Page 54 - NM Spring 2019

ZIA AWARDS BANQUET
The NMHBA Honors its 2018 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse Champions
Zia Awards • January 24, 2019
Albuquerque Mariott Uptown Hotel • Albuquerque, NM
Presentation & Banquet photos courtesy Susan Bachelor, Speedhorse • Story by Michael Cusortelli
The New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association honored its 2018 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse Champions during its Zia Awards Banquet at the Albuquerque Mariott Uptown Hotel in Albuquerque on January 24. During the banquet, a total of 18 awards were presented.
W.L. Mooring and Frank Richardson received the “Julep Cup” award from The Blood-Horse. Mooring and Richardson were the breeders of Thunder Dome, last year’s NMHBA Champion Older Horse or Gelding. A 5-year-old gelding by Dome and the Hadif mare Lauren Lynn, Thunder Dome won three stakes from 11 starts and earned $308,580
in 2018 for her owners, M.H. Carson, W.D. Carson, and Leach Racing LLC.
In addition to Thunder Dome, the fol- lowing Thoroughbreds were honored for
their 2018 accomplishments on the racetrack: Explosive Spy (Champion Older Mare; owned and bred by Michael G. Weatherly), Hen- nessy Express (Champion 3-Year-Old Filly; owned and bred by Dale F. Taylor), Blazing Navarone (Champion 3-Year-Old Colt/Geld-
ing (owned by George Coleman and E. Henry Dominguez; bred by Lucky Six Inc.), Roll
On Matilda (Champion 2-Year-Old Filly; owned by Raymond L. Gilder; bred by Fred Alexander and Todd Fincher), and Hustle Up (Champion 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding; owned by Dale F. Taylor Racing LLC, Bobby J. Mc- Queen, and Suzanne Kirby; bred by Brad E. King and Todd Fincher).
The following Thoroughbred stallions
and broodmares were also honored: Lauren Lynn (Champion Broodmare; owned by W.L. Mooring and Frank Richardson), Attila’s Storm (Champion Stallion; owned by R.D. Hubbard), and Abstraction (Champion Fresh- man Stallion; owned by Abstraction Partner- ship and Susie Prather).
On the Quarter Horse side, Major Bites was honored as the 2018 NMHBA Cham- pion Older Horse or Gelding. A 6-year-old gelded son of Jesse James Jr owned by Israel Bordier and bred by Carlos F. Paez, Major Bites earned $458,000 from seven races last year, and his five stakes wins included the
440-yard, $200,000 Zia Park Championship (G1) on December 2. The gelding also won the 440-yard, $170,000 Namehimastreaker New Mexico Cup Championship (RG1) for the second consecutive season.
The following Quarter Horses were also honored for their accomplishments on the track: Mamacita Cartel (Champion Older Mare; owned and bred by David V. Bloomer), Everybuddys Talkin (Champion 3-Year-Old Filly; owned by Eric Pineda; bred by Bauer Farm), Jesse Lane (Champion 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding; owned and bred by MJ Farms), Jess Fire Chick (Champion 2-Year-Old Filly; owned by Mike C. Abraham and Paul Blanchard; bred by Mike C. Abraham), and No Mires A La Luna (Champion 2-Year-Old Colt/ Gelding; owned by David G. Valdez and Byron R. Woodard; bred by Byron R. Woodard).
The following Quarter Horse stallions and broodmares were honored: Dyna Mo Rime (Champion Broodmare; owned by Carlos F. Paez) and First Moonflash (Champion Stallion; owned by Pierre J. Amestoy Jr., Maria G. Gon- zalez, and Mike C. Abraham).
52 New Mexico Horse Breeder