Grade 1-placed, five-time stakes winner in 2024, and millionaire Free Like a Girl was named the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders' Association's Horse of the Year, the organization announced March 10 along with its other champions for the year.
Bred by Kim Renee Stover and Lisa Osborne, Free Like a Girl won six times and placed five times out of 14 starts last year and banked $1,039,400 in earnings. The now-6-year-old daughter of El Deal out of Flashy Prize (Flashy Bull) has compiled a career record of 21-13-6 from 49 starts and has total earnings of $2,253,438.
Partners Gerald Bruno Jr. and Jerry Caroom campaigned the mare with co-owner/trainer Chasey Deville Pomier. They won the Shantel Lanerie Memorial Stakes, Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes, Magnolia Stakes, Treasure Chest Stakes, and John Valene Memorial Stakes. The mare also ran second in the La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs and third in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park.
Free Like a Girl also was named champion 4-year-old and up filly or mare. Her Horse of the Year title is her second, having received this top honor in 2022 along with being named champion 3-year-old filly. Bruno bought Free Like a Girl for $5,500 during the 2020 Equine Sales of Louisiana Yearling Sale from consignor Oakridge Farm.
Evelyn Benoit's Brittlyn Stable was named breeder of the year based on having accumulated the highest amount of breeder's awards for the calendar year. Brittlyn was represented by four black-type stakes winners last year, led by hombred grade 3 winners Manama Gold and Ova Charged. Both graded stakes winners are by Brittlyn's homebred stallion Star Guitar , who was named 2024's leading Louisiana stallion. Star Guitar stands at Clear Creek Stud.
Charged Cotton, a stakes-winning daughter of Dehere and the dam of Manama Gold and Ova Charged, was named broodmare of the year. Ova Charged won six of seven starts last year, with five wins in black-type stakes. Her top performance came in the Unbridled Sydney Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs. Manama Gold won last year's UAE Oaks (G3) at Meydan Racecourse.
Tony Doughtie is the year's leading Louisiana breeder by percent stakes winners at 40% from starters. This category considers all breeders with five or more starters.
The LTBA's other champions for 2024 were elected by its membership. are as follows:
- 2-year-old filly: Secret Faith (Aurelius Maximus—St. Jean, by Macho Uno)
- 2-year-old colt/gelding: Smoken Wicked (Bobby's Wicked One —Street Smoke, by Street Boss)
- 3-year-old filly: Six String (Star Guitar—Oh Whata Holiday, by Harlan's Holiday)
- 3-year-old colt/gelding: El Dinero (El Deal—Money for Makeup, by Forestry)
- 4-year-old and up male: Touchuponastar (Start Guitar—Touch Magic, by Lion Heart)
Awards will be presented during the LTBA annual banquet, which is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 2 at Evangeline Downs. The banquet will be held in conjunction with a fundraiser for the Rehoming and Education for Off-Track Thoroughbreds program, also known as R.E.A.P.
