Congratulations to Quest Realty’s Amrit who took top honors in the $40,000 Virginia Breeder’s Fund 2025 Yearling Futurity held August 24 at the Warrenton Horse Show Grounds. Winner of the Virginia-Bred/Sired colt & gelding class, Amrit advanced to the final round — as did the top two finishers from four different classes that morning — and was named Grand Champion by judge Cary Frommer. The champ is by Oscar Performance out of Jumpin’ Nancy by Jump Start. Interestingly, this marked the second straight year the Futurity Grand Champion was out of Jumpin’ Nancy — the 2024 winner was Paynted By Nancy.
Reserve Champion honors went to Althea Richards’ Snapadoodle who was runner-up in the Virginia-Bred/Sired fillies category earlier that morning. She is by Army Mule out of For Finery by Not For Love.
The biggest field of competitors came from Snapadoodle’s class where a total of 13 fillies entered. The winner was South Gate Farm’s Un-named dark bown filly by Essential Quality out of Lorena by Souper Speedy. Third behind Snapadoodle was another from Any Moore’s South Gate Farm — an Un-named bay by Jackie’s Warrior out of Strong Beauty by Overanalyze. Fourth place went to Becky Lavin’s Un-named gray by Blofeld out of Falsehood by Awesome Again, followed by Morgan’s Ford Farm’s Un-named bay by Omaha Beach out of Florida Fuego by Kantharos, Lynn Ashby’s Shy Ice Tea by Frosted out of Shifra Magician by Street Magician, James Day/Daybreak Stables’ Un-named bay by Corniche out of Callipepla by Yes It’s True, and Morgan’s Ford Farm’s Un-named dark brown by Upstart out of Crabcakes by Great Notion.
The balance of the Virginia-Bred/Sired Colt & Gelding finishers in order behind Amrit was Mojallali Stables’ Unrelenting U by Frosted out of Unshakable U by Bodemeister, Doug Daniels’ chestnut Sandbar Island by Kantharos out of Dialed Me Perfect by Dialed In, Sugarland Equine Etiquette’s Un-named dark brown by Rock Your World out of Hopeful Angel by Majestic Warrior, and Darlene Bowlin’s Blow Smoke by Blofeld out of Dixie Dazzle.
Virginia-Certified classes for resident yearlings have been added to the program in recent years. In this year’s colt & gelding category, owner Pat Neusch and breeder Forever Young Racing’s The Ridd was awarded first place. The chestnut is by By My Standards out of Irish Pharoah by American Pharoah. Next was DMC Racing Stables & Holly House Farm’s Derry Walls who was bred by James Steele. The runner-up is by Gormley out of Irish Gal by Cape Blanco. The rest of the field is all owned by Sugarland Equine Etiquette — an Un-named bay by Japanese-bred Yoshida out of Signify by Speightstown, an Un-named brown by Peace and Justice out of Map of America by Liam’s Map, and Preux Chevalier by Take Charge Indy out of Potiche by Dixie Union. The respective breeders of the trio include Winstar Farm, Sugarland Equine/Matty Thoroughbreds, and Pia Kirkham.
Chad Carter’s Un-named bay by McKinzie out of Light the Causeway by Giant’s Causeway took top honors in the Virginia-Certified Fillies class while Sugarland’s Un-named dark brown by Tonalist out of Adopted Kingdom by Animal Kingdom was second. The rest of the field respectively included Avram Freeberg’s Un-named brown by Nashville out of Senorita Guzman by Constitution, Sugarland’s Un-named chestnut by Uncle Lino out of La Duquesa by Poseidon’s Warrior, and Sugarland’s Un-named bay by Improbable out of North Broadway by Quality Road. The breeders of third thru fifth place finishers include Everything’s Cricket Racing, Joni Fontana and Winstar Farm.
A total of 28 yearlings competed between the four classes and $30,000 in prize money was distributed — $7,500 per class. In addition, separate $5,000 bonus pools will be awarded after the participants’ three-year-old racing seasons in both the Virginia-Bred/Sired category and the Virginia-Certified category. The top four, based solely on earnings to that point, will share a percentage of their respective pool. Grooms of the category winners and Grand/Reserve champion horses received $100 each.