KARAKONTIE’s Spendarella Earns New York-Bred Horse of the Year Honors

Grade 1 winner took home trio of awards

KARAKONTIE’s Grade 1 winning daughter Spendarella added more accolades to her resume on Monday when she swept the New York-Bred awards.

The Gainesway homebred’s haul included three awards, led by the Horse of the Year title with Champion Female Turf Horse and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly rounding out the trio. Those awards were earned on the back end of a 2022 record that included four wins in five starts last year with three of the four coming at the graded stakes level.

Closing out her season with a victory in the Del Mar Oaks (G1), Spendarella’s only loss came at the prestigious Royal Ascot meet where she finished second in the Coronation Stakes (G1).

“It’s amazing having homebreds perform so well,” Gainesway’s Antony Beck told the NYTB. “She’s a machine, an incredibly athletic, very well-balanced filly with an amazing hind leg. She has superb action and power and seems to be extremely intelligent and likes to win. That’s what you want.”

Spendarella has already represented KARAKONTIE well on the track this year with a close second in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) in her return on the Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard.

Spendarella’s dam Spanish Bunny also earned Broodmare of the Year honors. The mare foaled a KARAKONTIE full brother to Spendarella on April 23 at Gainesway.

It’s been a big year for KARAKONTIE already with his accomplished daughter Princess Grace winning an Australian group stakes last month and another daughter selling for $200,000 at Fasig-Tipton in February.