TACTICAL APPROACH NAMED NEW JERSEY BRED HORSE OF THE YEAR; SOUTHWIND FARM NAMED NEW JERSEY BREEDER OF THE YEAR

MANALAPAN, NJ -- March 7, 2024 -- TACTICAL APPROACH, recently named USTA TROTTER OF THE YEAR, has been voted as New Jersey Horse of the Year.  From the first crop of TACTICAL LANDING, the three year old colt from the Donato Hanover mare SARCY, won 10 of 19 starts and $1.5 million, including two legs of the Trotting Triple Crown, the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands and the Kentucky Futurity at the Red Mile. He topped his campaign by taking the Breeders Crown at Hoosier Park. Additional wins included a New Jersey Sire Stakes, two Kentucky Sire Stakes, the Bluegrass and the Erskine Trot.

TACTICAL APPROACH was bred by the partnership of Hunterton Farm and Oakwood Farm and was trained by Nancy Takter and driven by Scott Zeron.  He raced under the ownership of Robert LeBlanc, John Fielding , Joe Sbrocco and JAF Racing ( John Fodera)

SOUTHWIND FARMS of Pennington, New Jersey has been selected as New Jersey Breeder of The Year. With progeny earnings of $4,371,181, Southwind was ranked eight nationally and was led by Breeders Crown winner SOUTHWIND TYRION 1:50.2 ($984,623), Good Times stakes winner SOUTHWIND COORS 3,1:52 ($247,632), New Jersey Sire Stakes Champion and NJ Classic winner SIG SAUER 2,1:53.3 ($279,500), as well as stakes winners SOUTHWIND BELLLA p,3,1:50.2f ($241,039), SOUTHWIND CHERRY 3,1:52.4 ($137,590) and seasoned campaigner SOUTHWIND AMAZON p,1:48.3f ($1,471,3360, who is approaching the all time win record.

Southwind stallions dominated the trotting ranks in 2023, led by WALNER, who led the Sires List as leading sire of two year olds, three year olds, as well as total progeny earnings of $11.6 million.  TACTICAL LANDING sired two champions in Tactical Approach and Karl, who won over $1 million at 2, including the Breeders Crown, Valley Victory and Kindergarten Final. Champion sire MUSCLE HILL was third on the sires list with earnings of $9.9 million and continues to sire top class trotters around the world.

Southwind sires accounted for over 30 major stakes wins in 2023, including the Hambletonian, Kentucky Futurity, Kentucky Filly Futurity, 5 of 6 Breeders Crowns, Valley Victory, Goldsmith Maid, James Doherty, Stanley Dancer, Del Miller, Good Times, Zweig Memorial, Peaceful Way, Yonkers Trot, Graduate Final, Moni Maker, etc.