Kentucky-based horses dominate Eclipse Award finalists
Just as they did at the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park, Kentucky horses dominate the finalists announced Saturday for the Eclipse Awards honoring North America's 2012 Thoroughbred champions. That includes the three finalists for Horse of the Year: Keeneland-based Wise Dan and Churchill Downs-based Fort Larned joining the retired Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another.
Horse of the Year finalists generally are not announced beforehand under a belief by the Eclipse organizers that it can tip off who wins divisional titles. However, those votes are done separately, and it's possible that the Horse of the Year for the first time might not also be a divisional champion.
Wise Dan, now 6 years old, is considered the front-runner for Horse of the Year, in part because of his versatility on all three surfaces. The Charlie Lopresti-trained gelding last year went 5-for-6 with a second overall and 5-for-5 on grass, including an impressive victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile on turf. He's also a finalist for champion older male and male turf horse.
But the Ian Wilkes-trained Fort Larned, also a finalist for champion older male, was the gritty winner of the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic as well as beating a strong field in Saratoga's Whitney Handicap. Little Mike, a finalist for both older male and male turf, was sure to have a lot of voter support as at least grass champion with his victories in Churchill's Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, the Arlington Million and the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf.
The Eclipse champions are determined in voting by National Thoroughbred Racing Association-member designates (racing secretaries and Equibase personnel), members of the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters and Daily Racing Form employees, who vote for a top three in 17 equine and human categories. Winners are based solely on receiving the most first-place votes, with second- and third-place votes used to determine finalists.
Ballots were cast by 254 of the 272 eligible voters for 93.38% participation.
The winners will be announced during the 42nd Eclipse Awards Dinner on Jan. 19 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. HRTV will broadcast the program live.
Trainer Dale Romans' Louisville-based operation produced the most finalists with five. In addition to Little Mike being in the top three for two divisions, Shackleford is a finalist for male sprinter and Tapitsfly is one for female turf champ. Romans, with nine Grade I winners in 2012, is a finalist as Eclipse Award trainer.
Though he trails fellow finalists Bob Baffert (13) and Todd Pletcher (10) in overall Grade I victories, Romans is considered something of a favorite because he arguably won the most high-profile races throughout the country with Little Mike's prestigious trio, Shackleford winning the Metropolitan Mile and the 3-year-old Dullahan beating older horses in Del Mar's Pacific Classic.
"I hope I haven't peaked too early," said Romans, whose only disappointment was that Little Mike wasn't a finalist for Horse of the Year. "Of course, it's an honor to be nominated myself. But those horses have been very special and they put out an amazing year. I don't know how I follow it up, though. We'll see what happens. We'll just keep doing what we've been doing and seeing if we can do it again."
Two of the most lopsided divisions also have strong Kentucky angles. Groupie Doll, owned and bred by trainer Buff Bradley in partnership with his dad, Fred, should be a near-unanimous selection as champion female sprinter off her divisional dominance and breathtaking victory in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
And unbeaten Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Shanghai Bobby, who is trained by Pletcher, should win the Eclipse in a landslide for the Starlight Racing partnership that includes founders Jack and Lori Wolf, as well as fellow Louisvillians Ed and Clinton Glasscock.
