Three Rules is 2016 Florida Horse of the Year

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association recognized its Florida-bred champions for 2016 at the 55th annual Awards Banquet and Gala held March 13 at the Circle Square Cultural Center Ballroom in Ocala.

The star of the night was Three Rules, a bay colt who was named the Florida-bred Horse of the Year by the FTBOA and also took home honors as the champion 2-year-old colt or gelding.

By Northwest Stud stallion Gone Astray  , out of Joy Rules (by Full Mandate), Three Rules became only the ninth colt to sweep the open divisions of the Florida Sire Stakes (FSS) when he took the $200,000 Dr. Fager, the $300,000 Affirmed, and the $500,000 In Reality stakes.

Other colts that swept the series since its inception in 1984 include Smile (1984), Naked Greed (1991), Seacliff (1995), Express Tour (2000), Sir Oscar (2001), Big Drama (2008), Jackson Bend (2009), and Fort Loudon (2011). Three rules also won the $75,000 Birdonthewire Stakes at Gulfstream and was sixth behind Classic Empire in the grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park.

Three Rules is owned and was bred by the partnership of Bert and Martha Pilcher's Shade Tree Thoroughbreds of Ocala, Geoff Roy of Stouffville, Ont., and Tom Fitzgerald of Toronto. Trained by Jose Pinchin, Three Rules earned $700,640 while winning five of six starts on the year.

Other dual honorees of the evening were Awesome Banner, Sheer Drama, and World Approval.

Awesome Banner was named champion 3-year-old colt or gelding and champion male sprinter, while Sheer Drama, the 2015 Florida-bred Horse of the Year, was named champion older female and champion female sprinter. World Approval repeated as champion turf horse and was also named champion older male this year.

Trained by Stanley Gold at the beginning of his campaign before transferring to the barn of Mark Casse, Awesome Banner won the grade 2 Swale Stakes, the grade 3 Hutcheson Stakes, the Prized Stakes, and the Foolish Pleasure division of the FSS.

Awesome Banner is a homebred of Fred and Jane Brei's Jacks or Better Farm in Ocala and earned $526,035 from five wins in 11 starts in 2016.

Sheer Drama is a Harold Queen homebred mare who won the grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland in 2016. She won $252,200 during the year and boosted her career bankroll to $1,691,040. She was trained by David Fawkes.

A daughter of Burning Roma out of the blue hen mare Riveting Drama (Notebook), Sheer Drama is a half sister to Eclipse Award winning sprinter Big Drama, who now stands in Florida.

United Nations Stakes (G1) winner World Approval added $504,713 to his career earnings during the year with two wins from eight starts while racing for Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation of Ocala, who also bred him under their Live Oak Stud moniker.

Trained by Mark Casse, World Approval continues to bring notoriety to the family as the half brother to 2006 FTBOA champion grass horse Miesque's Approval (also the 2006 Eclipse Award turf champion) and 2005 Florida-bred champion older horse Revved Up. World Approval is by Northern Afleet   out of Win Approval (With Approval). Win Approval was also named the 2016 Florida broodmare of the year at the Awards Gala.

Other champions honored were:

Cajun Delta Dawn, Florida-bred champion 2-year-old filly.  The daughter of Kantharos  —Cajun Dawn, by Awesome Again, won four of six starts while accumulating $483,105. She was bred by Curtis Mikkelsen and Patricia Horth and trained by David Fawkes.

Flora Dora, champion 3-year-old filly. She is owned Bob Cummings and Annette Bacola's Coffee Pot Stables of Chicago and breeder Donald Dizney's Dizney Double Diamond Farm of Ocala. In her 10 starts in 2016, the daughter of First Dude  —Aidan, by Dixieland Band, earned $212,070.

Josdesanimaux, champion female turf horse. The daughter of Leroidesanimaux—Jost d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro  , earned $70,346 from six starts during the year. Trained by Mark Casse for Palm Beach Racing, Josdesanimaux was bred in Florida by Palm Beach Racing II.

Charlotte Weber of Ocala took home honors as the Florida owner of the year with $1,417,713 in Florida-bred earnings. Her Live Oak Plantation saw its Florida-breds post 15 wins and four black-type wins. Leading the charge for Live Oak Plantation were grade 1 winners World Approval and Victory to Victory and grade 3 winner Awesome Slew. This is Weber's second owner of the year title. She also won in 2011.

Gilbert G. Campbell of Tyngsboro, Mass., was recognized as the 2016 Florida breeder of the year with $2,761,261 in earnings. He had five Florida-bred, black-type runners in 2016 and 91 Florida-bred winners. Campbell also won this title in 2013.

Other award winners:

— 2016 Florida stallion of the year: High Cotton  , who stands at Ocala Stud

— 2016 leading Florida juvenile sire: Northwest Stud's Gone Astray  

— 2016 leading Florida freshman sire: Woodford Thoroughbred's Biondetti   

— 2016 Joe O'Farrell Memorial Award: Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield, which consigned grade 1, Florida-bred winner Noted and Quoted

— Leading Florida trainer by black-type stakes wins: Stanley Gold

— Leading Florida trainer by total earnings: David Fawkes

— Leading Florida trainer by wins: Kathleen O'Connell

— Needles Award, to small breeder who has made outstanding contributions to the Florida industry: University of Florida Foundation

— Thoroughbred Charities of America Award of Merit: Raina Chingos Gunderson

— FTBOA also presented Run for the Ribbons All Thoroughbred Horse Show awards: Aggie Rybacka Blaszczk and Carly Kowlachuck