Mobile Bay among Louisiana-bred champions

The hard-knocking Mobile Bay was among the honorees as the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association announced the results of voting in various categories for the 2016 Accredited Louisiana-Bred Champions.

The state’s divisional champions and Broodmare of the Year award are selected by a vote of the membership, while honors for leading stallions and leading breeders are based on statistics. The winners will be honored at the organization’s annual meeting, June 10 at Evangeline Downs; Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year honors will also be revealed that night.

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Mobile Bay, who races as a homebred for Tigertail Ranch, burst onto the scene in 2015 by winning the Grade 2 Super Derby. He didn’t slow in 2016, taking three stakes to secure Louisiana-bred honors. He won the Sunland Park Handicap and Maxxam Gold Cup against open company before concluding his season with a 4 3/4-length score in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic, in a field including The Pickett Factor and Sunbean. Mobile Bay opened his 2017 season by winning the Louisiana-Bred Premier Night Champions Stakes, and has pushed his career earnings past the million-dollar mark.

Powered by Mobile Bay, Irwin Olian of Tigertail Ranch was recognized as Louisiana’s outstanding breeder. Relentless Racing LLC and Warren J. Harang III fnished in a tie for high-percentage breeder.

Tip Tap Tapizar (2-year-old male) and Mr. Al’s Gal (2-year-old filly) were honored as outstanding Louisiana-bred juveniles. Tip Tap Tapizar acquitted himself well against open company in 2016, winning the Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park, finishing second in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, and third in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor, which was won by eventual Eclipse Award winner Classic Empire.

Other equine honorees are Big World (3-year-old filly), Extra Credit (3-year-old male), and Wheatfield (older female).

Half Ours, who stands at Clear Creek Stud in Folsom, was Louisiana’s top stallion for 2016, while Pentatonic earned Broodmare of the Year honors.