In an evening at the Kentucky Castle in Woodford County, racing royalty shined Sept. 10 as the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced its national award winners while celebrating many other horses and humans who move the sport forward.
That royalty appropriately included another big night for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation, which again walked away with national awards as Owner of the Year and Breeder of the Year for accomplishments of 2025, but it also included individuals such as Christine Connelly's Bright View Farm and Gregory Kilka.
Bright View Farm and Kilka walked away with the Small Breeder of the Year Award behind the success of New Jersey-bred Book'em Danno, a Bucchero gelding who won three graded stakes in 2025, including the Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
"I was there when he was born. I didn't deliver him, but I was there," Connelly said. "I said to him what I do for every foal. I said, 'Make something of yourself. Run faster than all the other horses. Put yourself on the map. Put the farm on the map.'
"I have to say, he was the only one who ever listened."
That drew a big laugh from plenty of owners and breeders familiar with the sport's challenges who gathered Thursday evening in a large outdoor tent at the castle.
While Godolphin again enjoyed many success stories throughout 2025, Sheikh Mohammed's international racing and breeding operation all but locked up those top TOBA awards in early May when homebred Good Cheer won the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Sovereignty followed the next day with a victory in the Kentucky Derby (G1). He would add wins in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1) on his way to a Horse of the Year season.
In accepting the breeder award, Godolphin United States farm manager Danny Mulvihill credited all of the people behind the scenes that make the international racing and breeding operation a success.
"We've got a phenomenal team across the board. Looking at our table over there alone, we've got a combined 209 years of service to Godolphin," Mulvihill said. "We've got a crew of guys back on all the farms who put in the hard work. Everybody knows in this room it is far more likely for things to go wrong than for everything to line up to go right. And to get these horses to the level to give us that weekend we had on the first weekend in May, everything had to go right at every step of the way."
That big weekend also included a pair of classic wins overseas, as noted by director of bloodstock for Godolphin USA, Michael Banahan.
"No owner/breeder had won the Oaks and Derby in over 70 years—a lifetime for most people," Banahan said. "I would probably say that winning those four classics on one weekend will never be done again by a single owner/breeder. So we appreciate it."
The Cot Campbell Partnership of the Year award proved extra special for winner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, where founder Aron Wellman serves as president. In 2013, Campbell's Dogwood Stable partnership merged with Eclipse. Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Journalism helped Eclipse to the top of the sport in 2025.
"It's an honor to accept this award on behalf of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners," said Eclipse vice president of bloodstock Sean Tugel. "Thank you to TOBA for this meaningful acknowledgement.
"Cot Campbell was a trailblazer who reshaped racehorse ownership, a lasting impact with which we all see today with the prevalence of racing partnerships. Cot was an icon of the sport and, sentimentally, a mentor to Eclipse, which makes winning this award named in his honor all that much more humbling."
Puca Among Other Honorees
TOBA previously had announced winners of Broodmare of the Year, Claiming Crown Horse of the Year, the Dr. J. David Richardson Industry Service Award, and Sport Horse of the Year. They also were recognized Thursday evening.
The Broodmare of the Year award went to Puca, dam of classic winners Mage and Dornoch as well as grade 1 winner Baeza.
READ: Puca Named 2025 Broodmare of the Year
Robert Clay's Grandview Equine got Puca's broodmare career started after buying her for $475,000 in foal to Gun Runner out of Denali Stud's consignment at Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale in 2018. Clay subsequently bred her to Good Magic the next two years and caught lightning in a bottle—twice. Mage won the 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Dornoch landed the 2024 Belmont Stakes (G1). In 2025, Baeza followed with a win in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1).
Clay accepted the award on behalf of the 14-year-old daughter of Big Brown.
Grandview eventually sold Puca for $2.9 million to Resolute Racing's John Stewart at the 2023 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale through Case Clay Thoroughbred Management as the consignor. Puca was back on the auction stage in 2025 at Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale, where a packed sale pavilion watched her sell for $5 million to Ace Stud under the name Raging Torrent Syndicate. ELiTE consigned Puca at the Fasig-Tipton sale.
Frank Rupolo's Big Frank Stable's Concrete Glory was named Claiming Crown Horse of the Year. Claimed 24 races ago for Gulfstream Park's bottom-level $6,250 Dec. 9, 2022, the Pennsylvania-bred gelding won the $102,000 Claiming Crown Ready's Rocket Express for the second straight year at Churchill Downs for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
READ: Concrete Glory Named Claiming Crown Horse of the Year
The horse means everything to Rupolo, who has been battling multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells.
"This horse keeps me alive, Concrete Glory," Rupolo said ahead of the awards. "I just think about him every day. Six years ago, they told me I had five years, and then three years ago, they told me I got another three, and they keep upping my life with new experiments and drugs, so I'm just riding this wave."
The award was presented by Claiming Crown co-founders, the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and TOBA.
The Richardson Industry Service Award went to ColdSpring Mares founder Bronwyn Watts. Watts was recognized for her pioneering work in equine welfare and her unwavering commitment to both orphan foals and the nurse mares that help save their lives.
Her emotional acceptance speech in which she recalled efforts to address this need in Thoroughbred breeding brought a standing ovation.
"We are a small, hardworking organization, but the need is not small," Watts said. "Every breeder here is one difficult foaling night away from needing someone to answer that call. ColdSpring has to be there when that call comes, and it has to outlast me.
"I began this as a horse girl who simply wanted to make a change. Tonight, I accept this award from everyone who believed that was possible, and most of all from the mares."
The Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year went to owner and rider Allison Smith and Gude Affair.
A former racehorse who has gone on to a successful second career in the hunter/jumper arena, Gude Affair has compiled an impressive record in show jumping competition under Smith's guidance. The 16-year-old Thoroughbred has competed successfully in classes ranging from 1.10 meters through 1.20 meters and recorded multiple victories throughout the 2025 season.
READ: Gude Affair Recognized as Sport Horse of the Year
"Last year I decided that I was going to try everything I could with him," Smith said before the awards. "We did all the different classics I could find, went to different shows, won in Ohio, tried our first Mini Prix, competed at Tryon, and won at the Zone Finals. He handled every challenge we put in front of him."
Winning Breeders
State and Canadian breeders of the year, recognizing achievement in 2025, attended Thursday's dinner and will be honored at a Sept. 11 luncheon at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky.
Profiles of TOBA's Winning Breeders of 2025
Those previously announced winners include:
Marvin Fleming (Fleming Thoroughbred Farm), Arizona; McDowell Farm, Arkansas; Richard Barton Enterprises, California; Chiefswood Stables, Canada (large breeder); Sam-Son Farm, Canada (small breeder); Live Oak Stud, Florida; Greg Justice, Indiana; H. Allen Poindexter, Iowa; Godolphin, Kentucky; Keith Hernandez, Louisiana; R. Larry Johnson, Maryland and Virginia; Bright View Farm (Christine Connelly) and Gregory Kilka, New Jersey; Fred Alexander, New Mexico; Mallory and Karen Mort, New York; Nancy Shuford, North Carolina; T/C Stable, Ohio; Dr. Rodney Earl Orr, Oregon; Warrior's Reward (Donny Brown and Tom McClay), Pennsylvania; Franklin G. Smith; South Carolina; Eric and Randi Moreau-Sipiere, Texas; and Frederick and Debra Pabst, Washington.