2012 Eclipse Award finalists
Horse of the Year
Horse (trainer) / Starts / 1-2-3 / earnings
Fort Larned (Wilkes) / 9 / 5-1-1 / $3,598,455
I'll Have Another (O'Neill) / 4 / 4-0-0 / $2,629,600
Wise Dan (Lopresti) / 6 / 5-1-0 / $2,622,037
Two-year-old male
Shanghai Bobby (Pletcher) / 5 / 5-0-0 / $1,687,000
Uncaptured (Casse) / 7 / 6-0-0 / $510,837
Violence (Pletcher) / 2 / 2-0-0 / $168,000
Two-year-old filly
Beholder (Mandella) / 5 / 3-1-0 / $1,215,000
Dreaming of Julia (Pletcher) / 4 / 3-0-1 / $537,000
Executiveprivilege (Baffert) / 7 / 5-1-0 / $940,000
Three-year-old male
Bodemeister (Baffert) / 6 / 2-4-0 / $1,304,800
I'll Have Another (O'Neill) / 4 / 4-0-0 / $2,629,600
Union Rags (Matz) / 4 / 2-0-1 / $940,000
Three-year-old filly
Believe You Can (Jones) / 5 / 3-0-1 / $977,200
My Miss Aurelia (Asmussen) / 4 / 2-1-1 / $1,042,000
Questing (McLaughlin) / 7 / 3-1-0 / $792,320
Four-year-old & up male
Fort Larned (Wilkes) / 9 / 5-1-1 / $3,598,455
Little Mike (Romans) / 7 / 4-0-1 / $2,668,742
Wise Dan (Lopresti) / 6 / 5-1-0 / $2,622,037
Four-year-old & up female
Groupie Doll (Bradley) / 9 / 5-2-2 / $1,385,314
Include Me Out (Ellis) / 7 / 4-1-2 / $818,000
Royal Delta (Mott) / 7 / 4-2-0 / $2,009,251
Male sprinter (3yo&up)
Shackleford (Romans) / 8 / 3-1-1 / $1,104,298
The Lumber Guy (Hushion) / 7 / 4-1-0 / $735,800
Trinniberg (Parbhoo) / 8 / 4-2-0 / $1,382,000
Female sprinter (3 year-old & up)
Contested (Baffert) / 5 / 4-0-0 / $594,154
Groupie Doll (Bradley) / 9 / 5-2-2 / $1,385,314
Mizdirection (Puype) / 5 / 4-1-0 / $718,910
Male turf (3yo&up)
Little Mike (Romans) / 7 / 4-0-1 / $2,668,742
Point of Entry (McGaughey) / 7 / 5-1-0 / $1,746,600
Wise Dan (Lopresti) / 6 / 5-1-0 / $2,622,037
Female turf (3yo&up)
Marketing Mix (Proctor) / 7 / 4-2-0 / $1,120,692
Tapitsfly (Romans) / 8 / 3-1-2 / $715,453
Zagora (Brown) / 8 / 5-1-1 / $1,689,000
Steeplechase
Demonstrative (Valentine) / 6 / 3-0-0 / $209,000
Divine Fortune (Sheppard) / 7 / 1-3-0 / $113,500
Pierrot Lunaire (Davies) / 5 / 2-0-1 / $253,000
Jockey
Starts / 1-2-3 / earnings
Javier Castellano / 1,461 / 325-245-215 / $22,441,852
Ramon Dominguez / 1,398 / 341-245-203 / $25,582,252
John Velazquez / 979 / 188-130-117 / $19,875,351
Trainer
Bob Baffert / 855 / 233-129-103 / $20,954,322
Todd Pletcher / 538 / 154-110-69 / $15,047,226
Dale Romans / 763 / 125-100-109 / $11,834,249
Owner
Godolphin Racing / 48 / 15-7-9 / $3,749,075
Midwest Thoroughbreds / 1,857 / 542-357-256 / $10,150,498
Reddam Racing / 136 / 15-19-12 / $4,710,382
Breeder
Adena Springs / 2,909 / 381-400-363 / $11,422,907
Darley / 518 / 96-75-64 / $7,514,740
Brereton C. Jones / 1,647 / 227-235-216 / $7,876,179
Apprentice jockey
Jose Montano / 1,075 / 225-214-163 / $3,613,984
Irad Ortiz Jr. / 1,345 / 152-169-177 / $9,125,562
Angel Suarez / 923 / 151-125-118 / $3,423,348
Notes: The Eclipse champions are determined in voting by National Thoroughbred Racing Association-member designates (racing secretaries and Equibase personnel), members of the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters and Daily Racing Form employees, who vote for a top three in each category. Winners are based solely on receiving the most first-place votes, with second- and third-place votes used to determine finalists. Breeder is through Dec. 26, all others through Dec. 31.
Source: NTRA, equineline.com, Equibase, Daily Racing Form
Rees writes for the Louisville Courier-Journal