11 March 2021, Delaware, USA ~ With continued precautions concerning COVID-19 for in-person events, the Arabian Racing Cup (ARC) Board of Stewards has organized a team of presenters in four different continents who have broadcasted horse racing’s biggest events – from the Kentucky Derby to the Epsom Derby to the Dubai World Cup to the Amir Sword Festival to the Darley Award Stakes – to recognize the best in Arabian horse racing in the United States through the 34th Annual Darley Awards.
Presented by the Arabian Racing Cup and sponsored by the Texas Arabian Breeders Association (TABA), the Darley Awards broadcast will allow viewers from around the world to participate in the online live event from the comfort of their own homes. Guests will enjoy a presentation from ARC Chief Steward, Jon Henningsgard; event team members; a decorated team of well-known international presenters; a presentation of several additional awards to outstanding community members; and, of course, the anticipated reveal of each Darley Champion for the 2020 racing year, including the 2020 Darley Horse of the Year. In fact, the finalists for Horse of the year – Dance With Me BW, Paddys Day, and Uptown Sandy Girl – have already collectively won a whopping eleven Darley Awards in previous years, and are truly legends in the sport.
The Darley Awards Virtual Broadcast is scheduled to begin Friday, 19 March at 8 p.m. CT, and will be streamed simultaneously on both the ARC YouTube Channel and the Arabian Jockey Club Facebook page. Viewers may choose their preferred viewing platform.
Darley Award Nominees & Category Presenters – Full List
Even with COVID-19 lurking, Arabian racing in 2020 offered many memorable moments and hints of greatness across all categories. Here are the Darley Award nominees for the 2020 racing year, along with the presenter of each category:
3 Year Old Colts/Geldings: California Sand JS / First Classs / RB Game Over (Winner will be presented by Mark Johnson, commentator of five Kentucky Derbies, five Epsom Derbies, and five The Amir Sword Festivals)
3 Year Old Fillies: Consider Thess / RB Lara / Uptown Lady Arabella (Winner will be presented by Jim Byers, track announcer at Lone Star Park)
4 Year Old Colts/Geldings: Kissour / RB Rich Lyke Me / Zachs Travelln Man AA (Winner will be presented by Chris Griffin, track announcer at Sam Houston Race Park)
4 Year Old Fillies: Amys Little Diva AA / Big Purity / RB Kinetic (Winner will be presented by Laura King, presenter for the Dubai Racing Channel and previous Sheikha Fatima Award recipient)
Older Horses: Paddys Day / Quick Sand AA / Uptown Cruisedirector (Winner will be presented by Michael Wrona, race caller at Los Alamitos Race Course and previously called the Darley Award Stakes at Santa Anita Park)
Older Mares: Dance With Me BW / Iridesse / Uptown Sandy Girl (Winner will be presented by Victoria Shaw, race caller in Australia and previous Sheikha Fatima Award recipient)
Owners: Cre Run Enterprises LLC / Jon & Krista Henningsgard / Rosebrook Farms LLC (Winner will be presented by Greg Thompson, broadcaster for StallioneSearch and TABA)
Breeders: Krista & Jon Henningsgard / Alan Kirshner or Deborah Mihaloff / Dianne Waldron (Winner will be presented by Evie Tubbs Sweeney, Darley Awards event coordinator, Arabian Jockey Club Marketing Director, and previous Sheikha Fatima Award recipient)
Trainers: The ARC Chief Steward has elected not to award a 2020 Trainer of the Year, and instead produce a special video compilation recognizing the accomplishments of each trainer who won races in 2020.
Jockeys: Carol Cedeno / Jose Angel Garcia / Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez (Winner will be presented by Joe Nevills, analyst for AJC TV and Eclipse Award-winning journalist for the Paulick Report)
HORSE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: DANCE WITH ME BW / PADDYS DAY / UPTOWN SANDY GIRL (Winner will be presented by your Darley Awards host, Jonathan Horowitz, and his wife, Ashley Horowitz.)
The winners of each category will be revealed during the 34th Annual Darley Awards Virtual Broadcast on Friday, March 19 at 8 p.m. CT.
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