Baja Sur a Three-Time Washington Champion

Over 200 horsemen and racing enthusiasts gathered Feb. 22 at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash. for the 2019 Washington Annual Awards Dinner, where John and Janene Maryanski and Gerald and Gail Schneider's Baja Sur brought home titles as Horse of the Year, champion sprinter and champion 3-year-old to add to his 2018 state champion juvenile title.

Bred by the late John Roche and trained by Blaine Wright, the gelded son of Smiling Tiger ─Premo Copy, by Supremo, won three stakes (the Auburn Stakes and the Coca-Cola Stakes at Emerald Downs and the Oakland Stakes at Golden Gate Fields) and was a close second in the Harris Farms Stakes at Fresno out of his four 2019 starts.

The Maryanski/Schneider partnership also was named the leading owner of Washington-bred earners in 2019, and Wright received one of two special training achievement awards. Among Wright's 2019 accomplishments were close seconds in with Anneau d'Or in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), nine stakes wins at Emerald Downs, and having his first Preakness Stakes (G1) starter with Anothertwistafate.

Sophomore filly honors went to Warlock Stables (Tim Floyd), Kelly Dougan, and Ya Killing Me (Stephani Loffredo)-raced Alittlelesstalk (Demon Warlock—Trainingat the Bar, by Valid Wager), who is trained by Roddina Barrett. Bred by Warlock Stables, the late Allen Floyd, Dougan, Melvin Hudson, and Horseplayer's Racing Club (Scott Gruender), Alittlelesstalk won two Emerald Downs stakes and was runner-up in two others, including a race against males in the Muckleshoot Derby. Alittlelesstalk is one of two black-type stakes winners and four stakes horses (one non-black-type stakes winner) from the first four foals out of Trainingat the Bar, who was named Washington's broodmare of the year.

The top older filly or mare award went to One Horse Will Do Corporation (Jody Petz) and Steve Shimizu's No Talking Back. The now 6-year-old daughter of Flatter , who hails from Chris Stenslie's barn, won two black-type stakes and one non-black-type stakes at Emerald Downs last year. In taking the title, No Talking Back became a fourth-generation Washington champion. Her dam Talk to My Lawyer, by Lawyer Ron, won the juvenile filly title in 2011, which came eight years after her dam, Infernal McGoon, by Wekiva Springs, scored the champion older mare title. Infernal McGoon is out of 1987 Washington champion 2-year-old filly Flame McGoon, by Staff Writer.

Older horse or gelding champion honors went to Grinder Sparksaglo (Grindstone—Cule Flyer, by Matricule), a Richard Sena homebred. Sena raced the seven-time non-black-type stakes winner with the late Marvin Lynd. Through his 8-year-old season, Grinder Sparksaglo has placed in an additional eight stakes for trainer Robbie Baze, including last year's black-type Governor's Stakes at Emerald Downs.

Two-year-old colt or gelding honors were taken by Tawnja Elison's Unmachable (Macho Uno —Point of Reference, by Benchmark) who placed in two black-type stakes in his three starts, led by a victory in the WA Cup Juvenile Colts and Geldings Stakes. He is trained by Jack McCartney. The new champion was bred by brothers Jack and Ivor Jones, who also raced his Washington champion dam. Point of Reference's granddam Run Away Stevie was a multiple state champion for the Joneses.

Juvenile filly champion Windy Point (Coast Guard—Windy Sails, by Private Gold) races for her breeders Clemans View Farm (Jean and her son Jeff Harris) and veterinarian Michelle Beaunaux. The Jose Navarro trainee won the WA Cup Juvenile Filly Stakes and was runner-up in two other black-type stakes at Emerald Downs last season.

Other horse awards were given to: Blue Ribbon Farm's Atta Boy Roy  (leading Washington sire for the second straight year), Lode the Gold (plater of the year) and Brilliant Bird (most improved plater). Also, for an impressive fourth year in a row, owner-rider Christina Klein's Back to Wine earned the title of top Washington-bred OTTB by points recorded through The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (TIP) while being shown in a multitude of equestrian disciplines.

The lauded S. J. Agnew Special Achievement Award was given to Yakima attorney, horseman and former WTBOA President David Thorner.

Nina and Ron Hagen of El Dorado Farms were Washington's leading breeder for the fifth time.

Frank Lucarelli earned the second special training achievement award after a season during which he won an Emerald Downs track record 81 races and was the leading trainer at the Auburn oval for the sixth time.

Probably the most emotional tribute of the evening came with the presentation of the WHBPA Willing Heart Award to longtime racetrack veterinarian Gerald Bergsma for his "unabating compassion for horses and horsemen and steadfast dedication to the Washington horse racing industry."