Atta Boy Roy, Stryker Phd Join WA Racing Hall of Fame

After no new inductees in either 2020 or 2022 and only one addition in 2021—the popular Emerald Downs Director of Broadcast Publicity Joe Withee—voting for the Washington Racing Hall of Fame resumed in four categories: older male runner, breeder (post 1980), trainer and the new category, owner.

The finalists in each category were: Horse (two votes)—Atta Boy Roy, Margo's Gift, Pure As Gold, Stryker Phd and Wasserman; Trainer—Mark Glatt, Frank Lucarelli, Bob McMeans and Blaine Wright; Breeder—Bar C Racing Stables Inc., Coal Creek Farm, Dunn Bar Ranch and Karl & Darlyne Krieg; and Owner—Paskey DeDomenico, David Mowat, Gerry & Gail Schneider and George & Norma Sedlock.

The 2023 inductees were announced at the Washington Annual Awards celebration held at Emerald Downs on February 25.

The two horses inducted were both graded stakes winners and WTBOA Sale graduates.

Atta Boy Roy (2005 horse by Tribunal), was a three-time Washington champion with $602,276 earned over his 36-race career (three-to-eight). Among his five stakes wins was a victory in the 2010 Churchill Downs Handicap (G2). He also placed in six other stakes (including three Grade 3 events) while racing for Roy and Ellie Schaefer's R. E. V. Racing being trained by Valorie Lund. Atta Boy Roy, who is a half-brother to 2007 Washington horse of the year and Longacres Mile (G3) winner The Great Face, was bred by Patricia Murphy and Rick and Debbie Pabst. His dam, the stakes-placed Synastry mare Irish Toast was named 2009 Washington broodmare of the year. Atta Boy Roy was Washington's leading freshman sire in 2016, and went on led the state sire ranks from 2018 through 2020 before moving to Kentucky.

Stryker Phd (2009 gelding by Bertrando) was bred by the Spokane-based Char Clark Thoroughbreds and Todd Havens. Stryker Phd was a three-time Washington horse of the year (2014-16) and two-time Longacres Mile (G3) winner. He also scored four Washington older horse titles while running for Jim and Mona Hour. The $631,011 earner in addition annexed the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap and seven other stakes during his 33-race career over six seasons (2012-17) in which he won 11 races and placed in 29 more (11 stakes). Trained successfully, first by Margo Lloyd and later by Larry and Sharon Ross, Stryker Phd is a son of the Smart Strike mare Striking Scholar (voted Washington broodmare of the year in 2014). He is a half-brother to two-time Washington champion racemare Madame Pele and five other winners, including 2023 winner No Slo Mo ($100,640).

Besting a highly competitive group of trainers was Frank Lucarelli. The New York native has seven Emerald Downs training titles to his credit and leads the Auburn track in all-time wins (1,122) and earnings ($12,706,343) and is second in stakes wins (56). Among the Washington champions he's trained are 2017 horse of the year Mach One Rules, additional two-year-olds No Curfew, Trackattacker, Time for Gold and most recently Cobra Jet in 2021. He also nurtured older filly or mare titleholders Point of Reference and Marva Jean and three-year-old distaffer Nifty Misty Dawn, his first state champion in 1988. Another of his top trainees was Grade 3 stakes winner Gallant Son, who won a total of eight stakes, earned $552,528 and is his top earner. Another graded stakes winner in Lucarelli's barn was Santa Ana Stakes (G2) winner Stormy Lucy. According to Equibase records, from 1979 through March 5, 2023, Lucarelli has saddled the winners of 2,035 races and the earners of $26,668,054.

Though Neal and Pam Christopherson's Bar C Racing Stables Inc. is based just south of the Washington border in Hermiston, Oregon, the couple sends many of their mares to foal at their friends Melodie Bultena and Doak Walker's Desert Rose Racing LLC in nearby Kennewick. Through the years the Christophersons have bred seven Washington champions—including 2021-22 champion sprinter Papa's Golden Boy—in their own names, two Washington champions in partnership with Desert Rose Racing, one in partnership with Desert Rose Racing and Bill and Carol Ginger, and one in partnership with Ken and Pat Paulson. Two-time champion Ladyledue, who was bred with the Paulsons, became their first Washington champion in 2007. The Christophersons also bred California champion Galilean and three Oregon champions.In addition, among the successful stallions they have stood is standout Harbor the Gold, Oregon's 14-time leading sire and sire of 29 Washington, Oregon and California champions.

Bar C Racing Stable led the Washington breeder ranks in 2015 and 2016, and has ranked second on seven other occasions since 2007, including 2020-22. The Christophersons also stand Dynamic Impact, Sire of 2022 Washington champion juvenile filly Miss Dynamic.

The late George and Norma Sedlock are the first recipients in the newest Hall of Fame category—owners. The Bellevue couple founded G & N Thoroughbreds in 1982 and the last runner (Bankers Year) to fly their purple and gold silks came in 2007. In-between they raced such outstanding runners as Washington champions Military Hawk (a homebred) and Colonel Stevens, who not only sired Military Hawk—who ranks second ($686,128) only to Saratoga Passage among all Washington-bred earners—and Cadette Stevens. Also a homebred daughter of Colonel Stevens, Cadette Stevens won ten stakes, placed in a dozen other added money events and earned $453,5365, Military Hawk was inducted into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame in 2013. Among the couple's other top stakes winners were Crowning Meeting ($514,732), Grade 3-,placed Radar Contact ($417,277), Erin's Lord, Singing Year, Marketal, Military Force and Funny Tale.

The Sedlocks were also among the original investors in both Emerald Downs and in the WTBOA Sales Pavilion and Offices located at the Auburn track. George also served as secretary of the Emerald Racing Association during the transition from Longacres to Emerald Downs.

This year's induction ceremonies will be held on Saturday, August 12, the day before the Longacres Mile.