28 January 2016, USA ~ The Arabian Racing Cup announces the following nominees for the coveted USA Darley Awards. These nominees were selected by the Cup Stewards as the best of Arabian Racing in the U.S. for the year 2015. Beginning next week, the Darley Voting Academy will review detailed statistics and performance data from the Arabian Jockey Club about these nominees and cast their votes via confidential ballots.

Congratulations to the following nominees:

3-Year-Old Colt- Easter Man, RB Madjyk Man, Uptown Dannys Boy

3-Year-Old Filly – Jewell AA, Lady Haha, RB Big N Rich

      4-Year-Old Colt – ES Mi Cielo, F Sixteen, Paddys Day

4-Year-Old Filly – All N All, Dream Pearl, RB Frynch Broad

Older Horse – RB Rich, So Big Is Better, Thess Is Awesome

Older Mare – DC Willeys Song, Our Princess, Royal Richess

Breeder –Joseph or Betty Gillis, Jane Teutsch, Dianne K. Waldron

Owner – (4 selected because there was a tie for third place) –Joseph or Betty Gillis, Jon Henningsgard, Quarter Moon Ranch LLC, Rosebrook Farms LLC

Trainer – Lynn Ashby, Scott Powell, Jerenesto Torrez

Jockey – Kelsi Purcell, Travis Wales, Jiminez Ernesto Valdez

Horse of the Year- Paddys Day, So Big Is Better, DC Willeys Song

The winners will be crowned Darley Champions of 2015 at the 29th Annual Darley Awards April 1 through April 3, 2016 in Hollywood, California. The glittering ceremony and gala weekend is sponsored by the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival. According to Lara Sawaya, Director of the Festival, the Darley Awards themselves will be presented on April 1 at the Dolby Theater in Highland Center. On April 2 the focus shifts to Santa Anita Race Course and the $100,000 HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Darley Award Stakes (PA). Sunday evening, April 3, the Celebration Banquet and annual stallion breeding auction will be held at the host hotel, the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel. Please refer to the Cup’s website, www.arabianracingcup.com, for more details as they become available.

Founded in 1983 by Dr. Sam Harrison, the Arabian Racing Cup’s Darley Awards ceremony is the showcase of U.S. Arabian racing. In 2012, the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival and the Cup joined together to promote this prestigious event. The Darleys are headlined by the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards recognizing international women in Arabian Horse Racing.

The Darley Awards is under the direction of Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the Festival, and organized by Arabian Racing Cup, The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council with National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing CO. LLC as associate sponsors in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers and sponsored by Bloom, Petromal, Rise General Trading Co. LLC, Hayatna, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2016, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Centre, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Yas Channel, Omeir Travels, Racing Post, Paris Turf and Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics.
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