Contact: Meredith Downey
Director of Marketing & Education
(859) 276-6793
mdowney@toba.org

Klaravich Stables, John D. Gunther, Best A Luck Farm LLC and Stage Magic, Top Winners at 34th Annual TOBA National Awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s 34th Annual National Awards Dinner was held at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, September 7. Seth Klarman of Klaravich Stables was named TOBA’s National Owner of the Year, and John D. Gunther was named the National Breeder of the Year. Thomas and Lori Fackler of Best A Luck Farm LLC was named National Small Breeder of the Year and Stage Magic was honored with the National Broodmare of the Year title.

The National Awards Dinner, hosted by Reed Ringler of Fasig-Tipton, also honored the achievements of Thoroughbred owners in the four major North American racing regions and breeders in 22 states and Canada.

Aztec Sense, who won the 2018 Claiming Crown Jewel , was honored with Claiming Crown Horse of the Year, presented by the National HBPA.

James E. ‘Ted’ Bassett was honored with the Industry Service Award, awarded to a person or entity who has made exceptional contributions to the industry.

WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners and Starlight Racing received the first Partnership of the Year award.

The Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year went to Archie Rocks, owned by Maya Simmons. This award was presented to the owner of the ex-Thoroughbred that has accumulated the most points in competition, as tracked by the United States Equestrian Federation.

In addition, Wayne and Susie Chatfield-Taylor received the Robert N. Clay Award. In partnership with the Equine Land Conservation Resource, this award recognizes a member of the Thoroughbred community who has made an outstanding contribution to preserving land for equine use.

The State Breeders of the Year were honored at an awards luncheon at Godolphin on Friday, September 6.

A complete list of winners is as follows:

Finalists for Owner of the Year:

Hronis Racing

Juddmonte Farms

Klaravich Stables

Rockingham Ranch

Peter M. Brant

Owner of the Year:

Seth Klarman, Klaravich Stables

 State Breeders of the Year:

Arkansas: Bill McDowell

California: Premier Thoroughbreds

Canada: Cam Ziprick and Arnason Farms

Florida: Ocala Stud

Indiana: Michael E. and Penny S. Lauer

Iowa: Allen Poindexter

Kansas: Jerry Johnson

Kentucky: Godolphin

Louisiana: Bill and Al Ulwelling

Maryland: Richard Golden

Massachusetts: George Brown (posthumously)

Minnesota: Joel and Kris Zamzow

New Jersey: Sam Fieramosca

New Mexico: R.D. Hubbard

New York: Chester and Mary Broman

North Carolina: Dr. Frank Batten

Ohio: Steve DeMaiolo

Oregon: Paul Hagemann

Pennsylvania co-breeder: Elizabeth Moran

Pennsylvania co-breeder: Thomas and Lori Fackler

South Carolina: Franklin Smith Sr.

Texas: William S. Farish

Virginia: William M. Backer Trust

Washington: Delores Christianson

National Breeder of the Year:

John D. Gunther

 National Small Breeder of the Year:

Thomas and Lori Fackler

 National Broodmare of the Year:

Stage Magic

Breeder of the Year:

John D. Gunther

Industry Service Award:

James  E. ‘Ted’ Bassett

Partnership of the Year:

WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing

Claiming Crown Horse of the Year:

Aztec Sense

Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Sport Horse of the Year:

Archie Rocks

Robert N. Clay Award:

Wayne and Susie Chatfield-Taylor

TOBA National Awards Dinner sponsors include Red Brand Fence, Jackson Family Wines (Official Wine Sponsor of the 2019 TOBA National Awards Dinner), Fasig-Tipton, NTRA Advantage and John Deere, Stoll Keenon Ogden, National HBPA, The Stronach Group, H.E. “Tex” Sutton Forwarding Company, Buffalo Trace, Plusvital, Equineline.com, The Horse and BloodHorse LLC.

About TOBA
 TOBA, based in Lexington, Ky., was formed in 1961 and is a national trade organization of leading Thoroughbred owners and breeders. TOBA’s mission is to improve the economics, integrity and pleasure of the sport on behalf of Thoroughbred owners and breeders. Projects managed by TOBA include the American Graded Stakes Committee, Claiming Crown, Ownership Seminars, Breeding, Conformation & Pedigree Clinics, US-Bred, TOBA Owners Concierge, OwnerView and the Sales Integrity Program. TOBA provides international representation for U.S. owners and breeders on the International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee, International Cataloguing Standards Committee and International Breeders Federation. Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) is the charitable arm of TOBA. TOBA Media Properties, a subsidiary of TOBA, owns The Horse magazine, Eclipse Press and is co-owner of The BloodHorse LLC. TOBA is represented on the board of directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium as founding members.