Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Suzanne and William Warren Jr. are presented Saint Liam's Horse of the Year Eclipse by D.G. Van Clief Jr. of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and Breeders' Cup.

No one has embraced the concept better than Merv Griffin, who was a presenter in past years, and was again Monday night at the Regent Beverly Wilshire, at which he also picked up an Eclipse Award for his colt Stevie Wonderboy, the champion 2-year-old male of 2005.

Griffin, who has a large entertainment and real estate empire, first appeared on Monday night to present the Eclipse Award for champion older male. Surveying the ballroom, he mused, "Do I own this hotel? I still can't remember." In fact, Griffin owns the nearby Beverly Hilton.

Griffin said having Stevie Wonderboy raised the quality of horses he has owned from past years, when he joked that he would "claim a lot of Tim Conway's horses."

Griffin also bantered animatedly with Larry King, who presented the award to Griffin for Stevie Wonderboy. King said he appreciated being at the ceremony because "I've left so much money at the track."

Warren credits teamwork

William Warren Jr., who owned Horse of the Year Saint Liam with his wife, Suzanne, likened the success his horse had in 2005 to that of a football team trying to win the Super Bowl.

Warren called bloodstock agent Mark Reid, who plotted Saint Liam's campaign, "the general manager." Rick Dutrow Jr., who trained Saint Liam, was "the head coach." He called bloodstock agent Mike Ryan "the man in charge of player selecting, drafting." And he called jockeys Jerry Bailey and Edgar Prado, who rode Saint Liam last year, "the co-players."

"There's a TV show called 'The Amazing Race,' " Warren said. "Well, this has been an amazing year for me and Suzanne."

Many champ runners returning

Half of the 10 horses honored with Eclipse Awards are expected to race in 2006, and two have already started.

Stevie Wonderboy finished second in the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 14, two days before Folklore, the champion 2-year-old female, finished third in the Santa Ynez Stakes.

Both are being prepared for stakes at Santa Anita later this winter.

Three others champions are in various stages of making comebacks.

Smuggler, the champion 3-year-old filly, is based in Florida with trainer Shug McGaughey. She is expected to start during the current Gulfstream Park meeting.

Lost in the Fog, the champion sprinter, recently returned to trainer Greg Gilchrist's barn in northern California after being given a break in late 2005. Lost in the Fog has lost once in his 11-race career, a seventh-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Belmont Park in October.

Lost in the Fog's owner, Harry Aleo, has set a goal of a repeat championship for 2006, plus one unfinished task.

"With a little racing luck, and if the equine gods smile on us, we'll look forward to coming back here next year," he said in his acceptance speech. "He's the sprinter of the year and a sprinter of a lifetime for me. He'll be back, bigger and stronger, and we've got our eyes on the Breeders' Cup this year."

Aleo said he was not concerned that Lost in the Fog lost this year's Breeders' Cup Sprint.

"Citation lost a few, Secretariat lost a few - even Man o 'War got beat," he said. "So the Fog lost one out of 11 - that's not too bad."

McDynamo still in action

Steeplechase champion McDynamo was the senior citizen of the equine winners, racing as an 8-year-old in 2005. He will be back this year at 9 and has already resumed preparation in Pennsylvania, according to trainer Sanna Hendriks.

"He's back and he's been foxhunting a few times," Hendriks said.

She said that McDynamo has also had a few exercise sessions at an indoor arena, where he can jump lower hurdles than what he would encounter in a race.

"It keeps him fit and happy," she said.

Owner Michael Moran and Hendriks have three major races as goals for McDynamo in 2006: the Royal Chase at Keeneland in April, the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase in New Jersey in October, and the Colonial Cup in South Carolina in November.

Chenery advocates promotion

Penny Chenery, who became a popular figure in the 1970's as the owner of Secretariat, was gratified to receive the Eclipse Award of Merit, and took the opportunity to cajole owners in the audience to use the platform of a top horse to promote the sport wherever possible.

"It's a wonderful life that a truly great horse can bring to you," she said.

Race-caller Dave Johnson, who introduced Chenery, called her "the unofficial ambassador for the sport."

* Conspicuous by his absence was owner Bob Lewis, who campaigned 2-year-old filly champion Folklore with his wife, Beverly. On accepting the award, Beverly said, "I'm not accustomed to coming up here without my husband. Bob sends his best."

Bob Lewis was not feeling well enough to attend the ceremony.

* It was a reflective Jerry Bailey, who will retire after Saturday, who presented two awards. Bailey announced Eclipse winners for steeplechase and female turf horse, but before he did, he said to the audience, "I've fulfilled dreams that I never could have imagined. Thank you . . . for having me in your life."

- additional reporting by Steve Andersen and Brad Free

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Breeders' Cup Classic winner Saint Liam is announced as the 2005 Horse of the Year at the 35th annual Eclipse Awards.

