by Courtney Stafford, for the SBOANJ

Manalapan, NJ — Southwind Farms has been selected as the New Jersey Breeder of the Year for 2016.

The Breeders Committee of the SBOANJ made the announcement this December.

This year’s Southwind standout was once again Southwind Frank, one of the top 3-year-old trotting colts in 2016.

Southwind Farms will receive the presentation on Jan. 29, 2017 at the 60th annual New Jersey Breeders Award Luncheon at 1 p.m. at O’Connors Restaurant in Eastampton, N.J.

The son of Muscle Hill, out of Flawless Lindy, Southwind Frank won six out of 14 starts in 2016, earning $1,164,468 for the Southwind Frank Partners. A $100,000 purchase at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, he was trained by Ron Burke and driven by Yannick Gingras.

Beginning with a New Jersey Sire Stakes win on May 20, he also won the $500,000 Earl Beal at Pocono, the $153,250 Stanley Dancer at the Meadowlands and the $500,000 Colonial Trot at Pocono. He also lowered his lifetime mark to 1:52.1 at the Meadowlands with his win in the Reynolds Memorial.

Southwind Farms is also home of the champion stallion Muscle Hill, who will be returning to New Jersey to stand stud in 2017. This year’s New Jersey Standardbred of the Year, as well as Triple Crown winner, Marion Marauder was sired by Muscle Hill.

“All of us at Southwind Farms are very proud to be named New Jersey Breeder of the Year for the second consecutive year,” said Southwind Farms Syndicate Manager Mike Klau. “We are committed to the New Jersey program and hope that it is able to grow in the coming years.”

This is the third Breeders Award for the 235 acre farm near the Village of Pennington, N.J. Southwind Farms was founded by Connie and Allen Skolnick in 1986. Both Skolnicks passed away in 2013, and the farm is currently owned by their son, Barry.

Previous New Jersey Breeder of the Year winners include three-time winner White Birch Farm, two-time winner Perretti Farms, Deo Volente Farms, Valley High Stables, Kentuckiana Farms, Fair Winds Farm, Walnridge Farm and Heritage Hill Farms.

Tickets for the luncheon cost $45 per person and may be purchased from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Division of Markets & Development, Horse Industry, P.O. Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625. For further information, call 609.984.4389 or e-mail Lynn.Mathews@ag.state.nj.us.