Michael Tabor’s Grade 2 winner Pass Rush was named Indiana’s 2002 horse of the year in an awards ceremony on March 15 at Hoosier Park.An Indiana-bred son of Crown Ambassador, Pass Rush finished first or second in seven of ten starts and earned $199,540 as a three-year-old last year. He won the restricted Benjamin Harrison Stakes at Hoosier on October 26 and finished second by a neck to Easyfromthegitgo in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. He also finished second in the NTRA Great State Challenge Classic Invitational Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park.
Pass Rush, who was also honored as Indiana’s champion three-year-old male, could be an early favorite for the 2003 Indiana-bred awards after kicking off his four-year-old campaign with a 3½-length triumph in the San Fernando Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park on January 11 for trainer Patrick Byrne.
Other Indiana champions are:
- Two-year-old male— K K Avey , owned by Dale Smith and Mitchell Hunt
- Two-year-old filly— Miss Dakota , owned by Steve Fugitte and Bob Nettles
- Three-year-old filly— Just Emma , owned by Sam Row and Leonard Atkinson
- Older male— Fight for Ally , owned by James Stone
- Older female— Maggie’s Dream , owned by Herb and Darlene Likens
- Owner of the year— Circle S Ranch
- Breeder of the year— Swifty Farms
- Stallion of the year— Crown Ambassador , owned by Swifty Farms
- Broodmare of the year— Profitable Knight , owned by Swifty Farms