DRF Breeding’s Joe Nevills makes his selections for the 2014 Eclipse Awards in the form of haiku; a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven and five. 2-year-old male In an even group Hootenanny went global And held the home front 2-year-old female From well-bred longshot To champion in two months Hail Take Charge Brandi 3-year-old male Bayern’s better late But Chrome had a dream campaign And can’t be denied 3-year-old female Not just her crop’s best, The best female in training It’s Untapable Older male Rough year for this group In the main-track division The pick’s Main Sequence Older female Close Hatches’ first half Was enough to overlook Late collapse in form Turf male Dan overcame more Main Sequence beat better fields Advantage: Latter Turf female Late start, big finish, Seven-figure hammer price Dayatthespa reigns Male sprinter Many contenders That needed one more big win Private Zone lands it Female sprinter Strong throughout the year Won the big one at the end Judy the Beauty Steeplechase Watched more mule races Than steeplechase the past year Therefore, I abstain Trainer Pletcher earned the most And won the most big races Slam-dunk for seven Owner Earnings nearly topped Second- and third-best combined Ramseys win again Breeder Handful of Tapits Or army of Kitten’s Joys? It’s the Winchells’ year Jockey Another big year Leads to Eclipse number two For Castellano Apprentice jockey A fast-rising star In the So-Cal jockey ranks Drayden Van Dyke scores Horse of the Year Full campaign, big wins Held form, save one mulligan California Chrome