Jessies First Down named World Champion Quarter Horse
Jessies First Down, a winner of five stakes at five tracks in three states, was named the 2016 World Champion Quarter Horse in a ceremony at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City on Wednesday evening.
Jessies First Down won 8 of 13 starts and earned $430,042 in 2016, winning stakes at Hialeah Park, Sam Houston, Lone Star Park, Zia Park, and Sunland Park. A 5-year-old in 2016, Jessies First Down was named the champion aged horse and champion aged gelding.
Owned by Ted Abrams and trained by Judd Kearl, Jessies First Down ended the year with a win in the Championship at Sunland Park on Dec. 31. He also was second in the All American Gold Cup at Ruidoso Downs.
On Wednesday, Quarter Horse awards were presented in human and equine categories in a format slightly different from the Eclipse Awards for Thoroughbreds. Quarter Horse racing recognizes a champion colt, female, and gelding in each of the following categories: 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and aged runners. An overall champion is then named for each group.
Imperial Eagle, the winner of the All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs and two other major stakes in New Mexico in the fall, was honored as the overall champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old gelding. Owned by Charles Robinson and trained by Tony Sedillo, Imperial Eagle won 6 of 9 starts and earned $1,721,507. Imperial Eagle won the Southwest Juvenile Championship at Zia Park in November and the Sunland Park Winter Juvenile Championship on Dec. 31.
A Revenant, who won the Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in July, was honored as champion 2-year-old colt. Coronas First Diva was the champion 2-year-old filly. She won the Oklahoma Futurity at Remington Park in April and was third in the All American Futurity.
EC Jet One, who won three derbies, including the All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs in September, was the overall champion 3-year-old and champion 3-year-old colt.
Zoomin For Spuds, the winner of the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos in December, was named champion 3-year-old gelding. Volcom Bay, whose best stakes result was a second in the Ruidoso Derby, was named champion 3-year-old filly.
Moonin the Eagle, whose stakes wins included the Hialeah Maturity last January, was honored as champion aged stallion. Sass Me Blue, the winner of the Mildred Vessels Handicap for fillies and mares, was recognized as champion aged mare.
Corona Boy, the winner of two stakes at Zia Park in October, was named champion distance horse for wins at 870 yards.
Bobby Cox was recognized as champion breeder. His runners earned more than $3.1 million. Russ and Lisa Stooks were honored as champion owners. Racing as Lucky Seven Ranch, they won major stakes at Los Alamitos with Sass Me Blue and Lotta Blues Man.
Esgar Ramirez, the regular rider of Imperial Eagle, was named champion jockey for the first time. Kearl, the trainer of Jessies First Down, was recognized as champion trainer, ending a 14-year run by Paul Jones. Aside from Jessies First Down, Kearl also trained the champions EC Jet One and Volcom Bay.