The national owner, breeder and small breeder of the year will be announced Sept. 7 at the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's 27th Annual National Awards Dinner, to be held at the Keeneland Entertainment Center in Lexington.
The TOBA National Awards Dinner honors the achievements of Thoroughbred owners in the four major North American racing regions and breeders in 23 states and Canada. In addition, the Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Sport Horse of the Year Award is presented to the owner of the ex-Thoroughbred racehorse that excelled in sport horse competitions tracked by the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
The following regional owners will be honored:
Eastern Region Owner of the Year: Repole Stable
Midwestern Region Owner of the Year: Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Southern Region Owner of the Year: Team Valor
Western Region Owner of the Year: Zetcher Racing Stable
A National Owner of the Year will be selected from the regional owners. The National Owner will only be revealed at the Awards Dinner.
TOBA's State and Canadian Breeders of the Year are:
Kenneth J. Robinette, Alabama
Triple AAA Ranch (Richard Owens), Arizona
Old English Rancho, California
Gardiner Farms, Limited, Canada
Dewey and Karen White, Georgia
Team Block (David Block), Illinois
Robert Gorham and Mast Thoroughbreds, Indiana
Sandra Rasmussen, Iowa
Ralph Lilja, Kansas
Ramsey Farm (Ken and Sarah Ramsey), Kentucky
Allen C. Peltier, Louisiana
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Maryland
Kenneth P. Posco, Massachusetts
Sampson Thoroughbreds (Curtis Sampson), Minnesota
Christine Connelly, New Jersey
Sam E. Stevens, New Mexico
Chester and Mary Broman, New York
Hawk Crest Manor (Hubert Vester), North Carolina
Mesa Farm (Debra Quarne), North Dakota
Dr. Ryland and Jo Ann Harwood, Oregon
Henry Carroll, South Carolina
Estate of Edward P. Evans, Virginia
Michael and Amy Feuerborn, Washington
Jeff and Susan Runco, West Virginia
TOBA's National Breeder and National Small Breeder of the Year will be selected from the above list of breeders and will only be revealed at the Awards Dinner. Additionally, TOBA will honor Oatsee as the National Broodmare of the Year. Oatsee is the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Shackleford , winner of the 2011 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and this year's Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I), and of two other graded stakes winners.
National Awards Dinner sponsors include OCD Pellets, AmWest Entertainment, Woodford Reserve, Grey Goose Vodka, John Deere, Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, Keeneland, Daily Racing Form, and Blood-Horse Publications. Tickets for the National Awards Dinner may be purchased at www.toba.org.