Saint Liam last year also captured the Donn Handicap, Stephen Foster Handicap, and Woodward Stakes. He easily outdistanced 3-year-old male champion Afleet Alex, 194-56, among voters who cast ballots for Horse of the Year. Others receiving a single vote each for Horse of the Year were Ghostzapper, sprint champion Lost in the Fog, Rock Hard Ten, and Roses in May. There were eight abstentions.

Saint Liam became the second consecutive horse, following Ghostzapper in 2004, to parlay victories in the Woodward and Breeders' Cup Classic to Horse of the Year. He was trained by Richard Dutrow Jr. and owned by William Warren Jr.

Both Saint Liam and Afleet Alex were overwhelming winners in their divisions, with Saint Liam named champion older horse and Afleet Alex champion 3-year-old male. In the two closest votes, Michael Gill edged Eugene Melnyk for champion owner, and Leroidesanimaux topped Artie Schiller for champion male turf horse.

Saint Liam received 250 votes as champion older male horse. Ghostzapper, whose lone start last year was a victory in the Metropolitan Handicap, was a distant second with five votes. Rock Hard Ten (3) and Roses in May (1) also received first-place votes. There were three abstentions.

Afleet Alex, who last year won the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes for trainer Tim Ritchey, won by a similarly large margin for champion 3-year-old male. He outpolled Flower Alley, the Travers Stakes winner and Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up, 253-6. There were three abstentions in that category. Afleet Alex's owners, the Cash Is King Racing Stable partnership headed by Chuck Zacney, received a Special Eclipse Award for their charitable work to fight pediatric cancer.

The winners of the racing categories, both human and equine, were announced at the black-tie dinner. Winners were determined by 262 voters - 132 from the National Turf Writers Association, 64 from Daily Racing Form, and 66 from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, which includes racing secretaries and members of Equibase. All votes are pooled. Bloc voting was phased out several years ago.

The pooling of votes made a difference in two close categories. In the tightest vote of the year, Atto Mile winner Leroidesanimaux eked out a victory over Breeders' Cup Mile winner Artie Schiller, 119 votes to 116, for champion male turf horse, even though Artie Schiller defeated Leroidesanimaux in their lone head-to-head meeting in the Breeders' Cup. Both the turf writers (65-53) and NTRA (32-26) sided with Artie Schiller, but Leroidesanimaux was so fancied among Daily Racing Form voters (40-19) that he carried the division, despite losing two of the three blocs.

There was a similar outcome in voting for champion owner, in which Gill defeated Melnyk by a 75-64 margin despite Melnyk carrying two of the three blocs. Both the turf writers (34-31) and DRF (17-13) preferred Melnyk, yet the NTRA's overwhelming vote for Gill, 31-13, gave him the Eclipse in a category in which 11 persons or stables received votes. Gill's large, claiming-based stable led the nation in purse earnings, but did not win any Grade 1 stakes races and had no horses that were Eclipse finalists. Melnyk's stable, which finished second in purse earnings, was headed by Flower Alley.

Voters also followed the money in several other categories. In addition to Gill, voters bestowed Eclipse Awards on trainer Todd Pletcher, jockey John Velazquez, apprentice jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson, and breeder Adena Springs, each of whom were earnings leaders in their respective categories.

For both Pletcher and Velazquez, each of whom set single-season records for purse earnings, it was their second straight Eclipse Award. Pletcher - whose runners earned $20,867,842 last year and included Flower Alley and older filly or mare champ Ashado - finished far in front of second-place Steve Asmussen, 226 votes to 15, with Bobby Frankel third with five votes.

Frankel, however, became the first trainer to have both the male and female turf champs in the same year, with Leroidesanimaux and female winner Intercontinental. He was the only trainer represented by two Eclipse Award winners.

Both Dutrow and Ritchey, the trainers of the top two candidates for Horse of the Year, finished in a tie for fourth with four votes each.

Velazquez, whose mounts won $24,393,723 last year, also was a runaway winner. He received 195 votes to easily outdistance Edgar Prado (20 votes) and Jerry Bailey (19).

Wilson, the Canadian-based rider who also won her country's Sovereign Award, was an easy winner over second-place Channing Hill, 185-42.

Adena Springs, the breeding arm of owner Frank Stronach's empire, won the Eclipse Award for the second straight year. It was Stronach's third Eclipse as champion breeder. Adena Springs beat runner-up Edward P. Evans, the breeder of Saint Liam, by 129-53 in a category in which 13 persons or stables received votes.

The other winners were favored to prevail, and did so by fairly wide margins.

The most overwhelming winner was Folklore, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and was named champion 2-year-old filly. She received 257 votes out of 260 cast in her division; there were two abstentions. Wild Fit received two votes (one from a turf writer, the other from an NTRA voter), and French Park received a single vote from a turf writer. Folklore's victory marks the record 24th Eclipse Award received by a horse trained by D. Wayne Lukas.

