Pletcher, Castellano and Ramseys repeat as leading earners

Todd Pletcher won his fifth straight, and ninth overall, earnings title  (Adam Coglianese Photography) For the second consecutive year, trainer Todd Pletcher, jockey Javier Castellano and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey finished 2014 as the leaders by North American earnings in their respective categories, according to final statistics released on Thursday by Equibase Company LLC. Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern led all Thoroughbreds in 2014 with North American earnings of $4,389,680. The top three leading earners for 2014 were all three-year-olds, with Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome the runner-up with earnings of $4,007,800 and Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Untapable third with earnings of $2,808,600. The last time a three-year-old was the leading earner was in 2008 when dual classic winner Big Brown finished atop the North American leading earners list. The year-end compilations are distributed annually by Equibase and include results from Thoroughbred racing in North America from January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2014.

Completing the list of top 10 horses by North American earnings were Main
Sequence with $2,610,000 in earnings, Tonalist with $1,948,250, Take Charge
Brandi with $1,620,126, Shared Belief with $1,581,000, Dayatthespa with
$1,450,000,  Wicked Strong with $1,361,610,and Close Hatches with
$1,340,000. With the exception of Wicked Strong, all other horses ranked in the
top 10 competed in the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

Many of the horses listed above also were the top earners from their
respective foaling years. The leading earners by foaling year were Take Charge
Brandi (2012 foal crop), Bayern (2011), Close Hatches (2010), Main Sequence
(2009), and Don’t Tell Sophia (2008). Two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, whose
2014 campaign at age 7 was cut short due to injury, was the top earner from the
foal crop of 2007 and finished in 12th place overall with earnings of
$1,259,310.

Pletcher, who led all trainers for the past four years and previously topped
the trainers’ list from 2004-2007, sent out the winners of 240 races from 999
starts for earnings of $22,476,736 in 2014. Runner-up was Chad C. Brown, whose
horses won 147 races from 581 starts for earnings of $15,383,930 in 2014.
Brown’s results included an impressive record on turf, leading all other
trainers in 2014 with a record of 82 wins from 320 starts on grass and earnings
of $10,613,176.

Completing the list of top 10 trainers by North American earnings in 2014
were Bob Baffert, $14,400,849 (98 wins /426 starts); Jerry Hollendorfer,
$12,806,593 (247/1,094); Steve Asmussen, $12,537,551 (294/1,398); Mark Casse,
$11,877,193 (155/858); Graham Motion, $10,532,927 (145/782); Bill Mott,
$10,476,906 (107/692); Michael J. Maker, $9,552,872 (216/985); and Christophe
Clement, $9,028,113 (94/490).

In 2013, Javier Castellano established a single-season earnings record in
leading the annual North American leading jockeys’ list. In leading all riders
in 2014, Castellano reached the winner’s circle 315 times from 1,365 mounts and
ended the year with earnings of $25,056,464. Joel Rosario, who also finished
second in 2013, was runner-up again in 2014 with 215 wins from 1,241 mounts and
earnings of $21,558,485.

Rounding out the list of top 10 jockeys by North American earnings in 2014
were Irad Ortiz Jr., $20,270,828 (290 wins/1,470 mounts); John Velazquez,
$19,486,658 (166/927); Jose Ortiz, $16,544,167 (234/1,283); Mike E. Smith,
$14,493,493 (114/554); Rosie Napravnik, $13,491,493 (188/853); Victor Espinoza,
$12,116,015 (102/583); Rafael Bejarano, $11,690,757 (197/895); and Martin
Garcia, $10,850,711 (99/613).

Ken and Sarah Ramsey won 153 races from 628 starts and earned $10,544,148 in
North America in 2014 to lead all owners. Runner-up was Kaleem Shah Inc. with 29
victories from 81 starts and earnings of $5,977,978. When including the results
of the Dubai World Cup card from March 29, 2014, at Meydan Racecourse, Godolphin
Racing LLC was the second-leading owner with 18 victories from 101 starts and
earnings of $9,868,478.

Completing the list of top 10 owners by North American earnings in 2014 were
Midwest Thoroughbreds Inc., $5,704,723 (219 wins/992 starts); Winchell
Thoroughbreds LLC, $4,737,344 (26/115); John C. Oxley, $4,238,762 (57/330);
Steven Coburn and Martin Perry, $4,007,800 (6/9); Flaxman Holdings, Ltd.,
$4,002,391 (13/37); Juddmonte Farms, Inc., $3,960,635 (25/113); Maggi Moss,
$3,607,749 (155/418); and Klaravich Stables, Inc. and William H. Lawrence,
$3,265,098 (42/202).

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com