2020 Darley Champions

34th Annual Darley Awards Virtually Recognizes America’s Best for Arabian Racing

For the second consecutive year, the 2021 Darley Awards, presented by the Arabian Racing Cup (ARC) and sponsored by the Texas Arabian Breeders Association, delivered a moving virtual experience celebrating the top individuals and horses in the sport of Arabian racing in the United States during a special live streaming event on Friday evening, March 19, 2021, that reached over 2,000 people worldwide and climbing.

Guests enjoyed presentations from ARC Chief Steward, Jon Henningsgard, and event coordinator, Evie Tubbs Sweeney; presentation of two Chief Steward’s Awards to outstanding community members, Rita DeLeon and Rhonda Tuley; and, of course, the anticipated reveal of each Darley Champion for the 2020 racing year. New this year was an acclaimed international presence of noted international horse racing broadcasters representing four different continents who have broadcasted some of horse racing’s biggest events – from the Kentucky Derby to the Epsom Derby to the Dubai World Cup to the Amir Sword Festival to the Darley Award Stakes. The event was, once again, masterfully produced and hosted by Jonathan & Ashley Horowitz, and hosted simultaneously on the Arabian Jockey Club (AJC) Facebook LIVE (sponsored by RoseBrook Farm), and the ARC YouTube channel (sponsored by the Texas Arabian Breeders Association).

The ARC extends its congratulations, once again, to the following Darley Award winners of the 2020 racing year:

FIRST CLASSS: Darley 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding of the Year

UPTOWN LADY ARABELLA: Darley 3-Year-Old Filly of the Year

RB KINETIC: Darley 4-Year-Old Filly of the Year

PADDYS DAY: Darley Older Horse of the Year

UPTOWN SANDY GIRL: Darley Older Mare of the Year

KRISTA & JON HENNINGSGARD: Darley Breeder of the Year

ROSEBROOK FARMS LLC: Darley Owner of the Year

Trainer Category: The ARC Chief Steward elected not to award a 2020 Trainer of the Year. In its place, a special video compilation was produced that recognized all winning USA trainers in 2020.

ERNESTO VALDEZ-JIMINEZ: Darley Jockey of the Year

UPTOWN SANDY GIRL: DARLEY HORSE OF THE YEAR

This year’s Horse of the Year Category was comprised of monumental talent. The nominees included: Dance With Me BW, Paddys Day, and Uptown Sandy Girl… a group that has already collectively won a whopping eleven Darley Awards in previous years, and is truly legends in the sport. But the nod went to superstar mare, Uptown Sandy Girl, the first homebred Darley Horse of the Year for Jon & Krista Henningsgard of Uptown Arabians located just outside Houston in Waller, Texas. Krista Henningsgard was emotional talking about the win for her and her husband’s beloved mare.

“We are so pleased with Uptown Sandy Girl being named Darley Horse of the Year for 2020,” said Krista. “She has overcome so much adversity and comes back even stronger every year. It’s emotional for us because she wants to run so badly; however, if she is not 100%, she always lets me know. When the time comes to call it a day, we know she’ll tell us. Sandy is a stone-cold runner and has been since she was a yearling running in the pasture. It was as if she was conditioning herself to be a star even back then.” Uptown Sandy Girl wins the Darley Distaff before being named Darley Horse of the Year for 2020 This is the fourth Darley Award win for Uptown Sandy Girl, who – in spite of a bout with pneumonia that nearly took her life – has already won Darley 3-Year-Old Filly in 2017, Darley 4-Year-Old Filly in 2018, Darley Older Mare in 2019, and now Darley Older Mare and Horse of the Year in 2020. In addition to this year, she was also nominated for Horse of the Year in 2019.

The Henningsgards have been breeding and racing Arabian racehorses under their black-and-white Uptown Arabians colors since 2010, and are quickly becoming one of the top Arabian race breeders in the country, with an impressive foal-to-champion ratio depicted in its third Darley Award this year for Darley Breeder of the Year. In fact, the enthusiastic couple were the owners and breeders of two additional nominees this year as well – Uptown Cruisedirector, nominee in the Older Horse category, and Uptown Lady Arabella, nominee, and champion in the 3 Year Old Filly category. All three “Uptown” horses will run in 2021, as well as some up-and-coming young horses in training.

But all eyes were on the star of 2020, Uptown Sandy Girl, a seven-year-old grey mare by Burning Sand and out of the Hall of Fame mare, Wibwilcca (by Wilkolak) who has earned a whopping $285,890 and won 15 of her 27 lifetime starts. Uptown Sandy Girl also fittingly won the $30,000 Darley Distaff Sponsored by Lufthansa Cargo, run at Sam Houston Race Park less than two horses before she was named 2020 Darley Horse of the Year. Uptown Sandy Girl won under trainer Rachelle Russell and was ridden to victory by jockey Anardis Rodriguez.

Krista and Jon Henningsgard won their first Darly as Outstanidng Breeder. Photo by Pamela Burton.

became a duel of Darley 4 Year Old Colt Champion RB Rich Lyke Me, and the veteran 3-time Darley Horse of the Year ten-year-old, Paddys Day, who both battled in a 15-length lead over the field. But it was Paddys Day once again to win in the final strides under jockey Shane Laviolette for trainer Todd Fincher and owner Jane R. Teutsch.

Even after the Darley Awards concluded, the excitement continued with the final hour of bidding in the ARC Stallion Auction, which featured ten breeding lots of world-class Arabian racing sires including: - Al Mouwaffak, donated by Al Shaqab - Easter Man, donated by Allegro Arabians - Gazwan, donated by Al Shahania Stud - Grilla, donated by Billie Glosser - Hilal Al Zaman, donated by Al Nujaifi Racing - Majd Al Arab, donated by Umm Qarn - Nizam, donated by Umm Qarn - Mared Al Sahra, donated by Al Shahania Stud - Seraphin Du Paon, donated by Al Asayl Racing - Sir Bani Yas, donated by Al Asayl Racing The popular breeding auction consistently raises significant funding that goes to support the ongoing programs of the Arabian Racing Cup, including the ARC Breeders Incentive Program and the Darley Awards. It was the ideal conclusion to wrap up an exciting Darley Awards day, celebrated by Arabian racing enthusiasts throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

“There isn’t a grander celebration of the Arabian racehorse and its people than the Darley Awards, and this year was no exception,” said Michelle Morgan, Past Chief Steward of the USA Darley Awards’ Arabian Racing Cup (ARC) and owner of Mandolynn Hill Farm located just outside Dallas, Texas. “Even virtually, it was a weekend full of inspiration, fun, excitement, and renewed passion that came from reliving moments and being reminded why we do what we do, regardless of winning a Darley award, or not. It’s what we strive to do.”

The 35th Annual Darley Awards will return to Houston in 2022.