Bentornato named 2025 Florida-bred Horse of the Year

Florida-bred Bentornato and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. won the $1.84 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1, 2025. [Photo by Benoit Photography/via FTBOA]

Bentornato is the 2025 Florida-bred Horse of the Year in a vote by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association board of directors. The honor was announced at the FTBOA awards gala held the evening of April 20 at the Circle Square Cultural Center in Ocala.

Bentornato won the $1.84 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade 1) on Nov. 1, 2025, becoming the sixth Florida-bred winner of the race, with Eillo in 1984, Precisionist (1985), Smile (1986), Cherokee Run (1994) and Big Drama (2010). He is the 30th Florida-bred winner of a Breeders’ Cup race. He also won the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes (Listed) in September of 2025, earning $1,190,350 in his two starts and was an Eclipse Award finalist in the Champion Male Sprinter division, according to a news release from the FTBOA.

Bred by Susan and Charles Chu’s Tanma Corporation, Bentornato finished 2025 with career earnings of more than $2.3 million for owners Leon King Stable Corporation and Julia C. and Michael Iavarone. The Iavarones purchased 25% for $1 million at the Keeneland Championship Sale at Del Mar a few days before the Breeders’ Cup. Bentornato is by Bridlewood Farm stallion Valiant Minister out of the Put It Back mare Her Special Way, the release noted.

Other honorees at the event were:

• 2025 FTBOA Breeder of the Year, presented for the seventh time to Charlote Weber’s Live Oak Stud, which also was honored in 2006, 2007, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. In 2025, Weber’s homebreds earned $2,889,679 from 386 starts with 65 wins, 52 seconds and 68 thirds.
• Weber’s Live Oak Plantation was also Florida’s Leading Owner in 2025, topping the Florida-bred earnings list with $3,120,3521 from 259 starts with 45 wins, 50 seconds and 36 thirds. Live Oak Plantation also garnered the title in 2011, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2024.
• For a record sixth consecutive year, Khozan is Florida Stallion of Year with progeny earnings of $6,303,290. He earned the titles in 2020 ($3,521,813), 2021 ($3,671,794), 2022 ($4,513,950), 2023 ($6,292,158) and 2024 ($5,679,578). Khozan was represented in 2025 by the winners of seven stakes and his leading earner with $203,120 was Dear Dad. Jasper Robusto, Hurricane Nelson, Khozalite and Shaq Diesel were among his stakes winners in 2025. He is property of Al Shaqab Racing and Stonehedge LLC. Khozan stood the 2025 season at Ocala Stud.
• Leinster was the state’s leading freshman sire and leading juvenile sire in 2025 with progeny earnings of $832,731 from nine winners and 22 starters. His leading money earner was multiple stakes winner and Group 2-placed Lennilu, who banked $216,489 on the year. Leinster was also represented by stakes-placed runners Monster, Squire and Bronze Bullet. Leinster stood at Pleasant Acres Stallions in 2025.
• Other Florida-bred champions recognized were Champion 2-Year-Old Male Camigol, Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Ground Support, Champion 3-Year-Old Male Macho Music, Champion 3-Year-Old Filly G W’s Girl, Champion Older Female and Champion Female Sprinter R Disaster, Champion Turf Male Reef Runner and Champion Turf Female Queen Maxima.
• Her Special Way, the dam of Bentornato, is the 2025 Florida Broodmare of the Year. She is owned by Michael Sucher’s Champion Equine.
• The 2025 Joseph M. O’Farrell Memorial Award, presented by the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company, went to Stuart Morris and Keiber Rengifo’s Golden Rock Thoroughbreds. Morris consigned Bentornato to the 2022 OBS October Yearling Sale. Golden Rock Thoroughbreds consigned him to the 2023 OBS March Sale.
• Ashley and Vincent Mirarchi’s Rivermont Farm in Ocala was presented the 2025 Needles Award, recognizing an accomplished small breeder. Among their star homebreds in 2025 were Jasper Robusto, a multiple stakes winner in Japan. Rivermont-bred runners accounted for $805,410 in earnings last year.

To learn more, go to ftboa.com