Two-Year-Old Filly: CARMELINA
B, F, foaled April 1, 2021 / Maximus Mischief – Complete St., by St Averil
Bred by Lilith E. Boucher
Well-traveled Carmelina recorded four wins at four different tracks, with stakes wins in Colonial Downs’ Keswick, Penn National’s Shamrock Rose and Laurel Park’s Gin Talking. In six starts, she earned $221,800.
Two-Year-Old Male: DRUM ROLL PLEASE
CH, C, foaled February 22, 2021 / Hard Spun – Imply, by E Dubai
Bred by Barlar LLC
Racing exclusively in New York, Drum Roll Please was on the board three times in four starts. His campaign wrapped with a third in the Remsen Stakes-G2 behind Dornoch and Sierra Leone. He recorded his first win in a maiden special weight at Belmont at The Big A meet in October after finishing second behind eventual Grade 1 winner Locked in his second start at Saratoga.
Three-Year-Old Filly: NEECIE MARIE
B, F, foaled May 6, 2020 / Cross Traffic – Lode Lady, by Posse
Bred by Jon A. Marshall
The richest PA-Bred 3-year-old filly of 2023, Neecie Marie made nine starts, won four times and was second twice while amassing more than $265,000. Winner of the Mrs. Penny Stakes in her stakes debut on the PA Day At the Races card, she faced graded company the rest of the year. In New York, she just missed by a neck in the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes-G3 and was second again in the Sands Point-G2.
Three-Year-Old Male: ANGEL OF EMPIRE
B, C, foaled April 9, 2020 / Classic Empire – Armony’s Angel, by To Honor and Serve
Bred by Forgotten Land Investment Inc & Black Diamond Equine Corp
A Grade 1 winner, classic-placed and a millionaire all in one year, Angel of Empire burst onto the scene Jan. 1 with a second-place finish in his stakes debut, Oaklawn Park’s Smarty Jones. He followed with victories in Fair Grounds’ Grade 2 Risen Star and the $1.25-million Arkansas Derby-G1. Sent off as favorite in the Kentucky Derby-G1, he rallied from more than a dozen lengths back to finish third. Next, he deadheated for fourth in the Belmont Stakes-G1, just a little over 2 lengths behind winner Arcangelo, and finished his season with a troubled third, beaten a half length, in Saratoga’s Jim Dandy Stakes-G2. In six starts he earned $1,446,375, tops among all PA-Breds in 2023.
Older Female: CARAVEL
Gr/ro, M, foaled March 1, 2017 / Mizzen Mast – Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman
Kicking off the year with three consecutive stakes scores, which extended her win streak to five, Caravel was the top turf sprinter in the nation after reeling off wins in the Grade 2 Shakertown against males at Keeneland in April and the Unbridled Sidney Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard in May, and recording her second Grade 1 win while taking down males in the Jaipur Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day at Belmont Park, completing 6 furlongs in 1:07.93. She added $652,175 to her bankroll in six starts, the most for any female PA-Bred runner in 2023.
Older Male: NIMITZ CLASS
Dk B/, C, foaled April 1, 2019 / Munnings – Five Diamonds, by Flatter
Bred by Arrowwood Farm
On the board in all nine starts in 2023, Nimitz Class ran a win streak to five in the early months of the year with victories in the John B. Campbell, Harrison E. Johnson Memorial and Native Dancer, all at Laurel Park, and an allowance score at Parx. He recorded his fifth win of the year in the Parx Dirt Mile while defeating multiple Grade 1 winner Gunite. In between were seconds in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile, Deputed Testamo- ny and Storm Cat Stakes and he concluded his season with a third in the M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile. He was the richest PA-Bred older male of the year with earnings of $482,600.
Female Sprinter: CARAVEL
Gr/ro, M, foaled March 1, 2017 / Mizzen Mast – Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman
Kicking off the year with three consecutive stakes scores, which extended her win streak to five, Caravel was the top turf sprinter in the nation after reeling off wins in the Grade 2 Shakertown against males at Keeneland in April and the Unbridled Sidney Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard in May, and recording her second Grade 1 win while taking down males in the Jaipur Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day at Belmont Park, completing 6 furlongs in 1:07.93. She added $652,175 to her bankroll in six starts, the most for any female PA-Bred runner in 2023.
