Racing Free Tips

Speed Boat Beach is Florida Horse of the Year

In a vote by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association board of directors, Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) has been crowned the 2023 Florida-bred Horse of the Year. The result was announced Monday night at the FTBOA Awards Gala.

Bred by Richard Heysek's Caperlane Farm, who was also presented with the Needles Award recognizing the Small Thoroughbred Breeder of the Year in Florida, the Bob Baffert runner also took home the awards for champion 3-year-old colt and champion male sprinter. In 2023, Speed Boat Beach won the GI Malibu S. at Santa Anita Park and finished second in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship H.

Marilyn Campbell's Stonehedge LLC took home Florida Breeder of the Year and leading breeder by Florida-bred earnings awards after Stonehedge-bred runners earned over $3.3-million with 103 wins during the year. Arindel was crowned leading owner by state-bred earnings with over $1.69-million to their credit.

Florida stalwart Khozan took home honors as the 2023 Florida Stallion of the Year, a fourth consecutive title, and tied Montbrook and Wildcat Heir by title count. He's the only Florida stallion to be honored four years in a row going back to 1991.

Florida-based Jena Antonucci was presented the 2023 Bruce Campbell Award for outstanding achievement as the first woman to train the winner of a Triple Crown race. Stuart Morris and Ruben M. Sanchez' Really and Truly Thoroughbreds were awarded the 2023 Joseph M. O'Farrell Memorial Award, presented by Ocala Breeders' Sales Company to the consignors of Speed Boat Beach, the top Florida-bred of the year who graduated from an OBS auction. Saffie Joseph Jr. was recognized as the leading Florida trainer by state-bred earnings and tied with Kathleen O'Connell and Jose D'Angelo as leading trainer by state-bred wins. Joseph and D'Angelo tied for leading trainer by black-type wins.

Other Florida-bred champions on the night were:

2-Year-Old Fillies: Honey Dijon (Girvin) and R Harper Rose (Khozan), who tied for the award
2-Year-Old Colt: Bentornato (Valiant Minister)
3-Year-Old Filly: Dorth Vader (Girvin)
Older Female and Female Sprinter: Maryquitecontrary (First Dude)
Older Horse: Isolate (Mark Valeksi)
Male Turf Horse: Me and Mr. C (Khozan)
Female Turf Horse: Sweet Dani Girl.(Jess's Dream)

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Zedan Joins List of Owners Sticking with Baffert Despite Derby Ban

Amr Zedan, who owns several top 3-year-old colts, has informed TDN that his horses are staying with trainer Bob Baffert, which means they will be ineligible to run in the GI Kentucky Derby, barring any change in policy from Churchill Downs. Churchill set Monday as a deadline for owners to take their horses away from Baffert. Any horse remaining in his barn after the deadline will not be permitted to race at Churchill Downs.

“No move,” Zedan said in a text message. “Mr. Baffert (is) our man.”

Tuesday morning, John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times reported that no 3-year-old Derby prospects had left the barn after the Jan. 29 deadline imposed by Churchill Downs.

“Nobody is going to transfer their horses,” Baffert told the Times. “I just remain focused on training my horses and competing in the big races. It's out of my hands. I just want what's best for the game.”

Zedan has several top 3-year-old colts. The best may be Muth (Good Magic), the winner of the GI American Pharoah S. and the GII San Vicente S. He also has 'TDN Rising Star' Maymun (Frosted), a very impressive winner of his Jan. 20 debut, and Coach Prime (Quality Road), who was third in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity.

On Monday, the TDN reached out to a number of Baffert owners and could not find one who had decided to take their horses away from Baffert in order for them to run in the Derby. Zedan joins a list that includes Mike Pegram, Jack Liebau and Dr. Edward Allred, Baoma Corp and the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables.

Baffert was banned for two years after his 2021 Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for betamethasone, an ingredient in a cream prescribed for a skin rash. Baffert served his two-year ban, only to find that Churchill had tacked on an additional year in 2024.

In 2022 and 2023, several owners turned their horses over to former Baffert assistant Tim Yakteen, which made them eligible to contest the Derby.

