2023 Accredited Louisiana Bred Champions
by Tom Early
The votes for 2023 Accredited Louisiana Bred Champions have all been counted and the winners have been announced. The individual racehorse category winners as well as broodmare of the year, are all selected by vote of the LTBA Membership. The LTBA board of directors then votes for overall Louisiana Horse of the Year from the category winners. Leading breeders and stallion of the year are determined by statistics.
Two-Year-Old Filly
Accommodate Eva
Sire: Munnings
Dam: Accomodate
Breeders: Brad King & Todd Fincher
Owner: Valene Farms LLC
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Accommodate Eva winning the 2023 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie. Hodges Photo
It is not very often that you see an Accredited Louisiana Bred break their maiden in a Maiden Special Weights race at Keeneland but that is just what this year’s champion Two-Year-Old Filly did in October. Purchased for $25,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Accommodate Eva closed out her year with a win in the Louisiana Futurity at the Fair Grounds on New Year’s Eve.
Accommodate Eva is the first stakes winner produced by her dam who previously produced three other stakes placed runners all competing on the New Mexico circuit.
For the year Accommodate Eva won two races from six starts and earned $126,230.
Two-Year-Old Colts (tie)
El Dinero
Sire: El Deal
Dam: Money For Makeup
Breeder: J. Adcock & Hume Wornall
Owner: Tav Enterprises LLC
Trainer: Patrick Devereux
El Dinero winning the 2023 D.S. Shine Young Memorial Futurity Colt and Gelding Division. Coady Photography.
El Dinero wasted no time in becoming a stakes winner by winning the D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity at Evangeline Downs in his second start while breaking his maiden. He followed that win with a third in the Louisiana Cup Day Juvenile at Louisiana Downs. Another third followed that performance when he competed in the Louisiana Legacy Stakes at Delta Downs. On opening day at Fair Grounds El Dinero won the Joseph R. Peluso Memorial Stakes. Beaten in a photo in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile, El Dinero finished the year with a record of two wins, two seconds and two thirds from six starts and earnings of $138,990.
El Dinero in the first stakes winner produced by his dam who previously produced the stakes placed runner, Cicada’s Song.
Strong Promise
Sire: Broken Vow
Dam: St. Jean
Breeder: J. Adcock & Hume Wornall
Owner: Norman Stables, LLC
Trainer: Jayde J. Gelner
Strong Promise wins the 2023 Louisiana Cup Juvenile. Ann Switalski Photography.
Strong Promise broke his maiden in one of the first races for juveniles in Louisiana on June 3rd at Evangeline Downs winning by ten lengths. A win in the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity (colts & gelding division) was his next start. He sold in the Texas Thoroughbred Association Two-Year-Old in Training Sale for $125,000 making him eligible for this race. A venture to Louisiana Downs saw him easily add the Louisiana Cup Day Juvenile. At Delta Downs he was out finished by Good And Stout in the Louisiana Legacy Stakes, but the stewards ruled that Good And Stout had interfered with him and awarded him the win. His year end record was four wins from seven starts for earnings of $219,400.
It is worth noting that both colts who finished in the tie for leading Two-Year-Old Colt or Gelding were bred by the partnership of J. Adcock and Hume Wornall.
Three-Year-Old Filly
Star Moment
Sire: Star Guitar
Dam: Moment of Majesty
Breeder: Brittlyn, Inc.
Owner: Intrepid Thoroughbreds LLC
Trainer: W. Bret Calhoun
Star Moment winning the 2023 Louisiana Cup Distaff. Ann Switalski Photography.
Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, Star Moment, captured the Crescent City Oaks at Fair Grounds for her first win of the year. Shortly after that she added the Cajun Miss Stakes at Evangeline Downs. She added the Louisiana Cup Day Distaff run on the turf during the summer at Louisiana Downs for her third stakes of the year. She was also second in the Louisiana Legends Soiree Stakes at Evangeline Downs.
Star Moment is the second stakes winner produced by her dam, Moment of Majesty (a Grade II placed runner), who produced Grade III stakes winner Fools Gold. For the year Star Moment won four races from seven starts to earn $186,530.
Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding
Mangum
Sire: Mo Tom
Dam: Bovell Road
Breeder: Adcock’s Red River Farm & J. Adcock
Owner: Set-Hut LLC (Jake Delhomme)
Trainer: Jeff Delhomme
Mangum wins the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint. Hodges Photography.
With six wins from nine starts and earnings of $276,850 for the year, it is easy to understand how Mangum was voted Champion Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding.
His first stakes win of the year came in the Louisiana Stallion Stakes presented by Coteau Grove Farms, a race where he came back to beat millionaire Free Like A Girl. After two allowance wins he added the J.V. Morreale Stakes at Fair Grounds going a mile and seventy yards. Changing his tactics in the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint, he came from last to win by half a length.
Mangum is the second stakes winner produced by his dam, Bovell Road, who previously produced Hometown Gossip, a winner of more than $300,000.
Four-Year-Old and up Fillies & Mares
Free Like A Girl
Sire: El Deal
Dam: Flashy Prize
Breeder: Kim Renee Stover & Lisa Osborne
Owners: Gerald Bruno Jr., Carl Deville, Chasey Pomier & Jerry Caroom
Trainer: Chasey Deville Pomier
Free Like A Girl wins the 2023 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Distaff. Hodges Photography.
For the third year in a row, Free Like A Girl has captured a Championship division. First was as a Two-Year-Old Filly then as a Three-Year-Old Filly when she was also selected as the overall Horse of the Year and now as an older Filly or Mare.