Male Sprinter: TWISTED RIDE
B, G, foaled April 26, 2019 / Great Notion – Diva’s Gold, by Tenpins
Bred by Kasey K Racing Stable
Nine times in 11 starts Twisted Ride came home in the top three, seven in stakes company, all at distances under a mile. From late January through late April he won four straight, including Parx Racing’s Fishtown Stakes and Page McKenney Handicap in gritty fashion, and added a victory in the Banjo Picker Sprint on the PA Day At the Races card in August. He was twice graded stakes-placed in New York with a second in the Grade 3 Runhappy and a third in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler.
Turf Female: CARAVEL
Gr/ro, M, foaled March 1, 2017 / Mizzen Mast – Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman
Kicking off the year with three consecutive stakes scores, which extended her win streak to five, Caravel was the top turf sprinter in the nation after reeling off wins in the Grade 2 Shakertown against males at Keeneland in April and the Unbridled Sidney Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard in May, and recording her second Grade 1 win while taking down males in the Jaipur Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day at Belmont Park, completing 6 furlongs in 1:07.93. She added $652,175 to her bankroll in six starts, the most for any female PA-Bred runner in 2023.
Turf Male: OUR SHOT
CH, G, foaled April 30, 2019 / Kantharos – Fleetheart, by Northern Afleet
Bred by Dr. S. Mark Rayburg Inc.
In six straight races, from Tampa Bay to Saratoga, with stops at Keeneland and Monmouth Park thrown in, Our Shot won three times, with two seconds and a third. He was Grade 2-placed when second in Keeneland’s Woodford Stakes at 51⁄2 furlongs on the turf, and added turf stakes-placings in Monmouth’s Get Serious and Saratoga’s Harvey Pack.
PA-Preferred Female: AOIFE’S MAGIC
Ch, F, foaled May 5, 2021 / Smarty Jones – Polarized, by Drosselmeyer
Bred by Mohns Hill Farm LLC
Aoife’s Magic’s perfect 4-for-4 season, by an average winning margin of more than 51⁄2 lengths, included stakes scores in Parx Racing’s Imply and Miss Behaviour. The daughter of Pennsylvania legend Smarty Jones led all PA-Bred 2-year-olds by earnings with $261,600 (for an average of $65,400 per start).
PA-Preferred Male: Gordian Knot
B, G, foaled April 5, 2020 / Social Inclusion – Mia, by Put It Back
Bred by Mr. & Mrs. Joe Imbesi
Three straight wins, two in stakes, and a third in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx were the highlights of Gordian Knot’s sophomore campaign. Sired in PA by Social Inclusion, the bay gelding captured the Danzig Stakes at Penn National in June, a Parx allowance in July, and scored in the Salvatore M. DeBunda Sprint Stakes against open company in August in his five starts.
Broodmare of the Year: ZEEZEE ZOOMZOOM
Dam of Caravel and Witty
Owned by Elizabeth M. Merryman
Zeezee Zoomzoom’s PA-Bred duo of Caravel and Witty added to their laurels in 2023 with five stakes wins between them and, combined, they earned over $800,000 of their career total $2.46 million. Caravel recorded three stakes wins, including her second career Grade 1 victory when defeating males in the Jaipur Stakes on Belmont Stakes day, and Witty won two stakes and placed in three others.
Horse of the Year: ANGEL OF EMPIRE
B, C, foaled April 9, 2020 / Classic Empire – Armony’s Angel, by To Honor and Serve
Bred by Forgotten Land Investment Inc & Black Diamond Equine Corp
A Grade 1 winner, classic-placed and a millionaire all in one year, Angel of Empire burst onto the scene Jan. 1 with a second-place finish in his stakes debut, Oaklawn Park’s Smarty Jones. He followed with victories in Fair Grounds’ Grade 2 Risen Star and the $1.25-million Arkansas Derby-G1. Sent off as favorite in the Kentucky Derby-G1, he rallied from more than a dozen lengths back to finish third. Next, he deadheated for fourth in the Belmont Stakes-G1, just a little over 2 lengths behind winner Arcangelo, and finished his season with a troubled third, beaten a half length, in Saratoga’s Jim Dandy Stakes-G2. In six starts he earned $1,446,375, tops among all PA-Breds in 2023.