by Ali Cetinok

After a year that saw him win two consecutive Grade 1 contests and three graded stakes overall while earning $1,407,220, Mindframe has been named the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred of 2025.

Mindframe, a 4-year-old in 2025, was the only older horse based in the U. S. to win two Grade 1 races on dirt. He took the seven-furlong Churchill Downs Stakes in a four-horse photo in May and the mile and an eighth Stephen Foster eight weeks later, the latter by a length over Sierra Leone.

After losing rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. at the start of the Jockey Club Gold Cup-G1 at Saratoga in August, Mindframe would finish fifth in his final start, the Breeders’ Cup Classic-G1.

Runner-up for Top Midlantic-bred honors was Book’em Danno. The New Jersey-bred gelding won three graded stakes in 2025 and earned the Eclipse Award as champion sprinter. The son of Bucchero is trained by Derek Ryan for Atlantic Six Racing and became the first horse to finish second in the voting in consecutive years.

Maryland-bred Splendora, an Eclipse Award finalist in two categories, was third in the voting after winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, while another Maryland-bred Grade 1 winner, Seismic Beauty, was fourth. In all, six of the top 10 won at least one graded stake.

The full list of vote-getters is below.

“It was a remarkable season for horses bred in the Mid-Atlantic,” said Frank Vespe, owner and publisher of The Racing Biz. “With four Grade 1 winners and an Eclipse Award champion to choose from, our voters had a tough task, but Mindframe proved himself a deserving winner after another stellar campaign.”

“With seven of the top 10 Midlantic-breds, it was a banner year for Maryland-breds,” added Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, which publishes Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred. “It’s exciting for all of us in this industry to see such great horses from our region go out and compete at the highest levels.”

Maryland-bred Mindframe will stand at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, the farm announced in the summer, taking over the farm’s coveted first stall, past home to Bold Ruler, Secretariat, Easy Goer, and Unbridled.

“It’s the pinnacle of my dad’s breeding success, and to see it happen, to see him reach what he reached, it’s mind-boggling. That’s what my dad always dreamed of. It’s pretty surreal,” said Tracy Mulroy, daughter of the late R. Larry Johnson, Mindframe’s breeder. “It’s a dream, it’s just an absolute dream.”

Larry Johnson passed away early in 2025. He also bred Future Is Now, who won two graded stakes in 2025 and finished sixth in the final voting. Both stem from the same family dating back 40 years to Johnson’s initial forays into breeding with a mare named Ran’s Chick.

Mindframe, a son of Constitution out of the stakes-winning Street Sense mare Walk of Stars, was sold by his breeder at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, through the Betz Thoroughbreds consignment, for $600,000 to Mike Repole’s Repole Stable and Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stables. He was conditioned by Todd Pletcher. 

“Mindframe has an undeniable presence about him. He is strong, powerful, athletic, and intelligent and most of all, he truly loved his job,” said Danielle Bricker, Assistant Racing Manager of Repole Stable. “He trained like a monster, his strength was impossible to ignore. He was one of those horses people would simply stop and stare at as he went past.”

Mulroy hinted that Legacy Farm will continue to support Mindframe’s own legacy in the Mid-Atlantic in his next career, sending mares to breed to him for this year.

“We are breeding two horses to him this year, which is just a complete full-circle moment that my dad bred this horse,” said Mulroy. “Now we’re bringing two mares to him, and we are gonna have two baby Mindframes. It’s really cool.”

Bricker also confirmed that Repole Stable is incredibly excited for Mindframe’s next chapter at stud in Kentucky, sending mares to him this year as well.

“He is everything you want in a racehorse, great size, an excellent physicality, and proven versatility across distances. All of these qualities make him extremely appealing to breeders,” Bricker said. “Repole will be supporting Mindframe with some of his own mares, and we are all eager to see his first foals. We’re truly looking forward to a bright future for Mindframe.”

Mindframe retires from the racetrack with five wins from nine starts, finishing second twice. In 2024, he finished second in the Grade I Belmont and Haskell Stakes. He ends his racing career with a total bankroll of $2,054,580.

The February issue of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred will have profiles of what comes next for several Top Midlantic-bred horses.

Seven of the top 10 were bred in Maryland, while two were bred in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey. Five were males and five were females.

