Juvenile Ex Mountain Cop Named Oregon 'Horse of Year'

(Edited press release)
Ex Mountain Cop, the 2-year-old sensation of Oregon racing, was named the Oregon Horse of the Year and Top 2-Year-old Colt/Gelding by the Oregon Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

Owned and bred by Maynard Davis and Charles Richard Novak and trained by Jonathan Nance, Ex Mountain Cop made Oregon history on Dec. 10 by earning more money in one race than any other horse in the 60-year history of pari-mutuel wagering in the state.

By winning the $49,200 Os West Oregon Futurity, Ex Mountain Cop captured the lion’s share of the race purse plus the Oregon Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association bonus of $30,000 resulting in the race winners’ share of $57,060.

That eclipsed the $55,000 mark set by Present Value in 1989 when, with jockey Bill Shoemaker, he won the $100,000 Coors Portland Meadows Mile – the first and only hundred grander run in the Beaver state.

Lethal Grande was named Oregon Champion Older male for the third time.  He garnered his award in 2003 and 2004 as well.

Bred by the late Pat Sonnen, he is owned by Eleutherios Georgeopolus and trained by Tom Longstaff.  His 2006 race record: 11 starts 4-4-2 with $57,785 in earning.  He won the Oregon Sprint Championship.

Top 2-year-old filly went to Silver Patrona.  A filly by Tiffany Ice--Crowning Ambition, by Chief’s Crown, bred by the Bar C Racing Stables, Inc. and owned by Bar C Racing Stable and Melodie Bultena, she won the Janet Wineberg, the Lassie and Jane Driggers Debutante as a freshman.  She’s trained by Jim Fergason.

Top 3-year-old filly honors went to Confidential Lady, winner of the Oregon Hers. Bred by Wallace H. Rennie, Mary D. Rennie & Patrick Cosgrove, the daughter of True Confidence is owned by Leitha Caron and trained by her husband, Darrell ‘Corky’ Caron.  She posted a 4-2-2 record from 15 starts in 2006.

Tom Two wrapped up top 3-year-old male honors with a 3-1-1 record from six starts. The winner of the Oregon His and McFadden Memorial is by Free At Last--Sushi Q., by Seafood. He was bred by his owners, Delmer & Shirley Webb and trained by Delmer Webb.

The champion older female went to Amelia True Heart. Bred by Carol Duby, she is owned by Dean Honrath, Melvin W. Davis and Heather Skeoch, and Val, Trevor and Ross Brown.  She has a busy 2006 with 17 starts and compiling a 5-8-1 record.  She’s by True Confidence--Ackful, by Sportful.

Sire of the year went to Baquero for the second time. He was also Oregon’s sire of the year in 2004.  Baquero, bred in 1995, is by Forty Niner out of Fit for a Queen, by Fit to Fight. In 2006 his progeny earnings were $291,412. He is a sire of 32 winners from 46 starters and is owned by Jack B. Root, Jr., DVM, & Margaret Root. He stands at Oakhurst Thoroughbreds, Newberg OR

Broodmare of the Year has three co-champions being recognized.  They are:

-- Crowning Ambition, who is owned by Bar C Racing Stables, Inc.  She is the dam of Silver Patrona.
-- Dubakella Mountain, owned by  Maynard Davis & Charles Richard Novak, is the dam of Ex Mountain Cop.
-- La Bardot, owned by Mylon & Sharon Buck, is the dam Lethal Grande.

Oregon also toasted the Breeders of the Year and 2007 TOBA recipients in Neal and Pam Christopherson, owners and operators of Bar C Racing Stables.