Edwards’ e Five Racing Named Owner of the Year

Bob Edwards' ascent to the top of the Thoroughbred world has been swift. His e Five Racing Thoroughbreds won a Breeders' Cup race in 2016 with New Money Honey, and he came back the next year to win a pair of Breeders' Cup events at Del Mar with Rushing Fall and 2-year-old champion male Good Magic.

Edwards added some more hardware Sept. 8 in Lexington when he was named 2017 owner of the year during the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's national awards dinner.

Edwards got the nod over fellow nominees Juddmonte Farms, Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation, Ron Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm, and Rockingham Ranch.

"This has been great," Edwards said after collecting the award. "To win this against historic winners of all levels ... it's an honor to be here among the greats in the industry. I really didn't have any expectations coming in here, we came here to have some fun and a good meal and couple of drinks ... and I got some hardware."

Edwards, who lives in South Florida, has made and sold pharmaceutical businesses and currently runs e5 Pharma. His business sense has translated well to his Thoroughbred ventures. He uses Mike Ryan as his bloodstock agent, and those purchases go to Ian Brennan at Stonestreet Training and Rehabilitation Center in Central Florida. His main trainer is two-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown.

Earlier in the evening during the event held at the Woodford Reserve Center at Kroger Field in Lexington, TOBA named New Jersey's Isabelle de Tomaso as the small breeder of the year and Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation as the large breeder of the year.

De Tomaso bred and raced Irish War Cry, winner of last year's Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (G2) and Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2).

Weber, who was unable to attend but was represented by general manager Bruce Hill, was also honored as Florida breeder of the year, and her blue hen mare, Win Approval, was named broodmare of the year.

Troy and Maritza Onorato's Mended was honored as the National HBPA's Claiming Crown horse of the year, and Argyle was recognized as the Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Sport Horse of the year.