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Despite Churchill Ban, Key Owners Keep Their Horses With Baffert

With Churchill Downs having ruled that any horse that remained in the Baffert barn as of Jan. 29 would be ineligible to run in the GI Kentucky Derby, Monday was decision day for Baffert's owners. In 2022 and 2023, several moved their horses into the barn of former Baffert assistant Tim Yakteen prior to the Derby, but that may not turn out to be the case this year. At least four owners who have Derby candidates with Baffert have said their horses will remain under the care of their Hall of Fame trainer.

Owners Jack Liebau, Tom Ryan and Mike Pegram told the TDN that they will not be taking their horses away from Baffert, even though that means they cannot run in the Derby. In addition, Ed Nevins, the director of the Baoma Corp, the owner of the highly regarded 3-year-old Nysos (Nyquist), told Horse Racing Nation that the undefeated colt will also remain in Baffert's care.

The TDN reached out to other owners who have Derby prospects with Baffert, including Amr Zedan, but, at deadline for this story, had not received a response from them. Baffert has had little to say about his situation and was unavailable for comment Monday.

The New York-bred Wynstock (Solomini) is entered in Saturday's GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn. The winner of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity, he is co-owned by Liebau and Dr. Edward Allred, the owner of Los Alamitos.

“When Wynstock won the Los Alamitos Futurity, Dr. Allred, who is the majority owner, said that the horse was not going to go to the Kentucky Derby because he thought Churchill was treating Baffert unfairly,” Liebau said. “I guess we will look at the Preakness, but who knows what the status of the horse will be by Preakness time and how good the horse is. Dr. Allred calls the shots.”

Ryan is the managing partner of SF Bloodstock, which partners with Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, a group that is among Baffert's biggest owners.

“Our horses will be in their own stalls tomorrow morning, and that says it all, doesn't it?” said Ryan.

Jack Wolf, the managing partner of Starlight Racing, added: “Tom Ryan is the managing partner and I agree with the decision he has made, which is we're not changing trainers. We just feel like it is the right thing to do and not just from a loyalty standpoint. We have nothing against Tim Yakteen. We think he is a very good trainer and this has nothing to do with him. It can be very destructive to these horses at this young age to go to a different barn and change conditioners, change their feed, change everything.”

Pegram, who has had horses with Baffert ever since he switched over to Thoroughbreds and has a Derby candidate this year in Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso), responded to a text from the TDN, writing: “We're doing the same as we have the last two years, staying with Bobby.”

Nysos has won his two starts by a combined margin of 19 1/4 lengths and may prove to be the best of Baffert's 3-year-olds.

“Unfortunately, our country is devolving into a nation where excluding the top competition is considered a legitimate way to win,” Nevins told Horse Racing Nation's Ron Flatter. “Bob Baffert is our trainer, and we stand with him and any decisions he makes regarding our horses.”

After Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for the medication betamethasone following the 2021 Derby, Churchill banned Baffert from its tracks. The suspension initially was for two years but Churchill later amended that and included 2024 to the ban. In addition, in 2023, it gave owners until the end of February to move their horses from Baffert in order to be eligible for the Derby. This year decision day was moved up by one month.

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TOC to Honor Mike Pegram

Long-time owner and breeder Mike Pegram will receive the Chairman's Award Aug. 12 from the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) at the TOC's Southern California Annual Meeting at Del Mar. Alternately named the Ed Friendly Industry Service Award, the Chairman's Award is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions and service in racing.

“Mike is an exceptional leader who continues to make a lasting impact on both this organization and California racing,” said TOC Chairman Gary Fenton. “His dedication, hard work, and commitment are an inspiration to all of us, and we are proud to honor him with this well-deserved award.”

Pegram is probably best known throughout the industry for his many top runners, both individually and in partnership, including champions Real Quiet, Silverbulletday, Midnight Lute, and Lookin At Lucky. He served on the TOC board from 2010 to 2019 and was Chairman from 2012 to 2016. During his tenure, he was instrumental in protecting SB 1072 purse contributions, which provided for a takeout increase with all of the additional revenue going to California purses.

Among the former Chairman's Award recipients Pegram joins are Mace Siegel, John Harris, Bob and Beverly Lewis, Jerry and Ann Moss, and Clement Hirsch.

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