Stevie Wonderboy, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, captured the champion 2-year-old male Eclipse Award. He received 230 votes. First Samurai, the Champagne Stakes winner, was second with 25 votes.

Ashado, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2004, was named champion older filly or mare, becoming the first filly to win those two categories since Life's Magic in 1984-85. Ashado won three Grade 1 races last year. She received 203 votes to easily defeat second-place Pleasant Home, whose 49 votes were earned largely via her upset victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Pleasant Home's owner, Ogden Mills Phipps, and trainer, Shug McGaughey, did not go away empty-handed. They were honored for Smuggler, who was named champion 3-year-old filly for her victories in the Mother Goose Stakes and Coaching Club American Oaks. Smuggler received 177 votes to outdistance Indian Vale (24 votes), Summerly (20), and Round Pond (16).

The popular Lost in the Fog was named champion sprinter, despite suffering his first career loss in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. He received 209 votes to just 30 for Silver Train, the Breeders' Cup Sprint winner.

Intercontinental, who won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, received 245 votes out of the 258 cast for champion female turf horse. Cesario, the Japanese filly whose lone U.S. start was a powerful victory in the American Oaks, was second with eight votes.

McDynamo was named champion steeplechase horse for the second time in three years; he also won in 2003. He received 226 votes. Hirapour, the 2004 Eclipse Award winner, Preemptive Strike, and Sur La Tete each received two votes.

In addition to those awards, Penny Chenery received a long-overdue Eclipse Award of Merit more than 30 years after her Secretariat swept the Triple Crown.

Media winners included Bob Ford (commentary), Janet Patton (enterprise reporting), Lynn Roberts (photography), NBC Sports (both national television and feature story), WAVE 3 TV (local television), and Sirius Satellite Radio (audio).

How they voted

Voters were asked to rank the top three finishers in each division. Winners were determined by first-place votes only, from members of the consolidated voting entities, NTRA/Equibase, Daily Racing Form, and National Turf Writers Association.

Two-Year-Old Male
Stevie Wonderboy, 230; First Samurai, 25; Bluegrass Cat, 1; Henny Hughes 1; Private Vow, 1; What a Song, 1. Voter abstentions, 3.

Two-Year-Old Filly
Folklore, 257; Wild Fit, 2; French Park, 1. Abstentions, 2.

Three-Year-Old Male
Afleet Alex, 253; Flower Alley, 6. Abstentions, 3.

Three-Year-Old Female
Smuggler, 177; Indian Vale, 24; Summerly, 20; Round Pond, 16; In the Gold, 9; Sweet Catomine, 9; Cesario (JPN), 2; Leave Me Alone, 1; Splendid Blended, 1; Sweet Symphony, 1. Abstentions, 2.

Older Male
Saint Liam, 250; Ghostzapper, 5; Rock Hard Ten, 3; Roses in May; 1. Abstentions, 3.

Older Female
Ashado, 203; Pleasant Home, 49; Intercontinental (GB), 2; Stellar Jayne, 2; Dream of Summer, 1; Pampered Princess, 1. Abstentions, 3.

Sprinter
Lost in the Fog, 209; Silver Train, 30; Saratoga County, 11; Ghostzapper, 7; Purge, 1; Taste of Paradise, 1. Abstentions 3.

Male Turf Horse
Leroidesanimaux, 119; Artie Schiller, 116; Shirocco (GER), 17; Powerscourt (GB), 3; Kitten's Joy, 2; Relaxed Gesture, 2. Abstentions, 3.

Female Turf Horse
Intercontinental (GB), 245; Cesario (JPN), 8; Gorella, 1; Ouija Board (GB), 1; Sweet Talker (GB), 1. Abstentions, 4.

Steeplechase Horse
McDynamo , 226; Hirapour (IRE), 2; Preemptive Strike, 2; Sur La Tete, 2; Paradise's Boss, 1. Abstentions, 29.

Horse of the Year
Saint Liam, 194; Aflleet Alex, 56; Ghostzapper, 1; Lost in the Fog, 1; Rock Hard Ten, 1; Roses in May, 1. Voter Abstentions, 8.

Owner
Michael Gill, 75; Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc., 64; Live Oak Plantation, 42; Phipps Stable, 19; Cash is King LLC, 14; Robert Bone, 11; Eugene and Laura Melnyk, 2; Sam-Son Farm, 2; Harry Aleo, 9; Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren, Jr., 8; Mr. and Mrs. Jerome S. Moss, 4; Stronach Stables, 4; Juddmonte Farms, Inc., 1. Abstentions, 11.

Breeder
Adena Springs, 129; Edward P. Evans, 53; Live Oak Stud, 27; Phipps Stable, 11; John Franks, 9; Juddmonte Farms, Inc., 7; Farnsworth Farms, 5; Wimborne Farm, Inc., 3; John Martin Silvertand, 2; William S. Farish, 1; John Gunther, 1; Liberation Farm, 1; Old English Rancho, 1. Abstentions, 11.

