Famous Shining Star's champion title helped push her dam to a Dam of Distinction honor.

© William Zuazo

AMARILLO, TX–JUNE 3, 2024–Thewayouwantmetoo is the newest mare to earn the honor of being named an AQHA Dam of Distinction.

The award recognizes the accomplishments of racing broodmares. To qualify for the award, a mare must meet one or more of the following criteria:

> Dams that produced two or more individual AQHA
   racing champions.
> Dams that produced at least three individual
   Grade 1 stakes winners.
> Dams that produced at least two foals ranked in the
    top 10 money earners of any particular year, as
    of December 31 of that year, and two Grade 1
    stakes winners.
> Dams that produced at least three foals that were in
    the top 10 money earners of any particular year,
    as of December 31 of that year.

When the award was created, a grandfather clause also allowed mares that had produced at least three individual stakes winners prior to 1983, and those wins were the equivalent of a Grade 1-quality race, to be accepted.

Thewayouwantmetoo is a 2002 brown mare by Mr Eye Opener and out of Hope And Glory by Special Effort.

Bred by Carl and Shawnea Smith of Jacksboro, Texas, she is owned by Darling Farms and Dr. Richard Beck of Lamont, Oklahoma.

She herself was a significant racehorse, winning the 2004 Rainbow Futurity (G1) and contesting the Grade 1 Ruidoso and Rainbow derbies. She earned $327,953 in her career.

As a broodmare, she has produced eight winners from 13 starters that have earned $1,514,800.

Leading them are champions A Revenant ($604,800) and Famous Shining Star ($211,873), who pushed her to the award.

She has also produced six-figure earners Belle Helene ($214,858) and Luv Supreme ($202,143).

Thewayouwantmetoo’s foals are also turning into producers; A Revenant has sired the earners of more than $4.4 million, and the others have produced runners that have earned more than $700,000 combined.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA Racing on Twitter and on Instagram, "like" Q-Racing on Facebook, and visit www.aqha.com/racing.