Q-RACING JOURNAL—JANUARY 22, 2016—The 2015 champion racing American Quarter Horses have been announced, and a discussion of the freshly-crowned champions is at hand. So here are a few thoughts.

This year our champions made a combined 80 starts, and won 59 of them. Moonist was the champion that fans got to see most, with 10 starts in the year. The group combined to earn 19,821,204 last year alone. Two of them have earned championship honors before.

California produced the most champions this year, with four. Texas and Washington each produced two champions. Other states or provinces producing a champion include Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Ontario.

First, before we dive into the pedigrees, let’s give a nod to world champion Heza Dasha Fire’s blood. Sire Walk Thru Fire is a 19-year-old son of First Down Dash, and this is his second world champion in two years (he is also the sire of 2013 world champion Last To Fire).

Heza Dasha Fire’s dam, Dasha Freda, accomplishes a rare task by producing not just one, but two, champions in a single year, and that from a pool of only three starters in 2015. (Incidentally, even the non-champion sibling who raced last year was a stakes winner.) The two-champion/one-year trick has been accomplished by six other mares in the past: Femme (Deceptively and Femmes Frolic, 1992); Garrett’s Miss Pawhuska (Vannevar and Vanetta Dee in 1957, Vanetta Dee and Vandy’s Flash in 1958); Marketina (TB) (Sgt Pepper Feature and Leading Star, 1982); My Dashing Lady (Brenda Beautiful and Noconi, 2008); Trippy Dip (TB) (Calyx and Florentine, 1987); and Twist A Fleet (Apprehend and Griswold, 1991).

Two sires, Walk Thru Fire and Valiant Hero, had multiple champions, each with two. Walk Thru Fire sired Heza Dasha Fire and Walk Thru Crystal, while Valiant Hero sired Ima Fearless Hero and Panther Hero.

It was a nice mix of young and old sires. Of the 10 sires of champions, half had five or less crops on the ground. Good Reason SA was fast off the ground with champion 2-year-old Jess Good Candy in his first crop. The most experienced sire was Separatist, who has had 12 crops to race.

It was the first champions for sires Apollitical Jess, Jesse James Jr, Executive Menace, Good Reason SA, Coronas Leaving You and Volcom. On the other end of the spectrum, the 2015 champion additions makes nine champions for Heza Dasha Fire. Valiant Hero and Separatist now have three champions, and Stel Corona has two.

Speaking of champions, of the 21 horses who produced a champion this year, five of them were themselves champions. They include world champion Apollitical Jess, and champions Alice K White, Good Reason SA, Separatist and Your First Moon.

Mr Jess Perry came up as the winner in the broodmare sire category; two of his daughters produced three of the 12 champions. First Down Dash was close behind, being the broodmare sire of two champions.

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