A lively crowd of Washington Thoroughbred breeders, owners and racing enthusiasts gathered at Emerald Downs Feb. 22 to celebrate the industry's champion racehorses and acknowledge other honorees.
John Parker's sophomore-runner Lonesome Boy, who raced exclusively on the East Coast last year and took the City of Brotherly Love Stakes at Parx Racing, was named Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old colt or gelding. Parker, as he was in 2023, was also named the state's top owner for 2024 and the son of Nationhood was Washington's top earner with $199,950 in earnings. Lonesome Boy was bred by Pat and Mullan Chinn and is out of the Atta Boy Roy mare Atta Girl Pearl.
Top 2-year-old honors were shared by Blue Ribbon Racing #23's unbeaten three-time stakes-winning filly Precise Timing, and Dr. Jack and Margaret Root's home-bred Big Bowie.
Jill Fabulich and Lori Heist's Chai, who like Precise Timing was bred by Rick and Debbie Pabst, was named champion 3-year-old filly.
Older horses Slew's Tiz Whiz and Blazingbellablu were each named consecutive state champions for the third time in a row. Slew's Crew Racing's Slew's Tiz Whiz who was the 2022-23 Washington Horse of the Year, earned the title of champion older horse for the third time and is now a two-time champion sprinter.
Petra Lewin and trainer Charlie Essex's home-bred Blazingbellablu had been named the state's 2021 Horse of the Year and she has earned accolades as champion older filly or mare for the last three years, including 2024 for the now retired broodmare.
Other horse honors went to Huge Bigly (Plater of the Year), Coastal Jazz (Most Improved Plater), Alternation (sire), Barkley (freshman sire) and OTTB Nowlookatme.
Tampa Bay Downs race caller, podcast host and Washington native Jason Beem was honored with the Mark Kaufman Media Award and retiring Washington Horse Racing Commissioner Robert Lopez was given the WTBOA/WHBPA Special Recognition Award.
Four other special recognition awards were given to trainers Bonnie Jenne and Tim McCanna (for reaching the 2,500-win pinnacle), jockey J. Carlos Montalvo and Emerald Downs track superintendent Wayne Damron.
For the second year in a row, and eighth time overall, Nina and Ron Hagen were named Breeders of the Year.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
