FLORIDA STALLION OF THE YEAR

KHOZAN was the leading 2022 Florida sire by progeny earnings with $4,513,950. It was the third consecutive year that Khozan was the leading Florida sire by progeny earnings. He had progeny totals of $3,521,813 in 2020 and $3,671,794 in 2021.

In 2022, Khozan was represented by 147 starters with 78 winners (53%), including 10 Florida-bred black-type horses. Of the latter number, Khozan posted one graded stakes winner, two black-type stakes winners and seven black-type stakes-placed winners.

s leading earner on the season was graded stakes winner Hot Peppers, who banked $381,500 on five wins and one second in eight starts. Raced by Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso, Hot Peppers won the Victory Ride (G3) and the listed Jersey Girl at Belmont Park. The Rudy Rodriguez trainee also posted a second in the Test (G1) at Saratoga. Bred by Brent and Crystal Fernung, Hot Peppers is a 2019 bay filly out of Friends Pro, by Friends Lake. Him In won the Sunshine Turf at Gulfstream Park and was third in the Turf Classic at Tampa Bay Downs. Bred by Stonehedge LLC, Lure Him In is a 2017 bay gelding out of Alluring Lady, by Indygo Shiner. Lure Him In earned $114,375 on one win and two seconds in nine starts. On the season, Lure Him In was trained by Robert B. Hess Jr. Me and Mr C, a 2017 bay gelding out of Abiding, by Dynaformer, was bred by Stonehedge LLC. The Michael Maker trainee captured the Mr. Steele on the turf at Gulfstream Park. Raced by Paradise Farms Corp and David Staudacher, Me and Mr C was also second in the Soldier’s Dance and Sam Spear Memorial at Gulfstream Park. On the season, he notched two wins, one second and one third to earn $94,360.

R ounding out Khozan’s roster of Floridabred black-type stakes-placed winners and their seasonal earnings were: Valenzan Day ($158,000), Sigiloso ($93,245); Warrior’s Battle ($90,200); Foggy Night ($89,950); Don’t Get Khozy ($67,432); Esoteric ($37,540) and Clemens ($17,920).

A 2021 bay horse by Distorted Humor out of the A.P. Indy mare Delta Princess, Khozan was purchased for $1 million by Al Shaqab. Khozan entered stud at Brent and Crystal Fernung’s Journeyman Stud, as property of a syndicate, in 2016. He was the 2019 leading Florida freshman and juvenile sire.