Romans, Bejarano, Ramseys Earn KTM Awards

Trainer Dale Romans, jockey Rafael Bejarano and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey earned individual honors in the 16th annual Kentucky Thoroughbred Media (KTM) awards presented to Kentucky racing's statistical leaders in 2005.

Romans earned his first KTM award, while Bejarano and the Ramseys are repeat winners. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Media Awards annually honor the trainer, jockey and owner who collect the largest number of victories during a calendar year at Kentucky racetracks.

The awards are co-sponsored by KTM and The Jockey Club Information Systems. The latter provides statistical information that determines each year's honorees. The awards are based on total victories in each category at Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs and Turfway Park.

Romans, Bejarano, and the Ramseys will receive their KTM awards Saturday, March 25, during the racing program headlined by the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes (grade II) at Turfway in Florence, Ky.

Romans, the leading trainer at Churchill Downs during its 2005 spring and fall meets, saddled 67 winners at Kentucky tracks in 2005 to earn his first KTM "Trainer of the Year" award. He edged 2004 winner Steve Asmussen, who collected 63 wins on the year and earned the title of leading trainer at the Ellis Park meet.

Romans joined Asmussen as the only trainers other than D. Wayne Lukas or Bernard Flint to earn the KTM trainer award. Romans had finished second to Asmussen by a margin of 83-76 in the 2004 KTM Awards chase.

Bejarano collected his third consecutive KTM "Jockey of the Year" award by piloting 147 winners at Kentucky tracks during a year in which he won or shared riding titles at Churchill Downs (spring and fall meets) and Keeneland (fall meet). The 23-year-old Peruvian edged Jesus Castanon, leading rider at Ellis Park and Turfway Park's holiday meet, by four victories to earn his 2005 KTM honor.

The Ramseys, honored with an Eclipse Award as racing's leading owners in 2004, were honored as KTM "Owner of the Year" for the sixth consecutive year. Horses carrying the Ramseys' familiar red and white silks won 36 races at Kentucky tracks in 2005. Billy Hays, leading owner in the Churchill Downs spring meet, was the runner-up with 27 victories.

Kentucky Thoroughbred Media is an organization of print and electronic journalists, photojournalists, and publicists who work in Kentucky's racing and breeding industries. The Jockey Club Information Systems is a multimedia information and service provider incorporated in 1989 as a wholly owned subsidiary of The Jockey Club.