Trainer
Todd Pletcher, 226; Steve Asmussen, 15; Robert Frankel, 5; Richard Dutrow, Jr., 4; Tim Ritchey, 4; Greg Gilchrist, 1; Claude R. McGaughey, III, 1; William I. Mott, 1; Cole Norman, 1; Nick Zito, 1. Abstentions, 3.

Jockey
John Velazquez, 195; Edgar Prado, 20; Jerry Bailey, 19; Garrett Gomez, 12; Russell Baze, 6; Ramon Dominguez, 3; Rafael Bejarano, 2; Eddie Castro, 1; Gary Stevens, 1; Patrick Valenzuela, 1. Abstentions, 2.

Apprentice Jockey
Emma-Jayne Wilson, 185; Channing Hill, 42; Justin Stein, 11; Kyle Kaenel, 3; Gerald Almodovar, 1; David Cohen, 1; Corey Fraser, 1; Abstentions, 18.

Voter participation rate: 80%

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Stevie Wonderboy (above), winning the BC Juvenile under Garrett Gomez, is favored in his division.

Saint Liam completed his year with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Belmont Park. Earlier, he won the Donn Handicap, Stephen Foster Handicap, and Woodward Stakes. He is a finalist for champion older male, along with Borrego, who won the Pacific Classic and Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Rock Hard Ten, the Santa Anita Handicap winner.

Afleet Alex was the star of the first half of the year, when he won the Arkansas Derby and Belmont Stakes, as well as a never-to-be-forgotten victory in the Preakness. He is a finalist for champion 3-year-old colt, along with Flower Alley, the Travers Stakes winner, and Giacomo, who won the Kentucky Derby.

Three finalists in each of 15 Eclipse Award categories - 10 for horses, five for people - were announced on Thursday by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Finalists for Horse of the Year are not announced, to avoid tipping off which horses are the favorites for divisional honors. But it is widely acknowledged that Saint Liam is the overwhelming favorite for a divisional championship, and the favorite to be named Horse of the Year. Afleet Alex is also considered a lock for his divisional title.

The Eclipse Awards are voted on by the awards' three sponsoring bodies, but all votes are pooled; bloc voting was phased out several years ago. The NTRA, which includes racing secretaries and members of Equibase, cast 66 ballots out of a possible 80 voters. Daily Racing Form also had 80 potential voters, of whom 65 submitted ballots. The National Turf Writers Association had 133 of its 164 eligible members vote.

There were few surprises among the finalists, but the trainer category was a notable exception. Richard Dutrow Jr., who trained Saint Liam and also won the Breeders' Cup Sprint with sprint division finalist Silver Train, was not among the top three. The finalists are Steve Asmussen, who led the nation in winners; Bobby Frankel, who won nine Grade 1 races, including the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf; and Todd Pletcher, who set a single-season earnings record while winning 10 Grade 1 races. Pletcher, who won the Eclipse Award in 2004, is considered the favorite.

Dutrow acknowledged that a 60-day suspension he served last year, part of which was because of a medication violation, may have hindered his chances.

"Todd had a bigger year than me, and Bobby always has a bigger year than everybody," Dutrow said from Florida, where he is based this winter. "If I didn't have the suspension, I might have squeezed in there for third place.

"Look, I had an unbelievable year, but I didn't start training to win awards. I did it because I love it. I couldn't be happier with the year we had."

In addition to Silver Train, the other sprint division finalists are Lost in the Fog, the King's Bishop winner whose 10-race winning streak came to an end in the Breeders' Cup, and Saratoga County, who won the Dubai Golden Shaheen in March but had to be euthanized in July after falling ill. The popular Lost in the Fog is favored to win.

One of the divisions that figures to be close is champion male turf horse, whose finalists include Artie Schiller, the Breeders' Cup Mile winner, and Leroidesanimaux, who won the Kilroe Mile and Atto Mile before losing his lone start against Artie Schiller. The other finalist in this category is Shirocco, the Breeders' Cup Turf winner.

Breeders' Cup winners are the heavy favorites in several categories.

Stevie Wonderboy, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, is favored to beat out fellow finalists First Samurai, the winner of the Champagne and Hopeful stakes, and Henny Hughes, the Juvenile runner-up, for champion 2-year-old male.

Folklore, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, is expected to be named champion 2-year-old filly against finalists Adieu, who won the Frizette Stakes, and Wild Fit, the Del Mar Debutante winner.

Intercontinental, who won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, is considered the front-runner for champion female turf horse. The other finalists are her Frankel-trained stablemate Megahertz, who won the Yellow Ribbon Stakes, and Cesario, the Japanese filly who was a runaway winner of the American Oaks.

Ashado, last year's champion 3-year-old filly, is a finalist for champion older female along with Pleasant Home, who upset Ashado in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, and Stellar Jayne, who won the Ruffian Handicap. Ashado is considered the favorite in this division based on her overall record, which included three Grade 1 victories - the Phipps, Go for Wand, and Beldame. If Ashado wins, she will become the first filly since Life's Magic in 1984-85 to capture Eclipse Awards at ages 3 and 4.

