The best breeders in Ontario were celebrated Wednesday night (June 10) at the 42nd annual Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's (CTHS) awards dinner at Royal Woodbine Golf Club in Toronto. The highly anticipated evening honoured the 2025 outstanding achievements of breeders in Canada's biggest racing jurisdiction as the 2026 season is in full swing.
Founded in 1906, the CTHS ensures a viable future for the sport through representing breeders across Canada with a mandate to organize sales and promote the purchase of Canadian Thoroughbreds. Its members contribute significantly to the agricultural economy, and the Ontario awards night showcased the immense dedication, investment and commitment its members have to horse racing.
"We had another sellout crowd celebrating not only our beloved horses, but the people who all make it happen," said CTHS president David Anderson. "Our breeders are the foundation of this industry and it's a very special night to honour these passionate stakeholders."
The evening featured many highlights including acknowledging the vast excellence with nearly four dozen breeders producing 51 horses who won a combined 67 stakes races in 2025.
The packed room rose for a standing ovation when Dom Romeo of Terra Racing Stables was announced as the Mint Julep Cup recipient for his lifetime contribution and tireless dedication to the horse breeding industry.
"I started racing in the '70's," said Romeo. "We claimed a horse [Two Times Henry] from Conn Smythe. So, you know how far back I'm going... In the mid-'80s, I started to breed, and we pretty well bred all of our horses...The first two horses we bred were Bold n' Flashy and Flashy n Smart and they were very good stake horses, and then we got kind of lucky later on."
Romeo purchased his first mare, Flashy Chestnut, nearly 42 years ago at the CTHS sale. The mare laid the foundation for success and is the granddam of Terra Racing's 2010 Queen's Plate champion Big Red Mike. Other notable yearlings bred by Romeo include 2024 Sovereign Award Champion Older Dirt Female Fashionably Fab, 2021 Sovereign Award Champion Female Sprinter Amalfi Coast and the aforementioned multiple stakes winner Bold n' Flashy.
Romeo emphasized his appreciation for the people that support his operation including his two sons, Frank and Mark and his two grandsons, Mike and Justin as well as staff Dan Moody and Mary Ellen before acknowledging the outstanding trainers he has had the pleasure of working with.
"I'd also like to thank our trainers," said Romeo. "We had Debbie England, as well as Nick and Martha Gonzalez, and now we have Kevin [Attard]. We started with Kevin when he first started training and we all know how well Kevin has done in racing. We have been very blessed with good trainers and good people."
Additional CTHS honours were awarded to Chiefswood Stable for Breeder of the Year. Chiefswood horses accumulated nearly $1.9 million in earnings in 2025. Top 2025 Chiefswood horses include Grade 3 winners Simcoe and Borealis Trail, along with Piper's Gift, a winner of three out of five 2025 starts and also the winner of the Fury Stakes this Saturday (June 6). Chiefswood was also voted both Outstanding Breeder and Outstanding Owner at the 2025 Sovereign Awards announced in April.
Representing Robert and Mark Krembil was Chiefswood's general manager, Rob Landry. He emphasized the commonality that united those in attendance and how well Canadian-bred horses did beyond our borders.
"It's a love, and I think everyone involved in this sport puts the horse first," said Landry. "Canada as whole and our breed are competitive in the U.S. and this has a lot to do with the effort that everyone puts forth to try to produce a really, really good horse. When you're around your horse and get to see them foal and get to see them grow up, you treat them like your kids and it's nice see when they go out there and perform well."
The 2025 CTHS award for Outstanding Farm Worker went to Colebrook Farms' Gail Bosscher, whose daughter - trainer and owner Denyse McClachrie - and granddaughter, who works for Bosscher, were in attendance to share in the excitement. For her part, Bosscher was astonished to learn she'd receive the award.
"I was dumbfounded [when I learned I had won the award]," said Bosscher. "I said, 'Pardon? How did that happen?' I was shocked. I've never really been in the limelight. I've always kind of been behind [the scenes]."
Dixie Chicken, whose eligible progeny earned more than $2 million in 2025 - topped by Dixie Moon ($632,301) - took home Top Broodmare honours.
The top stallions in 2025 were: the late Souper Speedy, with more than $3.8 million in progeny earnings last year, followed by Reload in second place with progeny earnings of more than $2.9 million in 2025 and Silent Name (JPN) in third with total progeny earnings of $2.1 million. Souper Speedy (Indian Charlie - Speed Succeeds, by Gone West) was foaled in 2009. After a racing career that included winning the 2013 Grade 3 Jaipur stakes at Belmont Park, Souper Speedy went on to become Canada's leading sire with earnings of close to $14 million U.S.
As part of the evening's festivities, the Jockey Club of Canada recognized Bruno Schickendanz as top owner.
CTHS members are in the midst of a busy foaling season and look forward to the the 2026 Canadian Sales Stakes Series (open to Canadian-Breds) on Aug. 30 at Woodbine Racetrack including the Muskoka Stakes (2-year-old fillies), Simcoe Stakes (2-year-old colts & geldings), Elgin Stakes (3 & 4-year-old colts & geldings) and Algoma Stakes (3 & 4-year-old fillies & mares) worth a combined $600,000 in purses. The Canadian Stakes Series is followed by the Canadian Premier Yearling Sale on Sept. 2.
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