Niarchos family named outstanding breeders of Breeders’ Cup

The Niarchos family, operating under the name of Flaxman Holdings Ltd., earned the fourth annual John Deere Award as outstanding breeders of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

The award winner is determined by the breeder earning the highest number of points in the 71 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races and the 13 races that comprise the Breeders’ Cup program. Winners of a Grade/Group 1 race received 10 points, while Grade/Group 2 winners earned six points, Grade/Group 3 winners earned four points, and winners of an ungraded stakes in the series earned two points.

The Niarchos family earned 54 points during the 2014 series, accumulated by four horses which the family bred or co-bred. The group was highlighted by Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Main Sequence, and Mile winner Karakontie. Also earning points for the Niarchos family were Tapestry, winner of the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, and John F. Kennedy, who won the Group 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Trial.

“Over the years, the Niarchos family has enjoyed outstanding success at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and has been tremendous supporters of the event since its beginnings,” said Craig Fravel, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Ltd. “We congratulate them on winning this year’s John Deere Award, punctuated by brilliant performances from Main Sequence and Karakontie on Breeders’ Cup Saturday.”

The Niarchos family has been highly successful at the Breeders’ Cup, campaigning two-time Mile winner Miesque and 1987 Mile winner Spinning World as homebreds. The family also owned Mile winners Domedriver and Six Perfections.

Juddmonte Farms finished second in the John Deere Award standings with 30 points, represented by Grade/Group 1 winners Kingman, Emollient, and Full Mast.

The Niarchos family became the fourth breeder to win the John Deere Award in as many years, following Ken and Sarah Ramsey in 2011, Morton Fink in 2012, and Dr. Christian Berglar in 2013.