This year's 3-year-old filly title is one of the more difficult to predict, since no filly asserted her superiority during the year. Smuggler, who won the Mother Goose Stakes and Coaching Club American Oaks, is considered a slight favorite over Round Pond, who defeated Smuggler in the Acorn Stakes, and Summerly, the Kentucky Oaks winner.

The steeplechase finalists are Hirapour, who won the New York Turf Writers Handicap; McDynamo, the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase winner; and Sur La Tete, who won the Iroquois Stakes.

John Velazquez, who was the Eclipse Award-winning jockey in 2004, set a single-season record for earnings in 2005, and is favored to win his second championship. The other finalists are Jerry Bailey, who led the nation in Grade 1 wins with 13, and Edgar Prado, who won nine Grade 1 races, including the BC Juvenile Fillies and BC Sprint. The notable omission in this category is California-based Garrett Gomez, who rode Breeders' Cup winners Stevie Wonderboy and Artie Schiller.

Edward Evans, the breeder of Saint Liam, is a finalist for champion breeder along with Frank Stronach's Adena Springs, which led the nation in purse earnings, and Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Stud, which bred Florida Derby winner High Fly.

Weber, who races under Live Oak Plantation, is also a finalist for champion owner. The others finalists are Eugene Melnyk, whose best horse was Flower Alley, and Michael Gill, whose claiming-based stable led the nation in purse earnings but won no Grade 1 races. Gill is favored.

The finalists for champion apprentice jockey are Channing Hill, Justin Stein, and the favorite, Emma-Jayne Wilson, the Toronto-based woman who led North American apprentices in both victories and purse earnings.

Four-Footed Fotos

Indian Vale's victory over older opponents in the Falls City (above) is one reason she's 2005's best 3-year-old filly.

Steeplechase - McDynamo closed out the year winning the Breeders' Cup 'Chase and the Colonial Cup.

Two-year-old colt or gelding - Stevie Wonderboy shipped across the country to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, beating the East's best.

Three-year-old colt or gelding - Afleet Alex was a formality, because you're kind of obligated to vote for a horse that came within a length of the Triple Crown. Truth be told, I did consider the merits of Travers winner and BC Classic runner-up Flower Alley for a few moments.

Three-year-old filly - My choice, Indian Vale, did not even start in a Grade 1 race, but I didn't want to let semantics get in the way of voting for the filly who stood head-and-shoulders above the more traditional choices in a weak division. The only triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures on a fast track at a mile or longer belonged to In the Gold (100), Round Pond (101), and Sis City (101). Smuggler, the lone dual Grade 1 winner, ran figures of only 93 and 94 winning the Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks.

With figures of 108-104-109 that included a dominating win over older rivals in the Grade 2 Falls City Handicap, Indian Vale towered over the field, and she would have been a prohibitive favorite had they all met at Hypothetical Downs.

Older colt or gelding - Saint Liam won Grade 1 races from February to October, and did not run at the same racetrack twice until concluding the season at Belmont Park with wins in the Woodward and BC Classic. Opponents he handled with ease came back to win such important races as the Dubai World Cup and Pimlico Special.

Older filly or mare - That Ashado came within a neck of Azeri's filly-mare earnings record is a testament to her durability and consistency. Those qualities led to three more Grade 1 victories this year against some suspect opposition, and that was enough to put her over the top. I would still bet against her any day of the week, though, because she just wasn't that fast.

Sprinter - I voted for Ghostzap-per. He raced just once at 5, but his Met Mile was the single most breathtaking performance of the year, and it was the fastest race within the sprint division by several lengths.

I think Lost in the Fog is a game horse, a terrific shipper, and among the most well managed horses in the game. But when the pressure was turned up in the BC Sprint he threw up the white flag. No student of pace who takes Quirin-style figures seriously could vote for him in good conscience, because his best Beyers came only when he was allowed to set slow fractions.

Male turf horse - Leroidesani-maux beat one of the deepest turf groups of the year off a layoff at Santa Anita; set a course record at Saratoga; and won by a record margin at Woodbine. Then he nearly won the BC Mile from a horrible post despite foot issues that necessitated an aluminum pad.

Female turf horse - Intercont-inental won major stakes from April to October in Kentucky, California, and New York, at distances ranging from eight to 10 furlongs.

Horse of the Year - Saint Liam.

Trainer - Todd Pletcher.

Jockey - John Velazquez.

Apprentice - Channing Hill.

Breeder - Adena Springs Farm

Owner - Live Oak Plantation.

