FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Top Winners at 31st Annual TOBA National Awards Dinner

Lexington, Ky. – The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s 31^st Annual National Awards Dinner was held on September 10 at Stonestreet Farm in Lexington, Ky. Zayat Stables was honored as TOBA’s National Owner of the Year, Godolphin was named TOBA’s National Breeder of the Year. Richard & Karen Papiese’s Midwest Thoroughbreds were selected the National Small Breeder of the Year. Littleprincessemma, dam of American Pharoah, was honored with the National Broodmare of the Year title.

The National Awards Dinner, hosted by Christina Bossinakis of the TOBA Owners Concierge, also honored the achievements of Thoroughbred owners in the four major North American racing regions and breeders in 25 states and Canada.

Key to Power, who won the Emerald Stakes in the 2015 Claiming Crown, was honored with Claiming Crown Horse of the Year, presented by the National HBPA. This was the second year that the National Awards Dinner celebrated the Claiming Crown Horse of the Year.

The Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year went to three-day eventer Sound Prospect, owned by a syndicate of six different parties. 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, Peter Fenwick 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 evening’s awards ceremony can be viewed at www.bloodhorse.com/tobaawards.

The State Breeders of the Year were honored at an awards luncheon at Dudley’s on Short and Ashford Stud, prior to the awards dinner.

A complete list of winners is as follows:

Regional Owners of the Year:
Eastern Region: Stonestreet Stables
Midwestern Region: Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Southern Region: Zayat Stables
Western Region: Paul & Zillah Reddam

National Broodmare of the Year:
Littleprincessemma

Claiming Crown Horse of the Year:
Key to Power

Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Sport Horse of the Year:
Sound Prospect

Robert N. Clay Award:
Peter Fenwick

National Awards Dinner sponsors include Stonestreet Farm, Stoll Keenon Ogden, Stronach Group and Adena Springs, H.E. “Tex” Sutton Forwarding Company, Jackson Family Wines (Official Wine Sponsor of the 2016 National Awards Dinner), Big Ass Solutions, Equine Land Conservation Resource, Equineline, Turner Labels, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Woodford Reserve, National HBPA, FLAIR Nasal Strips, The Horse and Blood-Horse.

About TOBA
TOBA, based in Lexington, Ky., was formed in 1961 and is a national trade organization of leading Thoroughbred breeders and owners. 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, 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 Blood-Horse 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.