Lots of dedication went into producing Mid-Atlantic’s top 10.

March is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, but producing the March issue of this magazine is like being chased by a bear. It’s the time of year when our staff hunkers down and tries its hardest—assembling reams of statistics, updating breeders’ fund information, and attempting to give the top performers of the previous season the special attention they deserve.

When it’s finished, we heave a big sigh of relief and think about what the facts and figures might be telling us.

The message this year seems to be—commitment counts.
The striking thing about the top 10 Mid-Atlantic-bred earners of 2007—three of whom earned more than $1 million in the single season—is that each of their breeders has been in this business, in a serious way, for a very long time.

Pennsylvania-breds Hard Spun ($2,572,500), Mrs. Lindsay ($1,170,550) and Lucarno ($1,032,922) represented, respectively, the state’s three oldest and most prominent breeding operations—Elizabeth Moran’s Brushwood Stable (co-breeder with Moran’s son, Michael Moran), Bettina Jenney’s Derry Meeting Farm (continuing the legacy of one of the state’s all-time great horsemen, Marshall Jenney) and George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable (an international powerhouse for decades).

Fourth on the list is Moon Catcher ($663,450), the richest runner and 16th stakes winner bred either solely or in partnership by Marylanders Randy and Albert Cohen, who teamed up on this one with longtime Maryland trainer Ferris Allen.

Elizabeth Moran pops up again as the breeder of fifth-ranked Master Command ($598,170).
Then Edward P. Evans, whose Spring Hill Farm in Casanova, Va., contains a treasure trove of broodmares assembled over decades, makes the list with Christmas Kid ($554,500).

Heros Reward ($515,826) testifies to the acumen of long-established Maryland breeder Gretchen Mobberley, while Tessa Blue ($452,800) and Silmaril ($405,820) say the same, respectively, for Marylanders Frank Wright, Stephen Quick and Chris Feifarek (the latter two of whom bred Silmaril in partnership).

Rounding out the list is Fabulous Strike ($403,332), whose breeder Walter Downey (Tea Party Stable) resides in Boston, Mass., but is well-entrenched as a breeder of Pennsylvania-breds.

The horse breeding business is quirky, as we all know. Next year we could be writing about breeders who found a gold mine with their first broodmare. But 2007 was definitely a banner season for Mid-Atlantic breeders who are in it for the long haul.