Award Winner brings more graded glory to his dam

The stellar broodmare Devine Actress recorded her third graded stakes winner when her son Award Winner, a homebred for John and Jerry Amerman’s Amerman Racing, posted a head upset victory in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita.

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Award Winner, a 5-year-old Ghostzapper gelding who was Grade 2-placed in 2019, was saddled by David Hofmans. The trainer also conditioned Devine Actress for the Amermans, with the Theatrical filly winning three of six career starts, including the 2010 Santa Lucia Stakes.

“I was so happy when John asked me to take the horse because I wanted to train her offspring because they are all wonderful,” Hofmans said. “It’s kind of a dream come true.”

Award Winner joins half-brothers Oscar Performance and Oscar Nominated, both by Kitten’s Joy, as graded stakes winners. Oscar Performance earned more than $2.3 million while winning seven graded stakes, including Grade 1 triumphs in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, 2017 Belmont Derby and Secretariat Stakes, and 2018 Woodbine Mile. Millionaire Oscar Nominated was a three-time Grade 3 winner and was also multiple Grade 1-placed.

Oscar Performance, whose first foals are yearlings of 2021, stands at Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington, Ky., where his dam is also boarded for the Amermans. The 16-year-old mare has an unraced 2-year-old Kitten’s Joy filly named Kioni, and a yearling full brother named Act Three, foaled in May 2020. She was bred to Uncle Mo for this year.