ECLIPSE PHOTO: You be the judge..
 

Looks like Blame holds her off in both pics Steve.

The first photo showcases the crowd, and the second is all about the horses. I bet the guy on the roof with his arms in the air thought Zenyatta won.

I went with photo #2 by a nose. Good call Herk on the guy in the crowd.
Either way both are great photos.

Went with number one. Both are good, just like that angle a bit better. Good shot of the crowd and new lights, a little less glare.

I like the first photo for a couple of reasons.

First in the second photo the horses seem to be running off of the page to nowhere. The spacing is just a bit off.

Secondly the lighting in the first seems to be more dramatic with darkness on either side of the critical moment, the horses hitting the wire.

Lastly, the first one shows the excitment of the critical moment better as it shows the crowd's reaction to the finish.

I'd be proud of either photo, but I just think the first one captures "The Moment" a little better.

I like the second the best, but don't think either top some of the photos Tod Marks took this year at Saratoga for the Special.

It looks like there is an exorcism going on in the left spire.

:tro:

Agree with all of this and along with it the curve of the lights at the top and the other horses in the bg... these things add to it.

The composition is really nice.

:tro:

That's an Austin Powers reference and not a real question, right?

How can a photography award go to a photo that was taken remotely or by using a timer? Plus, there are probably a dozen photographers that took that same exact photo.

I guess it beats the alternative, which is a jock falling of a steeplechaser.

I like the second one better. The body language of each horse striving to beat the other is more dramatic.

The first one shows the jocks too . I like the faint images of the horses in back of them as well . Plus the glaring light at the top left is not in the 1st one.

The ghost of Patrick McGoohan and a large bouncing ball are coming after you right now.

The first photo by a nose

Equidaily has links to the past 6 award winners...

None of them are stellar... I do like the 2005 one and would go for the 2009 shot but it had been done before (and with the spelling error... well that is a big distraction!).

I cannot stand the others.

http://equidaily.com/

I like three in a row here... the one of GoGo and Blame from the back (stupid pole sticking out of his head though!) , a very emotional Mike Smith and the starting gate taken from behind...

http://gallery.pictopia.com/bloodhor...110983/thumbs/