Champions for 2020 named

Whistle Stop Cafe, unbeaten in six starts, was honored as the 2020 Quarter Horse World Champion, the breed’s equivalent of Horse of the Year, in a ceremony at the Heritage Place sales pavilion in Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Owned by Whitmire Ranch and trained by Blane Wood, Whistle Stop Cafe was also named overall champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old filly. Whistle Stop Cafe’s season was highlighted by wins in the Rainbow and All American futurities at Ruidoso Downs in July and September. Whistle Stop Cafe earned $1,974,986 in 2020, which led the breed.

“She’s a one in a lifetime

horse,” Wood said. “We’re lucky to have her.”

In other awards for 2-yearolds, Dulce Sin Tacha, the winner of Texas Classic Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in November, was named outstanding colt, and Apollitical Gold, third in the All American and the winner of the Golden State Million Futurity at Los Alamitos in November, was honored as outstanding gelding.

Tell Cartel, the winner of three derbies at Los Alamitos, was honored as overall champion 3-year-old and 3-year-old colt. Ratification, who won the first runnings of the Rainbow and All American Oaks at Ruidoso Downs in the summer, was the champion 3-year-old filly. Cers Final Try, who won the Rainbow Derby and was third in the All American Derby, was recognized as champion 3-yearold gelding.

The aged champion title for older horses went to Danjer, the winner of two major stakes at The Downs at Albuquerque in the fall. Danjer was voted champion aged gelding. Curls Happy Wagon, who won three stakes at Remington Park and Los Alamitos, was honored as champion aged mare, while Eagles Fly Higher, a stakes winner at Remington Park and Prairie Meadows, was the top aged stallion.

Madewell, a two-time stakes winner at Albuquerque, was honored as champion distance horse.

Among people, Bobby Cox of Fort Worth was honored as champion breeder for the third time. Cox bred Whistle Stop Cafe and bred and raced Ratification.

Mimi Wells, who raced Tell Cartel, won the champion owner award for the first time. Eddie Willis, based in Oklahoma, was recognized as champion trainer. His 2020 stable included Apollitical Gold.

James Flores, the leading rider at Remington Park’s prestigious winter-spring meeting, was the champion jockey for the second consecutive season.