Diversify Named New York-Bred Horse of the Year
Image:
Description:
Photo: Skip Dickstein
Diversify is led to the winner's circle after his Whitney Stakes win at Saratoga Race Course
On a night when numerous emotional remembrances of the late Rick Violette were offered, it was only fitting that the horse who accounted for his last grade 1 win topped the list of champions honored at the New York Thoroughbred Breeders awards banquet.
Diversify, who registered a victory in the Aug. 4 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, was named the 2018 New York-bred horse of the year during the April 1 festivities at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The Bellamy Road gelding, owned by Ralph and Lauren Evans, won three of five starts in 2018 as a 5-year-old and earned $1,190,000 last year while under the care of Violette, the highly respected trainer and longtime head of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association who passed away Oct. 21 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer.
"There's a big hole to my left and to my daughter Lauren's right," Ralph Evans said as stood on a podium and accepted the Horse of the Year trophy, "and that hole (in our life) is Rick Violette."
Also at the awards celebration, Chester and Mary Broman were named the state's outstanding breeders for the third straight year and sixth time overall.
The Bromans won 69 races with their homebreds in 2018, including five stakes and earned $3,352,927 in purses. The couple previously won the outstanding breeders award previously in 2004, 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Sponsored by the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, the division champions were chosen by a ballot of New York Turf writers, handicappers, chart callers, and racing analysts conducted by NYTB.
Diversify was bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding. He was also honored as the champion older dirt male.
The other multiple award winner was Holiday Disguise, who was voted the champion female sprinter and champion older dirt female. Her half sister Midnight Disguise was honored as champion 3-year-old filly. Both champions were bred by Dr. William B. Wilmot and Dr. Joan M. Taylor.
Mind Your Biscuits, a two-time New York-bred horse of the year, was honored as champion male sprinter.
New York-Bred Horse of the Year & Champion Older Dirt Male
Diversify (Bellamy Road —Rule One, by Street Cry)
Breeder: Fred W. Hertrich III & John D. Fielding
Owner: Lauren and Ralph M. Evans
Trainer: Rick Violette
Champion Female Sprinter & Champion Older Dirt Female
Holiday Disguise (Harlan's Holiday—Thin Disguise, by Yes It's True)
Breeder: Dr. William B. Wilmot & Dr. Joan M. Taylor
Owner: Lady Sheila Stable
Trainer: Linda Rice
Champion 2-Year-Old Male
Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown —Marilyn Monroan, by Tapit )
Breeder: Hot Pink Stables & Sand Dollar Stables
Owner: Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable
Trainer: Mike Maker
Champion 2-Year-Old Filly
Sue's Fortune (Jump Start—Democrat Taxes, by Catienus)
Breeder: Richard Nicolai
Owner: Fortune Farm (Richard Nicolai)
Trainer: Jeremiah C. Englehart
Champion 3-Year-Old Male
Audible (Into Mischief —Blue Devil Bel, by Gilded Time)
Breeder: Oak Bluff Stables
Owner: China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Starlight Racing, WinStar Farm
Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher
Champion 3-Year-Old Filly
Midnight Disguise (Midnight Lute —Thin Disguise, by Yes It's True)
Breeder: Dr. William B. Wilmot & Dr. Joan M. Taylor
Owner: Wilmot, William B., Taylor, Joan M. and Wilmot, Devin T.
Trainer: Linda Rice
Champion Turf Male
Voodoo Song (English Channel —Mystic Chant, by Unbridled's Song)
Breeder: Stonewall Farm
Owner: Barry K. Schwartz
Trainer: Linda Rice
Champion Turf Female
Fourstar Crook (Freud —Avril a Portugal, by D'Accord)
Breeder: Kathleen M. Feron
Owner: Dubb, Michael, Bethlehem Stables and Aisquith, Gary
Trainer: Chad C. Brown
Champion Male Sprinter
Mind Your Biscuits (Posse—Jazzmane, by Toccet)
Breeder: Jumping Jack Racing
Owner: J Stables, Head of Plains Partners, Summers et al
Trainer: Chad Summers
Broodmare of the Year: Rule One, dam of Diversify
New York Breeder of the Year: Chester and Mary Broman
New York Trainer of the Year: Jeremiah C. Englehart
New York Jockey of the Year: Irad Ortiz Jr.