Presented virtually the week of Feb. 22, the fourth annual Renaissance Awards, a collaborative effort between the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and Maryland Jockey Club, was highlighted by Knicks Go (Paynter) earning the title of Maryland Horse of the Year and champion older horse for the 2020 season. Owned by Korea Racing Authority and trained by Brad H. Cox, the grey capped off an impressive year with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland in November. He is only the fifth Maryland-bred to win a Breeders' Cup race.
Other Divisional champions:
Champion 2-year-old male: Jaxon Traveler (Munnings).
Bred by Dr. and Mrs. A. Leonard Pineau; owned by West Point Tbreds & Marvin Delfiner; trained by Steven M. Asmussen.
Champion 2-year-old filly: Street Lute (Street Magician).
Bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman; owned by Lucky 7 Stables; trained by John J. Robb.
Champion 3-year-old male: Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid).
Bred by Mark Brown Grier; owned by Three Diamonds Farm; trained by Michael J. Maker.
Champion 3-year-old filly and champion turf runner: Sharing (Speightstown).
Bred by Sagamore Farm; owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); trained by H. Graham Motion.
Champion older female: Never Enough Time (Munnings).
Bred and owned by R. Larry Johnson; trained by Michael J. Trombetta.
Champion sprinter: Laki (Cuba).
Bred by Tom Michaels and Lorna Baker; owned by Hillside Equestrian Meadows; trained by Damon R. Dilodovico.
Also earning an award, Angie Moore, breeder of 2020 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and champion older male Knicks Go, was crowned the Maryland Breeder of the Year, while Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds LLC and Hillwood Stable LLC's Love's Reason, dam of 2019 Maryland-bred champion older female Majestic Reason, won Maryland Broodmare of the Year and Northview Stallion Station's Great Notion took home the title of Maryland Stallion of the Year for the fifth consecutive year.
Other award winners for 2020 include Robert Bone, Maryland Owner of the Year; Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland Trainer of the Year; Trevor McCarthy, Maryland Jockey of the Year. Edgar Gallegos was honored as the Pimlico Backstretch Worker of the Year, while Antonio Lopez Salazar earned the title of Laurel Backstretch Employee of the Year, and jockey Victor Carrasco was recognized as the MTHA's Unsung Hero.
To watch the video announcements for each category, visit www.MarylandThoroughbred.com.
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