Henry Ray Dunn's Ide Be Cool, a perfect four-for-four at 2 last year, was named the accredited Louisiana-bred horse of the year May 24 at the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association's annual meeting at the Equine Sales Co. in Opelousas.
Ide Be Cool, bred by Gulf Haven Farms, was also named champion male based on his dominance of the division that saw him win at three Louisiana tracks: Harrah's Louisiana Downs, Delta Downs, and Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Trained by Dunn, the son of Ide—Cool Climate, by Bowman's Band won a pair of stakes—the Louisiana Legacy and Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile—after breaking his maiden and taking an entry-level allowance race. He remains perfect in six starts through 2014 with a pair of stakes wins at Delta Downs earlier this year.
Ide, owned by the Ide Group and standing at Clear Creek Stud, was named stallion of the year and Gulf Haven Farms was named the leading breeder by percentage of stakes winners.
Other winners were:
Southern Equine was named leading breeder by breeder awards in 2013.
Terry Adcock's Miss Cheers (Carson City—Rise and Sing, by The Minstrel) was named broodmare of the year.
Valene Farms' Designer Legs (Graeme Hall —Elegant Designer, by Suave Prospect), was named champion 2-year-old filly. Bred by Tommy Hewett, she won the Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes at Prairie Meadows and won the Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) via disqualification at Saratoga but was only a neck back at the wire. She is trained by Dallas Stewart.
P. Dale Ladner's Sittin At the Bar (Into Mischief —Fast Laner, by Mutakddim) was named champion 3-year-old filly with five stakes wins in 2013 and $363,327 in earnings. Trained by Brett Brinkman, the now 4-year-old filly was bred by Spendthrift Farm.
Sunbean, a four-time stakes winner in 2013 as a homebred for Brittlyn Stable, was named champion 3-year-old male. He earned $307,731 last year and has won three of four starts this year including a win May 24 in the Louisiana Legends Classic Stakes.
Coteau Grove Farms' homebred Little Ms Protocol, trained by Pat Devereux Jr., earned champion older female honors. A two-time stakes winner and grade III-placed mare is by El Corredor—Character Bulder, by Coronado's Quest.
Charlie Smith's bred/owned/trained String King earned champion older male honors off three stakes wins in 2013. He also placed in the Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap (gr. IIIT) and Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Handicap (gr. IIT) at Fair Grounds. The now 6-year-old gelding is by Crowned King out of String Dancer, by Fly a Kite.