Seven of the 10 equine championships are so clear-cut that even turf writers and racing secretaries probably can't help getting them right: Stevie Wonderboy (2-year-old), Folklore (2-year-old filly), Afleet Alex (3-year-old), Saint Liam (older male), Ashado (older filly), Intercontinental (turf female), and McDynamo (steeplechaser). That leaves three problematic, or at least debatable, categories: 3-year-old filly, turf male, and sprinter.

Everyone is scratching his head over a 3-year-old filly division where no one had a sustained and consistent championship season. Marley Vale was the best of the class by season's end, but never ran in a Grade 1 race or faced the division's best. Splendid Blended was the lone Grade 1 winner against elders, but her Vanity was her single triumph in a two-race campaign.

The 3-year-old division's 10 Grade 1 dirt stakes were won by nine different fillies, leaving the lone dual Grade 1 winner as the most logical choice: Smuggler, who was 3 for 4 and won both the Mother Goose and the Coaching Club American Oaks. Also, she beat Summerly in both those races, and Summerly is probably the next most-accomplished candidate off her victories in the Kentucky Oaks and two graded stakes at the Fair Grounds.

The past performances distributed to Eclipse voters include 18 candidates in the turf male division, by far the largest roster of potential champions. Better Talk Now and Sweet Return were the only two-time American Grade 1 winners, but had otherwise disappointing campaigns.

It probably boils down to a bake-off among Artie Schiller, Leroidesanimaux, and Shirocco. None is an entirely satisfactory choice. Though Shirocco won the Breeders' Cup Turf with authority, it is hard to coronate him off a single American appearance and a 1-for-3 campaign. While other Europeans have won this award with a Breeders' Cup Turf victory in their only Stateside start, champions such as Daylami and Fantastic Light also won major European races and thus were much more than one-race wonders.

That leaves the first two finishers from the Breeders' Cup Mile, and I am leaning toward overturning the finish of that race. While the racetrack is the best place to settle these things, Leroidesanimaux clearly was compromised by foot problems that day and still turned in an extraordinarily brave effort in defeat. Leroidesanimaux's three starts before the Mile were the quickest and most electrifying grass performances of the year, whereas before the Mile, Artie Schiller simply came up a tad short too often to be a champion.

The toughest decision is probably an irrelevant one: Lost in the Fog will be the champion sprinter, and no grave injustice will be committed when that happens. While he was a bet-against in the Breeders' Cup Sprint because of his short price and lack of experience against top-class company, but there is no denying he's a dandy colt who won nine stakes races, five of them graded, at eight different tracks.

Still, he did fail the only time he met championship-caliber company, and it's somewhat counterintuitive to honor such a horse as the best of his division. The problem is finding a superior alternative. If Taste of Paradise had gotten a little luckier and won the Breeders' Cup Sprint instead of finishing a troubled second, you could make a strong case for him off a Vosburgh-Sprint double. As for Sprint winner Silver Train, winning only the Jerome and the Sprint just doesn't equal Lost in the Fog's resume.

A somewhat esoteric case might be made for the late Saratoga County, who won all three of his starts early in the year: the Mr. Prospector, the General George and the Dubai Golden Shaheen. Even so, it's a little bit of a stretch, and in any case Lost in the Fog is 1-20.

Highlight reel has overlooked image

Speaking of year-end awards, the "NTRA Moment of the Year," selected via fan voting at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's website, lists 12 nominees but manages to omit the single best performance by a racehorse in this country in 2005. Of course Afleet Alex's Preakness is a nominee and an almost certain winner for its widely-seen drama, but it was not the race of the year.

Ghostzapper's Metropolitan Handicap was. A one-turn mile may be the toughest spot for a horse to return from a long absence, but Ghostzapper was brilliant in his first start since winning the 2004 Classic seven months earlier, blowing away the field with a sudden move entering the turn and then opening up with a burst that prompted chills and left veteran racetrackers talking about him in relation to the best horses they had ever seen. It was a glimpse of greatness and the most sublime moment of the year.

Michael Burns Photo Ltd.

Apprentice Emma Wilson leads the Woodbine standings with 169 wins.

There are slam dunks (Pletcher, Velazquez, Lost in the Fog) and tangled webs of confusion (3-year-old filly, male turf horse), but at least the names are familiar and their qualifications apparent.

In the category for North America's leading apprentice of 2005, however, it may come as a surprise that the jockey in clear-cut command of all significant statistical tables is a) Canadian, b) a woman, and c) not a teenager.

Her name - and remember it - is Emma-Jayne Wilson.

Wilson, who turned 24 in September, is a college-educated daughter of a computer programmer and a corporate marketing executive who took the 2005 Woodbine meeting by the throat early and never let go. Through Thursday's racing, Wilson had won 169 races at the meet (with another five wins at Fort Erie) and will enter Sunday's closing-day program about 40 wins clear of Corey Fraser, who is in second place. In addition to her stellar chance for an Eclipse, Wilson is also heavily favored to win Canada's Sovereign Award as leading apprentice.