She started the year with wins in the Bob F. Wright Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds. February found her adding the Louisiana Premier Distaff. In May she made short work of the EVD Distaff Stakes then won the Louisiana Legends Mademoiselle Stakes. She closed out 2023 with wins in the Doris Hebert Memorial Stakes and the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Distaff. For the year Free Like A Girl had six wins with a second and a third, all in stakes races, and earned $363,450.
It is worth noting that in 2024 Free Like A Girl ran third in the Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park and has now moved into third place in the all time leading Louisiana breds behind only Star Guitar and Happy Ticket.
Four-Year-Old and up Males
2023 LOUISIANA HORSE OF THE YEAR
Touchuponastar
Sire: Star Guitar
Dam: Touch Magic
Breeder: Coteau Grove Farms
Owner: Set-Hut LLC (Jake Delhomme)
Trainer: Jeff Delhomme
Touchuponastar winning the 2023 Louisiana Champions Day Classic. Hodges Photography.
Near perfection is how you can describe the year for Touchuponastar.
He began in February with a win in the Louisiana Premier Championship at Delta Downs won by two plus lengths. The Star Guitar Stakes presented by Brittlyn Stable at Fair Grounds was his next accomplishment which he won by three and one half lengths. Those at Evangeline Downs in early May witnessed him completely dominate the field in the Evangeline Downs Classic. His first venture into Graded stakes company saw him lead throughout the early running in the Steve Sexton Mile (GIII) only to be caught in the final sixteenth to finish second. The Gold Cup Stakes and Delta Mile at Delta Downs were added to his resume in October and November. Naturally the Louisiana Champions Day Classic was next on his agenda. He met the challenge and repeated his performance from the year before when he won the Louisiana Champions Day Classic as a Three-Year-Old.
The year ended with Touchuponastar winning six out of seven starts and running second once, all in stakes company with earnings of $455,000.
Broodmare of the Year
Flashy Prize
(Flashy Bull – Rich Prize by Rizzi)
Owners: Kim Renee Stover and Lisa Osborne
Flashy Prize.
With millionaire Free Like A Girl having the year she had, it is no surprise that her dam, Flashy Prize was chosen as the Broodmare of the Year. Six stakes wins from eleven starts with a second in another stakes race and earnings of $363,450 for the year. In addition to that Free Like A Girl has added another stakes win in 2024 along with stakes placings in the Houston Ladies Classic (GIII) and the Apple Blossom Handicap (GI). She is now third on the all time leading Louisiana Bred runners list with career earnings of $1,418,478.
In addition to Free Like A Girl, Flashy Prize also produced the stakes placed runner Free Indeed.
Andrew L. “Red” Erwin Stallion of the Year
Star Guitar
(Quiet American – Minit Towinit by Malagra)
Owner: Brittlyn Stable Inc. (Evelyn Benoit)
Star Guitar. Sally Blackwell photo.
For the fifth time in the last six years Star Guitar emerged as the Leading Stallion in Louisiana.
He had five individual stakes winners for the year with several winning multiple stakes. Guitar Solo won the Louisiana Futurity on the last day of the year becoming his fifth 2023 stakes winner. Behemah Star won the Louisiana Champions Day Turf in December and had three other stakes placings during the year. Star Moment captured the Crescent City Oaks at Fair Grounds, the Cajun Miss Stakes at Evangeline Downs and the Louisiana Cup Day Distaff at Louisiana Downs. Ova Charged won the Louisiana Premier Night Matron at Delta Downs. Then there was Touchuponastar who won the Louisiana Premier Night Championship at Delta Downs, the Star Guitar Stakes at Fair Grounds, and the EVD Classic at Evangeline Downs. Returning to Delta Downs he added the Gold Cup and the Delta Mile. To close out the year he offered a repeat win in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic.
For the year, Star Guitar’s runners earned more than $2,700,000.
Leading Breeder by Breeders Awards
Coteau Grove Farms
Coteau Grove earned their first Leading Breeder Award in 2023 when they were the breeders of four individual stakes winners.
Louisiana Liberty won the Louisiana Legends Soiree Stakes at Evangeline Downs and was third in both the Crescent City Oaks and the Cajun Miss Stakes. Allnight Moonlight won the Crescent City Derby and the Louisiana Stallion of the Year Half Outs Stakes at Fair Grounds, and the Louisiana Legends Cheval Stakes at Evangeline Downs and was second in the Ragin Cajun Stakes. Tumbarumba won the Ellis Park Derby, was third in the Grade III Oklahoma Derby and in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic. Touchuponastar won six of seven starts, all in stakes races, and was stakes placed in the Grade III Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park.
Total breeders awards earned by Coteau Grove Farms in 2023 was $366,116.
Leading Breeder by Percentage of Stakes Winners
Thomas Galvin
The breeder of just five horses running in 2023, Thomas Galvin had two stakes winners and one stakes placed runner giving him a stakes winning percent of 40%.
Nora G. won the Louisiana Cup Day Filly and Mare Sprint at Louisiana Downs and ran second in the Magnolia Stakes at Delta Downs. A.G.’s Charlotte won the Spotted Horse Stakes for her only win of the year but was second in five different stakes races: The Red Camelia Stakes, the Shantel Lanerie Memorial, the John Valene Memorial Stakes and the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Distaff at the Fair Grounds plus the EVD Distaff plus the third in the Louisiana Premier Night Distaff. Thomas Galvin’s stakes placed runner was Olivia G.
Thomas Galvin was also selected to represent Louisiana at the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Gala in Kentucky which honors breeders who race their homebreds.
Award presentations will be made at the 2024 Annual Award Banquet in conjunction with the R.E.A.P. benefit. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. This year’s gathering is tentatively planned to be held at Evangeline Downs on August 2, 2024, in Opelousas LA.