PHBA - Champions

2010 PENNSYLVANIA-BRED CHAMPIONS

Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association has named its champions and leaders for 2010, based upon the unanimous recommendation of its Awards Committee. They are:

PA-Bred Champion Two Year Old Male
RUSTLER HUSTLER
Bred by Mark Stanley
(Ch.c., 2008, Ecton Park - Cozzy Temper, by Cozzene.)

Winner of three of six starts in 2010, including a victory in the Continental Mile Stakes at Monmouth Park. He then came back to a one and three-quarter-length score in the Gnome's Gold Stakes at Belmont Park. Rustler Hustler earned $174,470 in 2010, finishing off the board only once.

PA-Bred Champion Two Year Old Filly
TWELVE PACK SHELLY
Bred by Sycamore Hall Farm LLC
(B.f., 2008, Deputy Storm - So Smashing, by Two Punch)

Twelve Pack Shelly began her season in early April with a track record-setting maiden score at Laurel Park. Three weeks later, facing boys for the second time, she finished a close third to Lou Brissie and Boys At Tosconova in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes-G3 at Churchill Downs. She counted stakes victories in the Colleen Stakes (over R Heat Lightning) at Monmouth and Miss Shenandoah Stakes at Charles Town, and was second in the Maryland Million Lassie. Twelve Pack Shelly won four of seven starts and earned $191,600.

PA-Bred Champion Three Year Old Male
ROADHOG
Bred by Ellendale Racing LLC
(Ch.g., 2007, Bowman's Band - Little Wing, by Allen's Prospect)

Roadhog won three of eight starts in 2010, all on the turf. He broke his maiden at Monmouth Park and went on to capture a Philadelphia Park allowance race, before capping the year off with a score in Philadelphia Park’s Alphabet Soup Handicap against older horses. He earned $160,894 in 2010.

PA-Bred Champion Three-Year-Old Filly
FUGITIVE ANGEL
Bred by George Strawbridge Jr's Augustin Stable
(B.f., 2007, Alphabet Soup - Screening, by Unbridled)

Fugitive Angel won four of her five starts in 2010. She swept her first four starts of the season, including the Russian Rhythm (at Penn National), Malvern Rose (Presque Isle) and Pin Oak Valley View Stakes-G3 (Keeneland), bankrolling $211,382.

Champion Older Male
MOON ROYAL
Bred by Max Pearson Stables LLC
(Ch.g., 2006, Mojave Moon - Elusive Crown, by Royal Academy)

Moon Royal had a very productive year, winning five of his 12 starts. Along with several allowance events, he took the Lyman Handicap at Philadelphia Park by four and a quarter lengths. Moon Royal earned $204,498 and brought his lifetime earnings to $264,198.

Champion Older Female & Sprinter
SWEET AUGUST MOON
Bred by Maple Leaf Farm
(Br.m., 2005, Malibu Moon - Silent Academy, by Royal Academy)

Sweet August Moon had a spectacular season in 2010, winning two graded stakes races in California and clinching two Pennsylvania-bred championships. She won the seven-furlong A Gleam Handicap-G2 at Hollywood Park and followed up with a hard-fought victory in the six and a half-furlong Rancho Bernardo Handicap-G3 at Del Mar. Sweet August Moon finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint-G1 and earned $224,294 during the season.

Turf Horse
SAHPRESA
Bred by Douglas McIntyre
(B.m., 2005, Sahm - Sorpresa, by Pleasant Tap)

Sahpresa defended her 2009 title in this category with another noteworthy season. She started only five times during the year, but landed the Prix du Pin Stakes-G3 in France and repeated her 2009 victory in the Sun Chariot Stakes-G1 at Newmarket in England. She then shipped to Hong Kong, where she faced males in the Hong Kong Mile-G1 and finished third. Sahpresa earned $629,711 and became Pennsylvania's latest millionaire, with a career total of $1,268,097.

Steeplechase Horse
NATIONBUILDER
Bred by George Strawbridge Jr's Augustin Stable
(Br.g., 2004, Came Home - Seattle Bay, by Opening Verse)

Nationbuilder won two of five starts in 2010 - the $50,000 Queens Cup MPC Chase Hurdle Stakes in April at Charlotte and $100,000 Foxbrook Champion Hurdle Stakes in October at Far Hills - and was second in the AFLAC Supreme Hurdle at Pine Mountain. He earned $107,000, bringing his lifetime earnings to $276,066.

Leading Breeding Fund Award Recipient
Sylmar Farm (Ronald & Betsy Houghton)
Sylmar Farm defended its 2009 title as the 2010 leading breeder award recipient. The Houghtons earned $153,852 from the Breeding Fund.

Leading Overall Breeder Of PA-Breds
GEORGE STRAWBRIDGE, JR. (AUGUSTIN STABLE) -
George Strawbridge Jr.'s Augustin Stable again claimed this award, with $1,921,465 in earnings in North America and Europe. Augustin Stable was the breeder of 2010 Pennsylvania-bred champions Fugitive Angel and Nationbuilder.

Leading Stallion
BANKER'S GOLD

Banker's Gold led all Pennsylvania stallions with $39,216 in stallion awards.