Niarchos Family Wins John Deere Award

The Niarchos Family’s Flaxman Holdings was named the recipient yesterday of the fourth-annual John Deere Award for outstanding breeder of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Flaxman earned a total of 54 points–assigned for wins in the 71 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races and 13 Breeders’ Cup races–in part due to victories by their homebreds Main Sequence (Aldebaran) and Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf and GI Breeders’ Cup Mile, respectively. The Graham Motion-trained Main Sequence also picked up points for Flaxman with his triumphs in the GI United Nations S. and GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. The Niarchos family earned additional points for the G1 Yorkshire Oaks score by Tapestry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who they bred along with Orpendale; and for Tapestry’s full-brother John F. Kennedy (Ire)’s win in the G3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Trial. The Niarchos family bred and owned past Breeders’ Cup winners Miesque and Spinning World; and owned Domedriver and Six Perfections. “Over the years, the Niarchos Family has enjoyed outstanding success at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and has been tremendous supporters of the event since its beginnings,” said Craig Fravel, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Ltd. “We congratulate them on winning this year’s John Deere Award, punctuated by brilliant performances from Main Sequence and Karakontie on Breeders’ Cup Saturday.” Fravel continued, “We also extend our thanks to John Deere for being an outstanding Breeders’ Cup partner, and along with NTRA Advantage, helps us shine a bright light on the essential importance of our breeders to the Breeders’ Cup program through this award.” Maria Niarchos-Gouaze offered, “Flaxman Holdings Limited is delighted to have earned the outstanding breeder of the Breeders’ Cup, and thanks very much to John Deere for their generous sponsorship of this award.” NTRA Advantage and John Deere will award the Niarchos Family with a John Deere TS Gator Utility Vehicle.