Hronis, Ortiz, Jr., Brown Top Leading Earners in 2018

[Wandering Eyes]

Hronis Racing LLC, Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Chad Brown finished out calendar year 2018 as the leading money earners among owners, jockeys and trainers, respectively, according to official figures released Wednesday by Equibase.

Led by its Horse of the Year and Eclipse Award candidate Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky), Kosta Hronis’s racing outfit earned over $7.34 million in prize money in 2018, with 41 trips to the winner’s circle and an additional 76 minor placings from its 259 starters. Accelerate won six of his seven outings last season, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the stable’s earnings, while Hronis’s other winners at the graded level included Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags), Yuvetsi (Bodemeister) and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Gift Box (Twirling Candy).

Ortiz Jr. put together his best season in the saddle, his mounts having earned in excess of $27.7 million, easily best in the nation. Ortiz Jr. managed a career-best 346 victories in 2018, also tops amongst his peers, and included 30 graded stakes successes. He took his Breeders’ Cup tally to five wins at Churchill Downs this past November, scoring a second straight victory in the GI Filly & Mare Sprint aboard Shamrock Rose (First Dude) and the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf atop Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). He registered six Grade Is in 2018, four for Brown, including the GI Just a Game S. with A Raving Beauty (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), the GI Arlington Million with Robert Bruce (Chi) (Fast Company {Ire}) and the GI Flower Bowl Invitational S. with Fourstar Crook (Freud) in addition to the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Brown led all North American trainers for the third consecutive season, with a total of 224 winners from 839 starters for earnings of better than $27.5 million. He struck with a remarkable 28% (140/500) of his turf runners, earning $17.2 million. Brown-trained runners won no fewer than 47 graded events in 2018, of which 20 were achieved at Grade I level. Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) was a four-time winner at the top level last season, including the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, while her owner Peter Brant was also represented by GI Hollywood Derby hero Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Competitionofideas (Speightstown) closed out the season with a compelling victory in the GI American Oaks.

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