Spikezone (Speightster), whose 11 victories in 2024 trailed only the 13 recorded by Tennessee Moon (Ransom the Moon), has been named National Claiming Horse of the Year for 2024 by the National HBPA.
“We're thrilled for him,” said Mid-Atlantic-based trainer Jamie Ness, whose Jagger Inc. stable owns Spikezone with Troy Johnson and Charles Lo. “He deserves it.”
Said Lo: “I am so shocked. It just doesn't happen the way it has–maybe one time out of 100. It's crazy. I never had a horse that good.”
Johnson: “It's a dream, unreal.”
Spikezone, who successfully overcame a second round of knee surgery, made 14 trips to the races in 2024, beginning with an eight-length romp in a Tampa optional claimer back in January and concluding with a one-length tally in the Lets Give Thanks Stakes at Parx in late November, his first black-type victory. He became eligible for claiming horse of the year when he was offered for a $100,000 tag at Tampa in March.
“Spikezone is terrific example of how horses can just get better with age, patience and horsemanship,” said Todd Mostoller, chair of the National HBPA's awards committee. “At 11-for-14, Spikezone also shows that horses can come back from multiple surgeries and still be excellent and admirable racehorses at their level.”
Added National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback: “This award highlights the importance of our claiming horses to American horse racing and how much enjoyment they bring to their team. We congratulate Troy and Charles and certainly Jamie for having so much success with Spikezone after career-compromising surgeries. And, of course, the biggest applause goes to Spikezone.”
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