The Indiana Quarter Horse Breed Development Program and Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana announce their 2025 Champions.

© Coady Media

By Erick Corado

INDIANAPOLIS, IN– FEBRUARY 9, 2026–The Indiana Quarter Horse Breed Development Program (IQHBDP) joined forces with the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI) to highlight the state’s best in Quarter Horse breeding and racing at the QHRAI awards banquet on Saturday, February 7.

The banquet, held at the Wyndham International Airport, celebrated the champions of the year before by awarding Hoosier horsemen and horsewomen in over 40 categories, including Breeder of the Year, Owner of the Year, and Horse of the Year.

The Indiana Quarter Horse Breed Development Program (IQHBDP) recognized significant breeding and racing contributions through the following awards:

Breeder of The Year
Sheri Miller received her title as Indiana’s Breed Development Breeder of the year for the sixth consecutive year, amassing $53,801 in breeder awards alone. Sheri Miller bred 15 horses that produced breeder awards in 2025, two of them stakes winners:

- CV Denali (Escondido Beach – Botticelli Shake) - Gordon Mobley Futurity - $195,800
- Beach First (Escondido Beach – Gevalia) - Blue River Derby - $127,700

The colt, Beach First was also named IQHBDP’s Champion Three-Year-Old of the Year and QRAI’s High Point Three-Year-Old Colt at the awards banquet.

Sire of the Year
Escondido Beach (Corona Cartel – Six on The Beach), owned by Bobby D Cox and Sheri Miller, earned his fifth title as Indiana’s Breed Development Sire of the Year, albeit posthumously. In 2025, 27 horses sired by Escondido Beach placed first, second, or third and earned $90,596 in Stallion Awards – that’s nearly one third of all stallion awards paid in 2025.

In addition to the stakes winners, CV Denali and Beach First, Escondido Beach also sired the winner of the Miss Roxie Little Futurity and IQHBDP’s Champion Two-Year-Old of the Year:

Rock N The Beach (Escondido Beach – Pyc Fast Girls Rock) – Miss Roxie Little Futurity - $359,600

Escondido Beach was a resident of Miller Ranch for the past 16 years and was a highly sought after sire before he passed away last summer. His final crop will be on the track as two-year-olds in 2028 and will carry on his legacy for many years to come.

Broodmare of the Year
Sin Tachas Angel (Pyc Paint Your Wagon – Sin Tachas Perry), owned by Ricardo Martinez, was named Indiana’s Breed Development Broodmare of the Year for the second year in a row. The broodmare generated $20,781 in breeder awards last year and is the dam of Sin Tachas Secret and 2024’s horse of the year, Tachas Secret.

Owner of the Year
Duke Racing (Chris Duke) was named Indiana’s Breed Development Owner of the Year for the second year in a row. Owner of Drinkinatacartelbar, Hayleysgood, and Tachas Secret (Indiana’s 2024 Horse of the Year), Duke Racing earned $26,301 in breed development program awards in 2025.

Chris Duke, president of the QHRAI, has supported Indiana Quarter Horse racing for many years and his company Elite handled the construction project for the groundbreaking of the new community center at Horseshoe Indianapolis which opened on Friday, February 6th.

Horse of the Year
Streakindownthebeach (Habits Secret – Beach Runner) was named Indiana’s Breed Development Horse of the Year, Champion Aged Horse, and QHRAI’s High Point Aged Gelding of the Year. The gray gelding is sired by Habits Secret (Indiana’s 2024 Sire of the Year) out of Beach Runner by Escondido beach, making for a winning combination.

Owned by Buddy Presley and bred by Edward Pennington, the five-year-old gelding earned $32,951 in breed development program awards and $137,030 in total earnings. Notable wins include the $35,000 Easys Night Beat Stakes, the $35,000 Air Born Leader Stakes, and the $84,000 Bob Woodard Memorial Classic.

Indiana’s 2025 Horse of the Year was trained by Tim Eggleston, who with 26 wins in Indiana Bred/Sired races was honored with the Trainer of the Year award. In addition to training stakes winners Streakindownthebeach, Beach First, and Rock N The Beach, Eggleston also trained the $100,500 Harley Greene Derby winner, Apollitical Mission.

The derby winner was piloted by Rolando Pina, who was named Jockey of the Year with 14 wins in Indiana Bred/Sired races. Tim Eggleston and Rolando Pina make a dream team, often working and winning together, they received these honors last in 2023.

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Quarter Horse Racing is set to return to Horseshoe Indianapolis on Tuesday, April 7th and will run until November 13th, 2026. With a 123-day race meet and 6 quarter horse days, the total value of the Quarter Horse Breed Development Program is expected to exceed $3.6 million dollars in 2026. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis visit: https://www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing/horsemen/horsemen-info

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About The Indiana Horse Racing Commission
The Indiana Horse Racing Commission ensures that pari-mutuel wagering on horse races will be conducted with the highest of standards and the greatest level of integrity and promotes the horse racing industry in Indiana.

About The Indiana Quarter Horse Breed Development Program
The Quarter Horse Breed Development program was established to promote the Indiana Quarter Horse industry. In 2007, legislation was passed which approved slot machines at Indiana's pari-mutuel racetracks. Hoosier Park and Horseshoe Indianapolis both opened their slot operations in June of 2008. The Indiana Quarter Horse Breed Development Fund receives 30% of the revenue generated from slot machines that is allocated for Quarter Horse Racing.

For more information, see the Indiana Horse Racing Commission’s website: http://www.in.gov/hrc/

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