2017 Eclipse Award Ballot & Discussion
 

My 2017 Eclipse Awards Ballot

Horse of the Year: 1st - Gun Runner, 2nd - Arrogate, 3rd - World Approval

Two-Year-Old Male: 1st - Good Magic, 2nd - Bolt d'Oro, 3rd - Solomini
Two-Year-Old Filly: 1st - Rushing Fall, 2nd - Caledonia Road, 3rd - Moonshine Memories

Three-Year-Old Male: 1st - West Coast, 2nd - Always Dreaming, 3rd - Battle of Midway
Three-Year-Old Filly: 1st - Abel Tasman, 2nd - Elate, 3rd - It Tiz Well (Unique Bella)

Older Dirt Male: 1st - Gun Runner, 2nd - Arrogate, 3rd - Collected
Older Dirt Female: 1st - Forever Unbridled , 2nd - Stellar Wind, 3rd - Vale Dori (Songbird)

Male Sprinter: 1st - Roy H., 2nd - Mind Your Biscuits, 3rd - Imperial Hint
Female Sprinter: 1st - Unique Bella, 2nd - Ami's Mesa, 3rd - Highway Star (Paulassilverlining, Bar of Gold)

Male Turf Horse: 1st - World Approval, 2nd - Beach Patrol, 3rd - Sadler's Joy (Talismanic)
Female Turf Horse: 1st - Lady Eli, 2nd - Off Limits, 3rd - Dickinson (Wuheida)
Steeplechase Horse: 1st - All the Way Jose, 2nd - Mr. Hot Stuff, 3rd - Scorpiancer

Owner: 1st - Klaravich/Lawrence, 2nd - Live Oak (Mrs. Weber), 3rd - Godolphin Racing LLC (Juddmonte, Winchell/Three Chimneys)
Breeder: 1st - Live Oak (Mrs. Weber), 2nd - Hertrich/Fielding, 3rd - Clearsky Farms (Besilu, WinStar)

Jockey: 1st - Jose Ortiz, 2nd - Javier Castellano, 3rd - Mike Smith
Apprentice Jockey: 1st - Evin Roman, 2nd - Katie Clawson, 3rd - Hector Diaz Jr.

Trainer: 1st - Chad Brown, 2nd - Bob Baffert, 3rd - Steve Asmussen

Here's access to the info package for your ballots..

List your 1-2-3 selections below..

Eclipse Candidate Past Performances (Horses by category)

Statistics Links Page

Two-Year-Old Male:
Two-Year-Old Filly:

Three-Year-Old Male:
Three-Year-Old Filly:

Older Dirt Male:
Older Dirt Female:

Male Sprinter:
Female Sprinter:

Male Turf Horse:
Female Turf Horse:
Steeplechase Horse:

Horse of the Year:

Owner:
Breeder:

Jockey:
Apprentice Jockey:

Trainer:

Obvious Bias Post
 

Sorry Steve, I have to vote for my friend and "Compadre" and Bolt D'Oro
for Two Year Old Colt!
He won more Grade 1 (2) to (1)
3 out of 4 for the year and the 3rd in the Breederscup to Good Magic had a terrible trip or I think there would be no debate!
But I have fed carrots and alfalfa to the next Kentucky Derby winner so I am Bias
Happy New Year to all!:tro:

Horse of the Year: 1st - WINX, Gun Runner, 2nd - Arrogate, 3rd

What a shame she is left out. Hasn't lost a race since 2015 with almost 16 mil. in earnings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winx_(horse)

My vote for hoy is damascus.

??????

Completely understand the preference for Bolt d'Oro. I went back and forth and expect Bolt will win. Thought Good Magic did enough be thoroughly dominant in the Juvenile while exiting a very good edition of the Champagne. This was one of 4 divisions that were authentically tough with 2yo Filly, Female Sprinter and 'Chaser.

Best wishes for a great New Year!

:tro:

Strangely, they have Awards for Australian racehorses in Australia.
https://www.racing.com/news/2017-10-...alias-champion

Pretty spot on. I would probably flipflop Asmussen and Baffert.

