NEWS
Lights On Broadway named Texas Horse of the Year
Posted: Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Lights On Broadway, a son of Majestic Light who won three stakes in 2001, was named Texas Horse of the Year and champion older horse/gelding at the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) annual awards banquet on January 19 in Austin.
Bred by McDermott Ranch, owned by Joe McDermott and George Slater, and trained by Bubba Cascio, the five-year-old won four of 14 starts and earned $228,300 in 2001. Lights On Broadway's victories included the Assault Stakes at Lone Star Park and the Star of Texas Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park, a race he also won in 2000.
Lights On Broadway also won the Chick Lang Jr. Memorial Handicap at Retama Park. He has won eight of 26 career starts with five seconds and three thirds for $341,895 in earnings.
Billie Courtney's Nanie's Dinner, the 2000 Texas champion three-year-old filly, was named champion older female for 2001 after winning three of seven starts last year with two second-place finishes and earnings of $133,350. The five-year-old daughter of State Dinner won the Sangue Handicap and Honeymoon Stakes at Louisiana Downs and the Allen Bogan Memorial Stakes at Lone Star.
Larry Dyson's Rare Cure was named champion three-year-old colt or gelding for 2001. The son of Rare Brick won five of 15 starts last year, including wins in the Governor's Cup Handicap at Retama and Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs, for $127,140 in earnings.
Herman and Mary Motley's homebred Miss Photogenic was the top three-year-old filly in 2001. The daughter of You and I had six wins and two seconds in ten starts, including victories in the Dixie Miss Stakes at Louisiana Downs and Cy-Fair Stakes at Sam Houston.
Nuclear Assembly was named champion two-year-old colt/gelding after winning four of six starts for owners and breeders Boyd Hodges and Temple Tucker and trainer Davidson. The son of Naevus won the TTA Futurity at Lone Star, setting a new track record of 0:57.41 for five furlongs, and the Pioneer Stakes at Louisiana Downs. He earned $174,420 in 2001.
Kenneth Murphy's Miss Ritzwon the crown as the best two-year-old filly in 2001 after winning three of eight starts and earning $138,773. The daughter of Spend a Buck won the Silver Spur Stakes at Lone Star and Friendship Stakes at Louisiana Downs.
Island Dance, a 14-year-old daughter of Island Whirl and the dam of Nanie's Dinner, was named the Texas Broodmare of the Year, while 2001 North American leading freshman sire Valid Expectations was honored as the state's leading freshman sire for 2001.
Other individuals honored at the ceremony included: McDermott Ranch (breeder of the year); Leland and Sue Cook (T. I. "Pops" Harkins Award for lifetime achievement); Lee Ackerley (Allen Bogan Memorial Award); consignor Kirsten Johnson (Joseph R. Straus Sr. Award for membership recruitment); and Patricia Norman (Accredited Texas-Bred Program Award).—Adam Bruns
