CTBA AWARDS 2016
CTBA Awards Dinner
PASSION FOR THE GAME BY TRACY GANTZ PHOTOS BY RON MESAROS
P
eople speak passionately about their racehorses, and nowhere was that more in evidence than at the California Toroughbred Breeders Association’s Annual Awards Dinner Feb. 8. Breeders stepped to the podium, tears in their eyes, as they gratefully acknowledged the championships their horses earned.
For 2017, the CTBA held the festivities at Te Langham in Pasadena. A cocktail reception sponsored by Insurance Office of America followed the CTBA business meeting. Te dinner celebrated the California-bred champions, leading sires and top broodmare, leading breeders, trainer of the year, and new Hall of Fame inductees. Te night culminated with California Chrome receiving his second Horse of the Year title. Perry Martin and Steve Coburn came forward for their breeders award and California Chrome’s older male honor. Tey thanked the many people involved with the horse individually, as well as his fans. Martin also accepted the award for Love the Chase’s Broodmare of the Year. When Horse of the Year was announced, trainer Art Sherman and his family joined Martin and Coburn. Assistant Alan Sherman spoke for everyone when he said, “Tis is all about California Chrome. Without his will and his desire to run like he has, none of us would be here.” Sherman also thanked his father, Art, who earlier was inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Don Valpredo and Bob Baffert. “My dad is an amazing person, not only as a father but as a trainer,” Alan said. Art, always humble, acknowledged the many who had gone before him into the
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CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED
CALIFORNIA CHROME Horse of the Year Left to right: Carolyn and Steve Coburn; Alan, Faye, and Art Sherman; Perry Martin; presenter Don Valpredo; Denise Martin; Karen Gentry Norton
Hall of Fame, especially Swaps and trainer Mesh Tenney, with whom Sherman was associated as a youngster. “I will always treasure this moment,” Art said. John Harris made the presentation to Valpredo, saying that “one of the great things about horse racing is you’re always hoping to get a big horse, but you’re also hoping to have great friends.” An emotional Valpredo talked about the “wonderful journey” as he thanked his partners and friends; his wife, Sally; and his children and their spouses. “Everybody who experiences the journey with good horses requires good friends, great memories, and awesome relationships,” Valpredo said. Baffert noted that Cal-bred Teresa’s Pleasure was his first Toroughbred stakes winner and that Cal-bred Cavonnier winning the Santa Anita Derby (G1) “was one of my highlights—I’ll never forget that day.” He added, “Cal-breds have been so good to me.” A tearful Kenny Black, when receiving his trainer of the year award, praised the quality of horses Old English Rancho has
❙ March 2017 ❙ www.ctba.com
given him and his team at the barn. Nick Alexander, breeder of Enola Gray, and Stormy Hull, breeder of California Diamond, gave emotional speeches. Both have poured years into the business and were receiving their first awards as breeders of champions. Alexander particularly singled out Carrie Drake and Frankie Rodriguez from his farm and trainer Phil D’Amato as being key to Enola Gray’s success. Hull drove all the way from Washington state to accept his award. “Tis is a tremendous honor, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said. Te CTBA for only the second time presented the Sen. Kenneth L. Maddy Award, this year to Assemblyman Adam Gray. When airplane difficulties prevented Gray from attending, CTBA lobbyist Robyn Black read his comments. “I want to congratulate tonight’s winners of all the Toroughbred breeders awards,” Gray wrote, “and the Californians who tirelessly contribute countless time and effort to make the state’s breeding program successful and a model for other states to follow.”