Gainesway Stable's Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) was named 2022 New York-bred Horse of the Year–as well as champion 3-year-old filly and champion female turf horse–at the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.'s annual awards ceremony, sponsored by the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, at Saratoga National Golf Course Monday evening.
Now four, the filly won a pair of graded events last spring before heading overseas for a runner-up effort in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot. She returned Stateside to win the GI Del Mar Oaks in August.
“It's amazing having homebreds perform so well,” said Gainesway's Antony Beck. “She's a machine, an incredibly athletic, very well-balanced filly with an amazing hind leg. She has superb action and power and seems to be extremely intelligent and likes to win. That's what you want.”
Spendarella's success also earned her dam, Spanish Bunny, the honor of New York Broodmare of the Year. The 17-year-old foaled a full-brother to Spendarella in late April. The daughter of Unusual Heat was sent to Sequel New York to be bred to Destin, a stallion co-owned by Gainesway, and foaled New York-breds Spendarella in 2019 and a Destin filly Spanish Destiny in 2020.
“We were supporting Destin's early stallion career, that's how Spendarella became a New York-bred,” said Beck. “New York is an important market and state for racing and we're very excited to have horses on the farm who performed well in New York.”
Other 2022 New York-bred champions named Monday evening include: 2-Year-Old Filly Les Bons Temps (Laoban); 2-Year-Old Male Acoustic Ave. (Maclean's Music); 3-Year-Old Male Rotknee (Runhappy); Older dirt female and female sprinter Bank Sting (Central Banker); Older dirt male Americanrevolution (Constitution); Male sprinter Wudda U Think Now (Fast Anna); Male Turf Horse City Man (Mucho Macho Man); Steeplechase horse Down Royal (Alphabet Soup).
Chester and Mary Broman were named the state's breeder of the year, while Christophe Clement was named trainer of the year and Manny Franco was named jockey of the year.
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