James "Jim" Seabeck will be celebrating his 98th birthday on Friday, January 21, 2011.
  Jim was a past president and is a life-time member of the WTBOA. He also served on the WHRC and was inducted into the Washington Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame in 2010.
  He wants everyone to know that he is still enjoying life, family and Gonzaga basketball. He is receiving cards at: James Seabeck, 5116 S. St. Andrews Lane, Spokane, WA 99223 or phone calls to his cell at (509) 368-7848.

  Leading the way among the Pacific Northwest-connected finalists in the 17 horse and people categories (three final nominees in each category) for 2010 Eclipse Awards is top sprinter Smiling Tiger, who was bred by Dr. Rodney Orr of Oregon. The 2008 WTBOA Summer Yearling Sale graduate defeated older runners in two Grade 1 stakes last year, ran third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and finished his 2010 campaign with a second in the Malibu Stakes (G1) (see WTBOA Sales Graduates in the News below).

  Debra Larson's first-time juvenile starter Ima Raisin Kain, a gelded Washington-bred son of Munger Farm's Nacheezmo-Heidi Marie, by Alfaari, bred by Noel and Shirley Gregory, won a five-furlong maiden claiming race at Turf Paradise by 1 1/4 lengths on December 27. The new winner is trained by Dave Bennett.

  Al and Saundra Kirkwood's All Due Respect took a mile allowance/$62,500 optional claiming race by 2 1/2 lengths over Santa Anita's new dirt surface on December 27. The 2007 Florida-bred filly by Value Plus-Aunt Due is trained by Kathy Walsh and improved her record to 3-4-3 from 12 starts with $263,832 in earnings, of which $204,680 was accumulated in 2010.

  Mark Dedomenico LLC and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's multiple stakes winner Cathy's Crunches finished second in her three-year-old debut in the $100,000 California Oaks run at Golden Gate Fields on New Year's Day 2011. The Florida-bred daughter of West Acre-Miss Atticus, has a record of 5-2-1 from eight starts and has earned $173,520.

  First-time juvenile starter Rumor, by Indian Charlie, was an impressive 6 3/4-length winner of a six-panel maiden special weight race run at Santa Anita on December 31. The filly and her half-brother, Herman Sarkowsky's homebred Grade 1 winner Dixie Chatter, are out of the Deputy Minister mare Mini Chat, a daughter of Sarkowsky's national two-year-old filly champion Phone Chatter and descendent of Reine-des-Course and Washington broodmare of the year Beadah.

  Heidi Nelson, who also races under Nelson Family Racing, is the owner of three-year-old Zayda, who won a mile maiden special weight race by 2 1/4 lengths on the New Year's Day card at Golden Gate Fields. It was the third start for the Kentucky-bred son of Bluegrass Cat-Winter Solistice, by Unbridled who is trained by Blaine Wright. Zayda, which means "papa" in Hebrew, was named in honor of Nelson's father, longtime horseman Herbert Thomas, who passed away in December (see In Memoriam below).

  Gibson Thoroughbred Farm's Parker's Storm Cat had his first winner of 2011 on January 3 when his five-year-old son Sloan Ranger, a Pennsylvania-bred gelding out of Toppenish, by You and I, won a seven-furlong allowance test at PARX Racing by one length, increasing his earnings to $110,518.

  Smokin Artie's Gal remained unbeaten in two starts after the juvenile daughter of 1997 Washington Horse of the Year Smokin Mel took a six-furlong allowance race by 4 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct on December 30. The New York-bred filly out of Brazilian Baby has earned $49,200.

  Stone Farm, John Adgar and Jack and Teresa Hodge's Oak Crest Farm runner Upperline was restored as the winner of the Arlington Oaks (G3) run last July. The daughter of Maria's Mon had won the Arlington Park stakes by 4 3/4 lengths but later was disqualified when a post-race test revealed trace amounts of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug etodolac, which is similar to ibuprofen. In late December, the Illinois stewards overturned their previous ruling after learning that etodolac had a Class 4, not Class 3 designation at the time of the infraction. The stewards have since made etodolac a Class 3 drug.

  Wesley Ward-owned and -trained Final Mesa, a three-year-old New York-bred filly by Sky Mesa-Final Style, won her fourth race in five starts when she took the $100,000 Old Hat Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park on January 5.

Myrna M. Johnson Puhich

  Myrna Johnson Puhich, 78, passed away on December 19, 2010. Born on February 10, 1932, in Kansas, Myrna and her family moved to Renton when she was six, after relocating from Wenatchee. Her father was a tailor who worked next to Puhich Cleaners. She soon met Nick Puhich, and soon after both of their graduations from Renton High School, they were married. She was a fun-loving and good hostess who loved her family and friends. She had many friends in Thoroughbred racing due to her husband Nick, a prominent jockey agent, and son, trainer, Mike Puhich's involvement.

  She was preceded in death by her husband, Nick, and daughter, Nikki Franks. She is survived by son, Mike Puhich; daughters, Sharon (Gary) Hendricks and Teresa (John) Hartford; two grandchildren ad four great-grandchildren.

Herbert Victor Thomas

  Herbert Thomas, 74, passed away at his Bellevue home on December 7, 2010. Born in Seattle on June 1, 1936, to Sam and Bessie Thomas, the former WTBOA member was involved in many successful businesses, including iron and metals. He and his former wife Annette had three daughters and one son.

  In 1971 the Thomases purchased six Thoroughbreds at a California sale. They later also bought stock from Kentucky sales and sold yearlings at the WTBOA summer sales. The family raised many good runners, including four-time Yakima Meadows stakes winner Thou Art Handy and 1974 Spokane Derby winner and track record holder Cleo Fun, at their Winner's Circle Ranch outside of Spokane where they also stood the stallions Caribbean and Optimistical. Winner's Circle Ranch was also home to working and performance Quarter Horses and Appaloosas, including champion Quarter Horse Buck Hand.

  Another of Herb's favorite Thoroughbreds was Zayda, which means "papa" in Hebrew. The recent maiden special weight winner is raced by Herb's daughter Heidi Nelson. (see above).

  In addition to Heidi, Herb is survived by daughters, Molly Alsept and Tracy Nelson; son Adam Thomas; sisters, Natalie Malin and Terri Cowan; and seven grandchildren.