Two-Year-Old Filly: FLOR DE SOMBRA
Gr/ro, F, foaled April 16, 2020 / Social Inclusion – On a Star, by Talent Search
Bred by Joseph Imbesi
Flor de Sombra was a winner of four of five starts at 2, with stakes wins at Parx (Miss Blue Tye Dye), Presque Isle (Finest City) and Penn National (Shamrock Rose), all by daylight margins, and a third in the Imply Stakes in her other outing. She ranked as the richest PA-Bred juvenile of the year with $320,000.
Two-Year-Old Colt: GORDIAN KNOT
B, G, foaled April 5, 2020 / Social Inclusion – Mia, by Put It Back
Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Joe Imbesi
Never off the board in four starts at 2, three of them wins, including Parx Racing’s Prince Lucky Stakes by 2 lengths and Presque Isle’s Mark McDermott Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths. Gordian Knot concluded his season with a third in the Pennsylvania Nursery and ranked as the leading PA-Bred 2-year-old male with earnings of $245,800.
Three-Year-Old Filly: MORNING MATCHA
B, F, foaled February 13, 2019 / Central Banker – Home Ice, by Iam The Iceman
Bred by Crane Thoroughbred Services LLC
The richest PA-Bred 3-year-old of 2022 with earnings of $406,000, Morning Matcha was a stakes winner at Parx in March, was second in the Grade 1 Cotillion and Aqueduct’s Busanda, and finished third in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks, Grade 3 Comely Stakes and Cathryn Sophia Stakes in her 10 starts.
Three-Year-Old Male: NIMITZ CLASS
Dk B/, C, foaled April 1, 2019 / Munnings – Five Diamonds, by Flatter
Bred by Arrowwood Farm
A winner in 2022 of six of 11 outings, Nimitz Class earned $232,854 to top all PA-Breds in the 3-year-old male division. A winner first time out at Penn National in January, he captured the Danzig in his stakes debut in June and concluded his season with a win in Laurel’s Robert T. Manfuso Stakes in December.
Older Female: CARAVEL
Gr/ro, M, foaled March 1, 2017 / Mizzen Mast – Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman
The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint-G1 over males was the biggest of five wins from eight starts for Caravel, Pennsylvania’s richest state0bred of 2022. Racing exclusively in stakes, she started the year at Turfway with a win in, fittingly, the Queen Stakes, added Belmont’s Intercontinental-G3 and Saratoga’s Smart N Fancy, and finished the year with back-to-back scores at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Franklin and Breeders’ Cup. She earned $930,983.
Older Male: FORTHELUVOFBOURBON
B, G, foaled March 30, 2017 / Bourbon Courage – Nosubstituteforluv, by Not For Love
Bred by Hidden Acres 4-D Farm
A seven-time winner in nine 20222 starts, Fortheluvofbourbon was the richest older PA-Bred male of the year while amassing $361,680. During a six-race win streak he won four stakes – the Page McKenney Handicap, Banjo Picker Sprint, and Liberty Bell, all at Parx, and the Maryland Millions Sprint at Laurel.
Female Sprinter: CARAVEL
Gr/ro, M, foaled March 1, 2017 / Mizzen Mast – Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman
Racing from 5 1/2 furlongs to 6 1/2 furlongs in her eight starts in 2022, Caravel won five, topped by her thrilling Grade 1 victory over males in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint-G1. Pennsylvania’s richest state-bred of 2022 with $930,983, she races exclusively in stakes, starting off the year at Turfway winning the 6-furlong Queen Stakes. She added Belmont’s Intercontinental Stakes-G3 at 6 furlongs and Saratoga’s Smart N Fanct at 5 1/2 furlongs, and finished her year with back-to-back scores going 5 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Franklin and Breeders’ Cup.
Male Sprinter: FORTHELUVOFBOURBON
B, G, foaled March 30, 2017 / Bourbon Courage – Nosubstituteforluv, by Not For Love
Bred by Hidden Acres 4-D Farm
Winning seven times in nine 2022 starts, all from 6 to 7 furlongs, Fortheluvofbourbon was the richest older PA-Bred male of the year while amassing $361,680. During a six-race win streak he won four stakes – The Page McKenney Handicap, Banjo Picker Sprint and Liberty Bell, all at Parx, and the Maryland Million Sprint at Laurel.
Turf Female: CARAVEL
Gr/ro, M, foaled March 1, 2017 / Mizzen Mast – Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman
Caravel made eight starts in 2022, exclusively in stakes, winning five, four of them on the turf, topped by her thrilling Grade 1 victory over males in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint-G1. She was Pennsylvania’s richest state-bred of 2022 with $930,983 and counted turf wins in Belmont’s Intercontinental Stakes-G3 and Saratoga’s Smart N Fancy, and back-to-back scores at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Franklin and at the Breeders’ Cup.
Turf Male: BUY LAND AND SEE
Gr/ro, H, foaled April 6, 2017 / Cairo Prince – Twiggles, by Maria’s Mon
Bred by Joseph Imbesi
Buy Land and See returned to stakes competition midway through the 2022 season and scored a dominating, nearly 7-length victory in the With Anticipation Stakes on the turf at Penn National. He concluded his seven-start season with back-to-back stakes wins at Parx in the Alphabet Soup Handicap on the grass course and M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile on the main track.
PA-Preferred Female: FLOR DE SOMBRA
Gr/ro, F, foaled April 16, 2020 / Social Inclusion – On a Star, by Talent Search
Bred by Joseph Imbesi
Flor de Sombra was a winner of four of five starts at 2, with stakes wins at Parx (Miss Blue Tye Dye), Presque Isle (Finest City) and Penn National (Shamrock Rose), all by daylight margins, and a third in the Imply Stakes in her other outing. The daughter of former PA sire Social Inclusion ranked as the richest PA-Bred juvenile of the year with $320,000.
PA-Preferred Male: GORDIAN KNOT
B, G, foaled April 5, 2020 / Social Inclusion – Mia, by Put It Back
Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Joe Imbesi
The son of Social Inclusion was never off the board in four starts at 2, three of them wins, including Parx Racing’s Prince Lucky Stakes by 2 lengths and Presque Isle’s Mark McDermott Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths. Gordian Knot concluded his season with a third in the Pennsylvania Nursery and ranked as the leading PA-Bred 2-year-old male with earnings of $245,800.
Broodmare of the Year: ZEEZEE ZOOMZOOM
Dam of Caravel and Witty
Owned by Elizabeth M. Merryman
Two of the first three foals out of Lizzie Merryman’s winning daughter of Congrats are 2022 PA-Bred stakes winners and finalists for Iroquois awards. Daughter Caravel became a millionaire and Grade 1 winner after a thrilling victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint-G1 over males, one of her five stakes wins during the tear. Witty scored in Laurel’s Spectacular Bid Stakes in January, winning by nearly 8 lengths, and added a victory in Delaware Park’s Stanton Stakes that summer.
Horse of the Year: CARAVEL
Gr/ro, M, foaled March 1, 2017 / Mizzen Mast – Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman
The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint-G1 over males was the biggest of five wins from eight starts for Caravel, Pennsylvania’s richest state0bred of 2022. Racing exclusively in stakes, she started the year at Turfway with a win in, fittingly, the Queen Stakes, added Belmont’s Intercontinental-G3 and Saratoga’s Smart N Fancy, and finished the year with back-to-back scores at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Franklin and Breeders’ Cup. She earned $930,983.
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