"It's all icing on the cake," Wilson said this week from her home near Woodbine. "But it's pretty amazing. When I was in college I read the fourth Harry Potter book in the series. I remember thinking, Why can't all these magical things happen to me? Then the movie version came out this year, and when I saw it the other day I realized that I'm actually living the dream that I had at that earlier point in my life."

Giving an apprentice an Eclipse Award can be risky. Many times it ends up a one-shot deal. Questions like "whatever happened to. . .?" abound, after the hard realities of a professional career take hold.

Neither does it make sense that all-star journeymen can go their entire careers without a sniff of an Eclipse - Jorge Velasquez and Eddie Delahoussaye come immediately to mind - while a whole roster of flash-in-the-pan, five-pound bugs get to dust off the precious statuette. Let it be noted that Steve Valdez, Ron Franklin, and Juan Umana have all won the same number of Eclipse Awards - one - as Gary Stevens, Jose Santos, and Sandy Hawley.

Thankfully, the Eclipse Award for apprentice also has been known to tip greatness. Chris McCarron, Steve Cauthen, and Kent Desormeaux went on to the Hall of Fame. Cash Asmussen, Jimmy Edwards, Richard Migliore, Mike Luzzi, and Rosemary Homeister are among several others who have enjoyed long and respected careers. Recent winners include Tyler Baze, Jeremy Rose, Ryan Fogelsonger, and Eddie Castro, all of them making the right kind of noise as journeymen.

If Emma-Jayne Wilson is to join their company, all she needs to do is build on her growing reputation in Canada. After that, the big rooms and bright lights of the U.S. will beckon, and she will get a chance to prove herself against the best that the game has to offer.

Don't bet against her. Hometown horsemen have praised her as a smart rider and a fearless competitor who goes where some family men fear to tread. Add to that a number of built-in advantages, and Wilson comes off the complete package.

As a natural lightweight, Wilson can scarf down smart calories without a glance at the scale. She is also natural athlete - rugby is her team sport of choice - as well as an accomplished horsewoman.

At the age of 9, when her parents bought her riding lessons, Wilson began to immerse herself in the technical aspects of equitation aboard a variety of breeds, from show-jumping to western style.

"One of the first things I heard when I came to the racetrack was, 'Oh, you ride show horses? Take everything you know and throw it out the window,' " Wilson said.

"That's not exactly true," she said. "I've always felt the more disciplines I know, the better horseman I'll be. You can use each and every one of those things you learn, even as a jockey, because no two horses are the same. When I was first galloping racehorses, I was really small. The asset of having the hands to finesse them and accept the bridle really helped."

At 24, Wilson is older and more mature than the average hot-shot apprentice, with a stability that stems from a nurturing family in which noteworthy accomplishment is the rule, rather than the exception. She has two older sisters, one of them studying law at Columbia and the other a teacher and mother of two.

"My parents taught us to keep all options open," Wilson said. "That's why I didn't go straight to the racetrack when I was 15. At college, I studied the business side of horses - marketing and management - along with some basic veterinary and care. By the time I came to the track, it wasn't to be a hotwalker or an exercise rider. It was to be a jockey."

Wilson gives a lot of credit for her success to her agent, Mike Luider, who has put his jock on nearly 1,100 races during the Woodbine meet. That's about 400 more than the next guy.

"Experience comes only with getting out there on the horse," Wilson said. "Fortunately, I don't reduce, which allows me to ride that many. And I like it. I have a pretty high energy level. During 'quiet time' in my class at grade school, Emma would have to go to another class."

Wilson has been able to channel that energy into mount earnings of $6.1 million (in U.S. dollars) so far in 2005, ahead of such Canadian stalwarts as Todd Kabel and Patrick Husbands.

"Mike and I talk a lot about peak performance and maintaining focus," she said. "Even journeymen jocks make the occasional mistakes. The key is to recognize a mistake when you've made it, then be a student of those mistakes and learn from them."

Wilson will spend the winter in Florida - smart girl - while exercising the Sam-Son Farm horses stabled at the Palm Meadows training center. In order to maintain her apprentice status into the 2006 Woodbine season, though, she will refrain from competing in the afternoons at Gulfstream Park. But there's always the beach, or Disney World, and at some point she might even need to make a trip to Los Angeles for an Eclipse Awards dinner that could end up as an Emma-Jayne Wilson coming-out party. Pretty heady stuff.

"I want to maintain who I am even with the success I've had," Wilson said. "And I listen. Veteran jocks tell me that if I look good on a horse, people will notice me, even if I'm not going that fast.

"But the best advice I've been given came from my mother, from my agent, and from the first trainer I worked for," she said. "It was to stay humble and stay wise."

Michael Burns Photo Ltd.

Apprentice jockeys Corey Fraser (above) and Justin Stein helped make Canada a hot spot for bug riders all year long. In fact, four different Canadian apprentices have won enough races and/or money in 2005 to qualify for postseason awards in most years.

