b'2019 STATE BREEDERS OF THE YEAR VirginiaAnn Mudge BackerThe late ad executive Bill Backer was known forApplause, she became a seven-time stakes winner sharing; after all, he penned Coca-Colas legendarybefore retiring to the Backers broodmare band. Sent Id Like to Buy the World a Coke jingle. The manto Fappiano, Applause yielded 1992 Miss Liberty behind some of the 20th centurys most memorableStakes winner Favored Lady. Bred to Capote, Favored advertising campaigns gave his wife, Ann MudgeLady issued stakes producer Hepburn. Backer bred Backer, a horse as a wedding present. Mrs. BackerHepburns Include filly, Her Smile. The dark bay remains smitten with Thoroughbreds, holding courtcaptured the 2011 Prioress Stakes (G1). at her aptly named Smitten Farm in The Plains, Va. Backer-bred Her Smile changed hands multiple At the 2002 Keeneland November sale, Bill Backertimes, but KatieRich Farms bought her, in foal bought Divine Dixie, in foal to Marias Mon, forto Tapit, for $1.5 million at the 2014 Keeneland $185,000. A Dixieland Band half sister to StormyNovember sale. As a result, KatieRich is the breeder of Atlantic and descended from Rough Shod II, Divinerecord for that Tapit foal, Pink Sands. Talented Pink Dixie produced the stakes-placed Came Home fillySands annexed the 2019 Ladys Secret Stakes and 2020 My Mammy for the Backers.Inside Information Stakes Presented by Runhappy My Mammy foaled a Giants Causeway filly in 2015.Matchmaker Series (G2). Pink Sands full brother, After the foal had RNAd for $55,000 as a yearling,Timing Now, won his first two races in 2019.the Backers kept her and named her Ferdinanda.Backer bought stakes winner Queen Ribot, from Last September the chestnut streaked home first bywhom he bred multiple stakes winner Princess six lengths in the 11/8-mile Brookmeade Stakes atRoberta. Princess Roberta produced Backer Colonial Downs. The William M. Backer Revocablehomebred Snit, who took the 1997 Cotillion Trust also bred another daughter of My Mammy whoHandicap (G2). Snit foaled 2009 Virginia Oaks (G3T) stood out last year. That 2016 Hard Spun filly, namedvictress Blind Date, whose Scat Daddy filly Paulita Out for a Spin, took the 2019 Central Bank Ashlandpaid homage to the family with two major wins: the Stakes (G1).2018 Brookmeade Stakes and, most fittingly, the Backer also bought a Shecky Greene filly at theWilliam M. Backer Stakes.Carly Silver1981 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. Named WashingtonJody PeetzThe 1999 Breeders Cup lured Jody Peetz intoChris Stenslie trains No Talking Back, and the two racehorse ownership. She had ridden horses all ofwomen also collaborated on the racing career of Talk her life and avidly followed racing, but she had neverto My Lawyer. Peetz had raced multiple stakes winner participated in racing as an owner. Infernal McGoon, No Talking Backs second dam, sold Peetz obtained the Breeders Cup trip at Gulfstreamher at auction in foal to Lawyer Ron, and then bought Park through a charity function benefiting thethat foal, Talk to My Lawyer, for $30,000 at the 2010 Washington Thoroughbred Owners and BreedersKeeneland September yearling sale. Talk to My Lawyer Association. became a stakes winner and was voted champion It was fabulouswe got a tour of the backside atWashington-bred 2-year-old filly of 2011.Gulfstream, she said. I remember flying home on thePrior to her championship season in 2019, No plane with a friend, and I looked at him and said, ImTalking Back had won allowance races and the 2018 going to buy a racehorse. I was just lucky that thereFan Appreciation Day Overnight Stakes. She has spent happened to be a sale the next month. her entire career racing at Emerald Downs, where last Peetz, who lives in Issaquah, Wash., initiallyyear in succession she took the Boeing Stakes, Emerald purchased Handsome Will Do for $18,500 as a yearlingDistaff Handicap, and WA Cup Filly and Mare Stakes. at the 1999 Washington Thoroughbred Breeders winterPeetz and Stenslie also believe strongly in finding mixed sale. He became her first winner and led to hersecond careers for Peetz racehorses if Peetz doesnt keep stable name, One Horse Will Do Corporation. them for her breeding program. From there, Peetz has bred and raced WashingtonOne girl took one of our horses to one of those champions, including No Talking Back, WashingtonsThoroughbred makeovers, Peetz said. People know champion older filly or mare in 2019. Peetz bred theto come to our barn, knowing that Chris puts a good 2014 Washington-bred daughter of FlatterTalk to Mymouth on the horses. Some of our mares have even Lawyer, by Lawyer Ron, and races her in partnershipbecome recipient mares for Quarter Horses. with Steve Shimizu.Tracy Gantz48 TOBA NATIONAL AWARDS DINNER/2020'