Florida Tops As Regional Producer of Stakes Winners

Florida Thoroughbred breeders continue to dominate regional markets in producing the industry’s most accomplished runners as indicated by the number of open stakes winners bred in the Sunshine State.

According to statistics produced by The Jockey Club, in the first five-plus months of 2023, there have been 23 Florida-bred open stakes winners of which nine are graded stakes winners. That nearly doubles our nearest rivals as Thoroughbred breeders in New York have produced 12 open stakes winners including five graded-stakes winners. Ontario has 11 stakes winners during that span with five grad- ed-stakes winners while Pennsylvania breeders can count 10 with four graded-stakes winners. California has nine open stakes winners and four graded stakes winners.

Live Oak Plantation’s homebred mare Our Flash Drive is the lone multiple graded-stakes winner among Florida-breds so far this year but John Ropes homebred Dorth Vader, who has a victory in the Grade 2 Davona Dale to her credit, just missed becoming Florida’s first Grade 1 winner of the year in the Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. at Belmont Park on June 9.

The bay daughter of Girvin out of Hardcore Candy, by Yonaguska was just a head shy of winner Pretty Mischievous after a stretch-long battle in the mile-and-asixteenth Acorn while finishing four lengths clear of third-place finisher Occult.

As of this writing, Our Flash Drive is two-for-two in 2023 with victories in the Grade 3 Whimsical over six furlongs on synthetic on May 13 and in the Grade 2 Royal North at six-and-a-half furlongs on the turf on June 3, both at Woodbine.

Other Florida-bred, Grade 2 winners this year include the Katherine S. Devall-bred Havnameltdown, winner of the seven-furlong San Vincente at Santa Anita in January; Rodney G. Lundock’s homebred Maryquitecontrary, who took the

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FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT

George Isaacs

CEO & EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Lonny Taylor Powell

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

George Russell

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

Francis Vanlangendonck

TREASURER

Joseph M. O’Farrell III

SECRETARY

Nick de Meric

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Valerie Dailey

DIRECTORS

T. Paul Bulmahn, Jerry D. Campbell, Marilyn Campbell, Richard Kent, Laurine Fuller-Vargas, Mike Hall, Bobby Jones, Milan Kosanovich, Mary Lightner, Dr. Fred Yutani

PAST PRESIDENTS

Phil Matthews, DVM, Brent Fernung, Greg Wheeler, Don Dizney, John C. Weber, MD

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Peggy Yost

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT - MEMBER SERVICES & EVENTS

Tammy A. Gantt

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Steve Koch

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Elaine K. Ansbacher

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Sheila Budden

STAFF ACCOUNTANTS

Liz Adorno

Kerrie Riber

ADMINISTRATIVE/MEMBERSHIP ASSISTANT

Vicki Davis

OFFICERS & BOARD OF DIRECTORS