Only three could make the short list, however, and it really was no surprise when The Jockey Club of Canada announced Thursday that Wilson, Fraser, and Stein would be the finalists for this year's outstanding apprentice rider award.

Wilson, 24, has had spectacular success in her first full season in the saddle. With 174 wins and $7.2 million ($6.1 million U.S.) in purses heading into the final three days of the Woodbine meeting, Wilson not only will be the leading apprentice, but also the leading rider in both categories. She has won two stakes, including the Grade 2 Canadian Handicap.

Fraser, 28, won the Sovereign Award as outstanding apprentice last year and lost his bug Sept. 30. He will finish second in races won at the meeting, with 133 through Thursday.

Stein, 25, was the runaway leading rider at Hastings this year with 148 victories; runner-up Pedro Alvarado had 104. Stein won seven stakes, including two Grade 3's. Stein also eclipsed the Hastings apprentice record of 123 winners set by another Wilson, Dave, in 1994.

Chad Beckon, 25, is the odd man out in the Sovereign Award picture, despite being the leading rider at Fort Erie with 100 winners.

But if one bug has been squarely in the headlights since the early days of the Woodbine meeting, it is Emma Wilson.

After hanging up her tack after her fourth victory last fall in order to maximize her apprentice allowance, she began piling up victories early this year under the guidance of her agent, Mike Luider. A testament to Wilson's popularity is the fact that she had ridden in 1,067 races here through Thursday. Fraser, with 733 mounts, was next in number of rides.

Wilson is probably an odds-on choice for the Sovereign Award, but the accolades may not end there. She will end 2005 as the leading apprentice in North America in both in races and money won, so an Eclipse Award is a possibility.

"You shoot as high as you can," she said. "People have told me I'm quite high up there in the standings, but when it came down to it, I wanted to try not to worry too much about the numbers."

Stein, with 163 winners from 716 mounts through Thursday, will finish second among North American apprentices in races won and fourth in money won, with almost $2.5 million U.S. He won only one race from four mounts in a brief visit to Woodbine in August, returned near the end of the Hastings meeting, and has been picking up steam. Since then, he has 10 winners, including eight over the last seven cards.

Fraser rode 115 winners before becoming a journeyman, and is sixth among all apprentices in North America and second in money won with $3.9 million U.S. Beckon, who lost his bug on Oct. 20, is ninth with 102 wins as an apprentice, including eight at Woodbine.

Wilson rides at 106 pounds, Stein at 107, and Fraser at 111. That the three of them have ridden strictly in Canada should not damage their Eclipse Award chances. Canadian apprentices have done well in the voting on both sides of the border in the past. Channing Hill, their only serious contender south of the border, won 127 races and $4.7 million through Thursday.

Neil Poznansky took down both the Sovereign and Eclipse awards in 1996. Mickey Walls, winner of back-to-back apprentice jockey Sovereign Awards in 1990 and 1991, won the Eclipse Award in 1991.

Walls rode 231 winners before losing his bug in 1991 and 54 winners thereafter, becoming the first and only jockey to win Sovereign Awards as both outstanding apprentice and outstanding jockey in the same year. With or without his journeyman victories, Walls was far and away the leading rider in Canada that year.

Wilson, however, will be the first rider to lead the Canadian jockey standings in an all-apprentice season since Robert King in 1983. King rode 163 winners that year, his first of back-to-back Sovereign Award-winning campaigns.

The incomparable Sandy Hawley is the only other jockey to lead the Canadian standings in a full campaign as an apprentice. Hawley's mark of 230 winners in 1969 was the best among North American apprentices that year, in an era that preceded both Sovereign and Eclipse voting.

The comparisons are heady stuff for Wilson, who realized a childhood dream by becoming a jockey after attending an equine program at an Ontario college. She worked at a farm and at a training center before coming to the racetrack for good in 2002.

"It's all pretty surreal," she said.

Wilson, Stein, and Fraser will be far apart in terms of geography this winter but should be renewing acquaintances at Woodbine next April. Wilson plans to take a couple of weeks off and then head down to Palm Meadows, Fla., where she will gallop horses for Sam-Son Farm.

"I'll stay fit, have a bit of a holiday, and stay with the horses," she said.

Apprentices can apply to have "down time" added to the term of their apprentice allowance, and Wilson does not plan to ride this winter. Neither does Stein, who will spend the winter at his home in British Columbia, while working out logistics of moving to Ontario with his wife and young son.

Both Wilson and Stein are expected to benefit from their apprentice allowance until August, so a new battle of the bugs may be in store at Woodbine next season.

Fraser, meanwhile, will be broadening his horizons by riding in Australia this winter.

Beckon is galloping horses for Josie Carroll, a Woodbine-based trainer who will be competing at Santa Anita this winter, and hopes to ride there this winter.

A son of the late jockey Dan Beckon, Chad Beckon rode his first winner at Woodbine in September 2003, but suffered through a long dry spell the following year before relocating to Fort Erie.