TOP MIDLANTIC-BREDS OF 2025

Rank	Horse Information	Final 2025 Result
1	Mindframe (MD), 4C by Constitution-Walk of Stars, by Street Sense; bred by R. Larry Johnson and trained by Todd Pletcher for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC. 2025 highlights: Won G1 Churchill Downs, G1 Stephen Foster S., G2 Gulfstream Park Mile	5th G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic
2	Book’em Danno (NJ), 4G by Bucchero-Adorabella, by Ghostzapper; bred by Gregory J. Kilka & Bright View Farm and trained by Derek Ryan for Atlantic Six Racing, LLC. 2025 highlights: Won G1 Forego, G2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, G3 True North	Won G1 Forego S.
3	Splendora (MD), 4F by Audible-Miss Freeze, by Frost Giant; bred by The Elkstone Group LLC and trained by Bob Baffert for By Talla Racing LLC. 2025 highlights: Won G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Tranquility Lake S., 2nd G2 Santa Margarita, G2 Santa Maria	Won G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
4	Seismic Beauty (MD), 4F by Uncle Mo-Knarsdale, by Medaglia d’Oro; bred by 2500 Determined Stud and trained by Bob Baffert for MyRacehorse and Peter Leidel. 2025 highlights: Won G1 Clement L. Hirsch, G2 Santa Margarita	11th G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff
5	Barbadian Runner (MD), 3G by Barbados-Quiet Run, by Northern Afleet; bred by Shamrock Farm and trained by Henry Walters for AJ Will Win Stables LLC. 2025 highlights: Won Richard W. Small S., Maryland Million Classic, Robert Hilton Memorial S., Jersey Derby, Spectacular Bid S., Miracle Wood S.	2nd Robert T. Manfuso S.
6	Future Is Now (MD), 5M by Great Notion-Past as Prelude, by Bernardini; bred by R. Larry Johnson and trained by Michael Trombetta for R. Larry Johnson. 2025 highlights: Won G3 Caress, G3 Giant’s Causeway	Won Smart and Fancy S.
7	Post Time (MD), 5C by Frosted-Vielsalm, by Fairbanks; bred by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman & Milton P. Higgins III and trained by Brittany Russell for Hillwood Stable LLC. 2024 highlights: Won Robert T. Manfuso S., Polynesian S., Deputed Testamony S.	Won Robert T. Manfuso S.
8	Simply Joking (PA), 3F by Practical Joke-Imply, by E Dubai; bred by Barlar LLC and trained by Whit Beckman for Grantley Acres, Ryan Conner, and Berkels0813. 2025 highlights: Won Silverbulletday S., 2nd G2 Fantasy, G3 Bayakoa, 3rd G1 La Brea	3rd G1 La Brea
9	Kappa Kappa (PA), 3F by Omaha Beach-Pharoah’s Princess, by Pioneerof the Nile; bred by Stone Jug Ranch LLC and trained by Robert Reid, Jr. for LC Racing LLC, Cash Is King LLC, and Wellesley Stable. 2025 highlights: Won G2 Raven Run S.	6th G3 Comely
10	Quint’s Brew (MD), 4G by Mosler-Gansett, by Jump Start; bred by Paul W. Berube, Karen Linnell & Spinnaker Hill Farm and trained by Ned Allard for Paul W. Berube, Karen Linnell & Heather Hunter. 2025 highlights: Won Jennings S., General George S., 2nd G2 Carter, G3 Westchester	2nd Howard and Sondra Bender S.
Others	Slam Notion, Teachintherelease, Maskedandmummed, Maximus Meridius, Keys Discount, Just Philtored, Slewperstitus

The monthly Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred is the only publication devoted to Thoroughbred breeding and racing in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Racing Biz, an online publication, is the independent voice for mid-Atlantic racing and breeding.

The poll is conducted of media members and others involved in the Thoroughbred industry and restricted to horses that have run in 2025 and were bred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Carolinas.

Participating Voters: Ted Black (freelance writer), Michael Campbell (Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey), Joe Clancy (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Cindy Deubler (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Linda Dougherty (freelance), Debbie Easter (Virginia Thoroughbred Association), Paul Espinosa (Charles Town Races), Cricket Goodall (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Nick Hahn (freelance), Carol Holden (West Virginia Breeders Classics), Tom LaMarra (Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association), Averie Levanti (Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association), Jeff Nations (freelance), Vinnie Perrone (freelance), Frank Petramalo (Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), John Piassek (freelance), Gary Quill (The Racing Biz), David Richardson (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association), Brian Sanfratello (Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association), Chris Sobocinski (Delaware Park), Dan Tordjman (freelance), Frank Vespe (The Racing Biz), Bill Watson (freelance), Bobby Zen (freelance).

TOP MIDLANTIC-BRED GALLERY