Mach One Rules Washington-Bred Horse of the Year

With the catchy phrases of Guys and Dolls "Fugue for a Tinhorn" and other popular Broadway tunes floating on the lips of many of the 230-plus attendees, the Washington Thoroughbred racing industry celebrated its 2017 champions Broadway-style.

Roy and Ellie Schaefer's (R. E. V. Racing) Mach One Rules did indeed rule, as the now 5-year-old gelding came home with not only the horse of the year title, but champion sprinter and older horse honors as well. The Schaefers were also recognized as the leading owners of Washington-bred runners in 2017.

Washington's two-year-old champion of 2015, the gelded son of Harbor the Gold is the second son of the Oregon-based powerhouse to earn the Washington industry's top honor following two-time winner (2010-11) Noosa Beach. The $286,726 earner is also one of five champions bred in the Evergreen state, alone or in partnership, by Neal and Pam Christopherson and raised at their Bar C Racings Stables.

Mach One Rules has been trained throughout his 19-race career by Frank Lucarelli, who has sent him out for six stakes wins and another seven black-type runner-ups, including his good second in last year's Longacres Mile Handicap (G3).

Longtime industry members Nina and Ron Hagen, who operate the Enumclaw-based stallion station and nursery El Dorado Farms, received the prestigious S. J. Agnew Special Achievement Award. The couple was also the leading breeders for the year, marking their fourth time at the top.

Highlander Racing Stables LLC's Citizen Kitty matured last year into a top class performer by winning a trio of stakes at Emerald Downs. The half-sister to 2016 champion three-year-old filly Invested Prospect was also bred by Charlie Dunn's Dunn Bar Ranch and is trained by Jeffrey Metz.  

The daughter of Proud Citizen isn't the first major Washington-bred distaffer raced by Bruce and Cass Maller's Nevada-based Highlander Racing Stables and trained by Metz, as they also campaigned 2013 Washington horse of the year E Z Kitty.

Karl Krieg's three-year-old homebred Risque's Legacy, a daughter of 2017 leading juvenile sire Atta Boy Roy, delivered her second championship season.

Below the Rim Stable LLC and Woodway Stable's Pulpits Power, by War Power, was named top sophomore male runner. 

Pulpits Power was one of two champions tutored by Blaine Wright last season. The successful West Coast trainer also conditions most improved plater Exit Sixty Slew (a daughter of Abraaj bred by Nina Hagen and Holly Sturgeon) and received a special training achievement plaque for the second year in a row after his dynamite season at Emerald Downs where he topped all trainers by money, wins and stakes wins.

Top juvenile honors went to Elliott Bay and Bella Mia, both offspring of Harbor the Gold. 

Bred by Rick and Debbie Pabst, Elliott Bay took the most important juvenile stakes of the meet, the Gottstein Futurity, for the Rising Star Stable II syndicate managed by Vicki Potter.  He is trained by Howard Belvoir, who also conditioned So Lucky to the same honor in 2016 for Rising Star and partners.

John and Janene Maryanski's Bella Mia, also a Blaine Wright trainee, proved the dominating two-year-old filly of her season, taking a trio of Emerald stakes. The runner hails from the same family as 2000 Washington horse of the year and Grade 1 winner Rings a Chime, who was also bred by Terry and Mary Lou Griffin.

The father-son team of Chuck and Greg Conley and trainer Joe Toye's Terra Firma Farm's veteran Mike Man's Gold, by Liberty Gold, was named plater of the year. Toye also received a special racetrack achievement award and Mike Man's Gold's dam Chedoodle returned broodmare of the year honors to the runner's breeders Keith and Jan Swagerty.

For the seventh consecutive year Gibson Thoroughbred Farm's Parker's Storm Cat was the state leading sire by earnings.

Among the others celebrated during the festive evening were John Parker, who received special recognition for his generosity and involvement in the Washington racing scene; Christina Klein's Back to Wine earned his second title as top Washington-bred OTTB; and Enumclaw Courier-Herald journalist Dennis Box was awarded the Mark Kaufman Media Award.