b'2019 STATE BREEDERS OF THE YEAR OregonDr. Jack Root Jr. and Margaret Cookie RootBoth Dr. Jack Root Jr. and hisThe veterinary practice and breeding farm is home to wife, Margaret, better known astwo famous residents: 1996 and 2005 Kentucky Derby Cookie, always loved horses(G1) winners Grindstone and Giacomo. The former is now growing up. pensioned, but both draw visitors to the farm.Root grew up in New MexicoThe general public that comes by to visit them have where his uncle managed anothing to do with the horse industry, but they do know book and magazine store, andabout the Kentucky Derby, Cookie Root said. Its special by 8 years old he was readingto have them here, and we still get quite a few visitors to see BloodHorse magazines and grewthem; have their pictures taken with them.interested in ThoroughbredI get to see a Derby winner every day, and before I go to breeding. Cookie, from Portland,bed at night I walk through the barnand look at everybody grew up in the city and got her first horse when she was 18. and I say, good night Kentucky Derby winner, good night While Root was a pre-vet student at Oregon StateKentucky Derby winner. Its kind of fun, Root said.University, friends introduced them because of their mutualThe only Kentucky Derby the Roots witnessed in person, interest in horses. The two married and now run OakhurstCookie noted, was in 1996 when Grindstone won. Equine Veterinary Services and Thoroughbred Farm inWe never knew at that time that he would end up being Newberg. Both trained horses at a point as did their son Ben,an Oakhurst stallion, she said. who helps prep horses on the farm. Grindstone came to Oakhurst in 2010 from Kentucky, and We had our first baby in 1983 in the ThoroughbredGiacomo moved to the Northwest in 2016.business, and weve had them every year since, said Root. IIve been a Kentucky Derby fan since I was a little kid, dont know how many weve had over the years, but theressaid Root. To me thats the holy grail of horse racing, and to been a bundle of them. Weve been very fortunate. In ourhave two horses that have won it is pretty special. I feel quite regional markets here, weve been able to do well. blessed.Christine OserPennsylvaniaLarry KarpIn 2019 Larry Karp laughed all the way to theKarp bought shares in Jump Start and purchased and winners circle. Racing and breeding in the namerelocated stallion E Dubaihe raced the horses dam, Words of Barlar (a portmanteau of his and wife Barbarasof War. He boards his Pennsylvania mares at trainer Bernie names), Karp saw a horse he bred, Mirth, claim aHoughtons Sylmar Farm. grade 1 victory in California; and her half sister,Mirth hasnt been the only foal of Illinois-bred Dis Vault, claim a stakes win in Maryland.Delight to, well, delight. Last fall Vault (Jump StartDis So that was a pretty spectacular year allDelight) reeled off three consecutive wins, including one in around, he mused. Most of the horses I ran lastthe Nov. 30 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel Park. She year did well. races for Kueber Racing, Barlar, Madaket Stables, and Little Last year Mirth kicked into high gear for ownerRed Feather Racing.Little Red Feather Racing. The daughter of Colonel JohnDis Delight has a juvenile full brother to Vault named annexed the Sept. 28 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) at SantaCrypt and a Maryland-bred yearling colt by Alliance. Karp Anita Park. On Nov. 2 she finished sixth in the Makersstands the Harlans Holiday horse Alliancea half brother Mark Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) beforeto Tepin and Vyjackat Bill Bonifaces Bonita Farm near rounding out her season with a gutsy triumph in the RobertDarlington, Md. Dis Delight lost her 2020 Alliance foal and J. Frankel Stakes (G2T) Dec. 28. is back in foal to Midshipman.Plano, Texas, resident Karp has enjoyed breeding inKarp homebred Imply, an E Dubai mare, won the 2019 the Keystone State. After racing in Chicago for more thanLyphard Stakes, Northern Fling Stakes, and Mrs. Penny two decades, he decided to make a change. Karp recalled,Stakes. Karp is setting her up for success in her next career. Pennsylvania had put together the best breeding programFor example, he recalled, Imply, reallywhile she wasnt a in the country by far. They were in a class by themselves. Sograded winner, and thats primarily because I chose to keep we decided to make the change and just picked up and lefther running in the Pennsylvania-bred stakesshe was bred and moved our operation to Pennsylvania.this year to Hard Spun.Carly SilverTOBA NATIONAL AWARDS DINNER/202045'