Greg Justice's Justice Farm was honored as the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program's 2025 breeder of the year for the fifth consecutive year and recognized as stallion owner of the year for the third time during the Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association banquet held Jan. 17.
The banquet honored the state's best in Thoroughbred breeding and racing with 21 awards determined by breed development awards earned during 2025.
Justice Farm, a family-owned and -operated farm near Lexington, has been active in the Indiana breeding program for more than 25 years. Last year, the farm earned $397,990 in breeder's awards and $149,885 in stallion owner awards. The farm bred 30 horses that raced in Indiana in 2025 and nearly 80% of them were Indiana-sired and -bred.
Sir Bahjy is Indiana's Horse of the Year with $295,055 in total earnings and $78,200 in breed development awards. Racing at 3 last year, the gelding by Bahjatty out of Proud Dreamer campaigned for Southwest Racing Stables and Bruce and Lori Murphy. He won the $100,000 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Handicap and the $250,000 Unreachable Star Handicap, both non-black-type stakes. He was also runner-up in the black-type Governor's Handicap. All these races were run at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Bruce Murphy, co-owner and -breeder of Sir Bahjy, was honored with ITOBA's Hall of Distinction award for his contributions to Indiana's Thoroughbred program. He is chair of the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Advisory Committee, where he has served for the past five years. He has served on the ITOBA board since 2012 and was president in 2019 and 2020.
Breakway Farm's Unbridled Express (Unbridled's Song—Skye Castles, by Sky Classic) was named Indiana's Breed Development Stallion of the Year, a title he also received for 2019, 2021, and 2022. The stallion is owned by Bernard Flint's LTB Inc. and Ron Hillerich of Hillerich Racing, who have been longtime friends and successful partners in racing for more than 25 years.
In 2025, Unbridled Express earned $106,400 in stallion awards from his progeny who included multiple winners Kingsbury Road, Neon Leon, Annie Express, and black-type stakes-placed winner Eltinge. Kingsbury Road won the non-black-type Strong Tide Overnight Handicap on his way to earning $111,475 for the year.
Proud Dreamer (Proud Citizen—Four Dreams, by War Front ), bred and owned by Bruce Murphy, was named Indiana's Breed Development Broodmare of the Year. Bred and raced by Murphy, Proud Dreamer earned $63,796 while racing at 2 and 3. Sir Bahjy is her first black-type performer out of two foals to race. The mare produced a Qurbaan colt last year and was bred back to Qurbaan.
Watch the archived livestream of the ITOBA banquet on the Thoroughbreds Declassified Podcast.
