Two Share the Title of Champion

A pair of 4-year-old geldings, Whosleavingwho and Streakin Sin Tacha, finished in a tie for world champion, leaving quarter horse racing with co-winners of the sport’s highest honor for the first time in 51 years.

Whosleavingwho beat Streakin Sin Tacha, the sixth-place finisher, by two lengths in December’s Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos, but in a runoff vote, announced Wednesday, the rivals were even with 42 votes apiece. In preliminary voting by the American Quarter Horse Assn. and media, Streakin Sin Tacha led Whosleavingwho, 34-26. A majority of the 86 votes, 44, was needed for a horse to win in the first round of voting.

In the runoff, one voter abstained and another vote was disqualified when the voter violated the rules by picking a horse that he had not selected in his vote for divisional champion.

The only time horses shared world-champion honors was when Monita and Maddon’s Bright Eyes tied in 1951.

Whosleavingwho, a $40,000 yearling at auction, finished 2002 with four wins and a third in six starts, earning $413,434. Streakin Sin Tacha, who earned $765,263, won three races -- all Grade I stakes -- and had one second and one third in six starts.

Whosleavingwho, owned by Jim Geiler and Kim Kessinger of Ft. Sumner, N.M., was trained by Paul Jones, who was voted champion trainer for 2002. Jones, 37, won his fifth straight Los Alamitos title by saddling a record 170 winners. He won 20 stakes and his horses earned $2.6 million.

Streakin Sin Tacha was owned and trained by Janet VanBebber, who with her late husband trained Tailor Fit, the world champion in 1999 and 2001. Steve VanBebber, who died in 2000, was the co-breeder of Streakin Sin Tacha with Lee Ray Hayes.

Streakin Sin Tacha won two other titles, best aged horse and champion aged gelding. Other titles were won by Significant Speed, aged mare; Jess Louisiana Blue, aged stallion; A Real Man, 3-year-old and 3-year-old gelding; One Rare Bug, 3-year-old colt; First Regards, 3-year-old filly; AB What A Runner, 2-year-old and 2-year-old filly; First To Flash, 2-year-old colt; Eye Opening Episode, 2-year-old gelding; Sign Of Lanty, distance horse; Dash’s Rhythm, Canadian horse; and Illusive Princess, broodmare.

In a runoff, Ramon Sanchez beat out Joe Badilla for jockey of the year, 45-42. Sanchez, 26, rode 220 winners at Los Alamitos as he became the first jockey in track history to crack the 200 mark. After riding in 59 races in 1999, when he considered quitting, he has won 386 races in the last two years. Sanchez’s mounts won 25 stakes last year, when his overall purse total was $2.5 million.

Sandy Erwin of Dallas was voted owner of the year and the breeding award went to Jerry Windham of College Station, Texas.