Baffert campaigned 2 Division Champions though, as well as likely 3 others that will be finalists, and had more individual stakes winners (19 winners/30 wins) than Asmussen had total stakes wins (15)! All of Asmussen's 4 G1's came from Gun Runner, while Baffert's 14 G1's came from 11 different runners.

Baffert (30/14-8-8) $18,555,795
Asmussen (15/4-2-9) $8,563,864

You're right Steve. The stats do tell the story. I'm just jaded. I feel like it's equivalent to voting for Tom Brady for MVP. :)

If Brady was the best player, why not vote for him? It's like LeBron James not winning the NBA mvp award every year.

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-rac...eclipse-awards

Hey Steve, congrats on the honorable mention for ATR (obviously the circumstances of "Garrett Gomez Remembered" make it bittersweet). Honestly you guys do such great work year round, I'm surprised they can narrow it down. All those interviews are really a treasure trove for fans of the sport.

Yes, Steve. Congrats for the Honorable Mention for Gomez. Listeners hear this all the time from you, most recently Leroy Jolley and JVB.

We honor our past and embrace our future.

Was great to hear you and Tony Black talk about Cheating Arthur. What a nice horse. I saw and bet on him so many times. He was a warrior.

The 2017 Eclipse Awards finalists (in alphabetical order) are:

Horse of the Year: Arrogate, Gun Runner, World Approval

Two-Year-Old Male: Bolt d’Oro, Good Magic, Solomini
Two-Year-Old Filly: Caledonia Road, Moonshine Memories, Rushing Fall

Three-Year-Old Male: Always Dreaming, Battle of Midway, West Coast
Three-Year-Old Filly: Abel Tasman, Elate, Unique Bella

Older Dirt Male: Arrogate, Collected, Gun Runner
Older Dirt Female: Forever Unbridled, Songbird, Stellar Wind

Male Sprinter: Imperial Hint, Mind Your Biscuits, Roy H
Female Sprinter: Bar of Gold, Paulassilverlining, Unique Bella

Male Turf Horse: Beach Patrol, Talismanic (GB), World Approval
Female Turf Horse: Lady Eli, Off Limits (IRE), Wuheida (GB)
Steeplechase Horse: All the Way Jose, Mr. Hot Stuff, Scorpiancer (IRE)

Owner: Godolphin Racing LLC, Juddmonte Farms, Winchell Thoroughbreds & Three Chimneys Farm
Breeder: Besilu Stables LLC, Clearsky Farms, WinStar Farm, LLC

Jockey: Javier Castellano, Jose Ortiz, Mike Smith
Apprentice Jockey: Katie Clawson, Hector Rafael Diaz Jr., Evin A. Roman

Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, Chad Brown

Thanks very much. Paying proper tribute to the game's all time greats, like the Van Berg Tribute Wednesday, the Allen Jerkens & Bobby Frankel remembrances in previous years, is one of ATR's most important responsibilities. Given the tragedy involved with Gomez, I thought the story told over the 3 hours was very special and moving. I'll get the full 3 hours up on the Best Of page.

Voters struggle with the human categories. I'm not sure why Asmussen is a nominee for Trainer, as ex-Gun Runner, he didn't have a particularly good year. I guess, however, assuming he finishes third, there are worse choices to fill out the category. I assume the voters will get it right with Chad Brown and Jose Ortiz, both of whom should be runaway winners.

Don't even get me started about the owner nominees. Klaravich and E-Five Racing both were better choices than at least two of the nominees in my opinion.

Will there by any resolution to this?

https://twitter.com/railbird/status/948691159311945731

Seems pretty shady to me. In the responses it is said there was an INQ? Have yet to hear any judgment.

It's in the hands of the Eclipse Steering Committee reps from the NTRA & NTWAB. The DRF recused itself from participating in the decision as to whether the entry is allowable in light of the rules regarding 'first publication'.

(For those that don't know the background, the Eclipse Awards are managed in a triumvirate of the NTRA, the National Turf Writers & Broadcasters and the DRF.)