HMDC PARTNERS WIN MULTIPLE OHIO CHAMPION HONORS
- chris lialios
- Mar 27
- 4 min read
They say that you are judged by the company you keep. In that case, if you were part of the 2024 HMDC Partnership Group, you have been keeping pretty good company. Attesting to the quality of the horses and partners in HMDC, five individual Ohio Champion divisions were captured for 2024!
HORSE OF THE YEAR: Generous Lover
CHAMPION OLDER MARE: Generous Lover
STALLION OF THE YEAR: Dominus
ACCREDITED FEMALE: Mobil Chic
BREEDER OF THE YEAR: Mapleton Thoroughbred Farm
Generous Lover (Bolt D’Oro-Hula Skirt-Dixie Union)was bred by Steven Chumney’s Smokin C LLC. Sold as a 2-year-old for $175,000, her connections raced her on the Fair Grounds/Churchill Downs/Oaklawn Park circuit. After breaking her maiden on the Churchill turf, she took the top spot in a $50,000 claiming stakes as a heavy favorite and was taken to the new barn of trainer Joe Sharp. She came back to win under the Twin Spires (not between the “Twin Peaks” as Gov. Glen Younkin would declare) and Joe Sharp decided there was money to be had on the other side of the Ohio River, and so her championship trail began.
Her home state debut saw her ease away from the field over Belterra’s greensward in the Vivacious Stakes. She followed that in the Pay The Man Best of Ohio Stakes and dominated the field by 12 1⁄2 lengths. With her turf success in mind, Sharp ran her in a $200,000 event over the undulating Kentucky Downs course where she was brushed by the winner in the stretch and settled for the third spot. Back to Buckeye Land she took on the challenge of turning back to 6 furlongs on the Thistledown dirt. In one of the best Ohio races of the year, she threw down the gauntlet against Ohio Champion Sprinter Back to Ohio and the two raced in tandem throughout, with heavily favored Back to Ohio lasting in the final strides by a neck in the Greg Veit Scarlet and Gray. The Smokin C LLC-bred closed out her season in Mahoning’s Best of Ohio in a field of seven, though the race appeared to be a walkover as she strode to a unchallenged and unheard-of 26 1⁄4 length victory! That body of work not only earned her HOY Honors, but also captured the Champion Handicap Mare Division. She has now established a multi-dimensional record of 12-6-1-2 for $319,970
Mobil Chic (Mobil-Chic Cat-Tiger Ridge) continued to show her durability through her 2024 season, earning her the title of Accredited Female Champion.” She consistently performed against allowance company in the early months, and as she always does, and gears up for her cool weather competition. She started her stakes campaign in the Miss Southern Ohio where she was never a factor. with a thud, as she stumbled out of the gate and could only improve late.
She redeemed that effort in Mahoning’s 1 70 mile Leona’s Reward, rallying from 12th to last in the $75,000 event. Mobil Chic was hoping for a repeat win in the Bobbie Bricker, but those hopes hit a setback as she stumbled out of the gate and rallied to finish third. Only good news in the race is that HMDC’s Countess Colette finished second. With 42 lifetime starts she has been solid as they come. “She really enjoys her training and racing, "said trainer Richard Zielinski. “She always seems to get better as the season progresses and has a real fondness for Mahoning.” The accredited-Mapleton-bred has compiled a record of 42-6-9-9 and is $10.00 short of a $300,000 bankroll.
NEWS ALERT !!! It appears that our bloodstock advisors were on the mark in selecting a son of Dominus-Chic Cat-Tiger Ridge as part of our racing stable that we are offering partnership opportunities this season. Chic Cat has produced six foals, three winners including: 2014 Grizabella - 11 wins, 2 to 8, $550,179, Vivacious H. -R (BTP, $45,000), 2nd Pay the Man S. -R (TDN, $15,000), 3rd Best of Ohio Distaff S. -R (MVR, $15,000), Vivacious
H. -R (BTP, $7,500). Chic Cat is due to have another foal to Dominus and will be bred back to this multiple Ohio Stallion of the Year.
For the fifth time, Dr. George Sikora and his partner Dr. John Byk gained honors for Breeder of the Year with their Mapleton Farm in Polk, Ohio. “We believe strongly in our broodmare band that are mostly stakes winners, stakes producers and/or come from proven black-type female families,” stated Sikora from his farm office in Polk, Ohio. “We painstakingly research the sire lines with the most potential for success in our program and then we let them be horses. We don’t raise them like hot-house roses, and they have a lot of good pasture to grow.”
Dr. George Sikora DVM of Mapleton Thoroughbred Farm
achieved his fifth Breeder of the Year Award.
For the third consecutive year, Duncan Farms Dominus garnered Ohio Stallion of the honors. In 2024 he sired seven runners that earned over $100,000 and his future in Ohio will see foals with championship connections. Justgivemeakiss, the dam of undefeated 2-Year Old Champion Silver Kiss ($185,340) is in the broodmare band of Daryl Duncan. She is due to deliver a foal Dominus and is scheduled to be bred back to him. Chic Cat, dam of champion Mobil Chic ($290,000) is expecting to drop a Dominus foal soon and will be bred back to the champion stallion.
HMDC partner Mike Fiegenbaum of Huntertown Farm had a hand in championship honors in 2024. He is part owner of Champion Male Sprinter, Empire’s Fire ($415,745) who closed out the season with three straight wins including the Cardinal Stakes and the Best of Ohio Sprint. HMDC is all about sharing the wealth and success of their program, it’s not a private club. Like Uncle Sam “Looking for a few good men,” we are looking for a “few good partners.” Tour the website and give us a call for available opportunities. We congratulate all of the connections that took home championships in 2024 and look forward to the competition in 2025.
