2006 Louisiana Horse of the Year
February 1 - Happy Ticket
Steward Madison from Mississippi is her breeder and owner. As you regular followers and friends know, I love to know the stories behind the horses and the people in their circle. Stewart's company Malaco Music has the music rights to just about every gospel song ever made. I believe his music library contains about 40,000 titles . . . which explains his racing silks covered in musical notes. That's her on the left sporting a big blaze.
Happy Ticket was the pride of Louisiana racing and the richest Louisiana bred horse of all time. She was trained by Andrew Leggio Jr. for her connections, and she ran from 2003 through 2006. She was a Louisiana bred mare who showed her talent right from the start, winning her first eight starts at her home state tracks. Her career earnings of 1,688,838 dollars made her the richest Louisiana bred in history.
Happy Ticket was a divisional champion in Louisiana for all three years she raced, and she became one of the most beloved horses in the state. But her biggest moment came when she shipped to New York and proved she could beat the best in the country. The signature win came in the Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga, a Grade 1 sprint for fillies and mares. Happy Ticket rolled through a muddy track to pull away in the final furlong, scoring her 10th win in 11 career starts at the time. The win sent the Louisiana fans home cheering and showed that a state bred mare could shine on racing's biggest stages.
She also placed in six graded stakes against the very best mares in training. She finished in the money in the Breeders Cup Distaff, the Beldame Stakes, and the Apple Blossom Handicap, going head to head with horses like Ashado and Azeri. Happy Ticket was named the 2006 Louisiana Horse of the Year as a five year old, the third straight season she was honored as a state bred champion by the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association.
In total, Happy Ticket won or placed in 16 stakes during her career, including 7 stakes wins in Louisiana plus the Ballerina at Saratoga. She passed away in 2010. The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association named a stakes race in her honor, the Happy Ticket Stakes, which is still run at Louisiana tracks each year. Happy Ticket is remembered as one of the greatest Louisiana breds ever to set foot on a racetrack and a true champion who carried her state's banner with pride.
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