After close voting, Atomica, bred by Nuclear Wayne out of the Reparations mare Honkeytonkville, was crowned Horse of the Year for the 2022 racing season. Atomica, trained by Gary Subratie, received eight out of the 15 available votes to win the award. Mahogany received six votes, while Excessive Force received one vote.

Gold Cup and Ian Levy Cup winner Mahogany and Port Royal and Mouttet Mile hero Excessive were voted first runner-up and second runner-up, respectively, to Horse of the Year.

The Horse of the Year voting panel is comprised of representatives from the promoting company, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited, and the media.

Atomica was also voted the champion three-year-old, champion stayer, champion middle-distance performer, champion sprinter, and champion local-bred horse.

Bred by Karl Samuda and owned by Oakridge Farms, Atomica won seven races, finished second once, and had two unplaced efforts from 10 starts during 2022 for total stakes earnings of $14,183,150. This amount was the most earned by any horse in 2021.

The Grade One Jamaica Cup (9 1/2 furlongs), the Jamaica Derby (12 furlongs), the 1000 Guineas (8 furlongs), The Portmore (7 1/2 furlongs), the Thornbird (7 furlongs), I’msatisfied (6 furlongs), and a non-winner of two contests (6 furlongs) were among Atomica’s seven victories.

Atomica‘s winning times of 1:32.3 for The Portmore, 1:37.0 for The 1000 Guineas, and 1:10.0 for The I’msatisifed were Stakes records. Her time of 157.3 in the Jamaica Cup was a new stakes and track record.

Atomica‘s second-place finish came in the St Leger, as she just missed out on the Triple Crown, while her unplaced efforts were behind Mahogany in the Gold Cup and Excessive Force in the rich Mouttet Mile.

As to his first runner-up title, the Ian Parsard-trained Mahogany was also voted as the champion four-year-old, champion middle distance performer, and champion sprinter, and Excessive Force, trained by Philip Feanny, as the champion foreign-bred.

Mojito, who won the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, was voted champion two-year-old as well as champion middle-distance performer.

Calculus was voted the champion stayer.

Dale Murphy was voted the most improved trainer, and champion jockey Dane Dawkins, the most improved rider.

Other 2022 champions were Carlton Watson – champion owner; champion trainer – Jason DaCosta; champion apprentice – Youville Pinnock; champion groom – Adrian Taylor; champion breeder – HAM Stables Ltd; champion sire – Bern Identity, and champion mare – Honkeytonkville

Racing Secretary Denzil Miller said that the respective champions were well-deserved.

“I think the winners spoke for themselves through their performances in 2022. The voting was pretty close for Horse of the Year, with Atomica getting eight votes, Mahogany having six, and Excessive Force only being able to get one. It was a very exciting year, and this year we expect better things to happen,” Miller told The Supreme Racing Guide.