HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It’s unanimous! American Pharoah was the best horse in the country last year.
American Pharoah received all 261 votes for both Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male when the Eclipse Award winners for the 2015 racing season were announced Saturday night at a gala dinner at Gulfstream Park.
In the 45-year history of the Eclipse Awards, American Pharoah became only the second horse, joining John Henry in 1981, to get every first-place vote for Horse of the Year.
There is something to be said for going out on top. No danger of the dreary second novel, the tepid second season, the uninspired second album. Sure, every artist would love to have a career with long legs, like Dylan or Bowie, forever leaving fans with the anticipation of “what’s next?” But there is something to be said for the way artists like James Dean, Jimi Hendrix, or Hank Williams were gone at the peak of their powers, the way great athletes like Jim Brown, Sandy Koufax, or Secretariat left the stage on top.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – There will be a final celebration of the historic year of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah when the 45th annual Eclipse Awards are held Saturday night here at Gulfstream Park, where American Pharoah is a shoo-in to be named Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male.
Much of the interest, though, will focus on how extensive the coattails are for American Pharoah because his trainer, jockey, and owner and breeder all are up for awards in their respective divisions.
Maybe it’s time to establish rules for the Eclipse Awards. In other words, after 45 years, it would be nice if guidelines were drawn as to who is eligible to be on the ballot. A system that worked years ago might not work as well now given the paucity of starts horses make today compared with when the Eclipse Awards first started, while the establishment of the Breeders’ Cup has clearly changed how voters view the championship landscape.
California Chrome pulled Raul Rodriguez around the Santa Anita walking ring at a double-time hippity-hop last Saturday afternoon as the fans packed along the paddock fence oohed and ahhed. It was like old times.
Good old times, as it turned out. Twenty minutes later, California Chrome was standing in the Santa Anita winner’s circle, catching his breath and twitching his ears, having just dispatched the $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes with just enough authority to convince all but the most skeptical observers that he was back in the game.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Chad Brown was disappointed that he did not win the Eclipse Award as leading trainer in 2014 and knows that the honor likely will go to someone else again when the 2015 winners are announced at Gulfstream Park next Saturday, Jan. 16. But Brown doesn’t need a trophy on his mantelpiece to rightfully take pride in what he and his barn have accomplished over the last two years.
When the Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer is dispensed next Saturday night, the winner will be the latest answer to a riddle that has surrounded the title since its inception: Is the trainer of the year the trainer of the Horse of the Year or the trainer who had the best overall season?
There is no definitive answer in the past performances. At the 44 awards ceremonies since the Eclipse era began in 1971, the Horse of the Year’s trainer has won the award only 12 times, and there has been no particular rhyme or reason to why it happens when it does.
American Pharoah dominated racing in 2015, and he and those connected to him dominated the voting to determine the Eclipse Award finalists for 2015, which were announced Wednesday.
American Pharoah – who swept the Triple Crown, beat elders in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and won seven times in eight starts last year – is a finalist for Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male, both of which he is certain to win, and trainer Bob Baffert, jockey Victor Espinoza, and owner and breeder Zayat Stables are finalists in their respective categories.
Mary Simon, a racing historian and writer, has been named the Eclipse Award winner in the audio/multimedia Internet category for a piece that ran on the Daily Racing Form website examining 1915 Kentucky Derby winner Regret and her connections, according to the administrators of the awards.
Eclipse Award ballots are due Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern, which gives you less than 48 hours to tell me why the following 1-2-3 selections do not meet with your approval:
Two-year-old male: 1-Nyquist, 2-Mohaymen, 3-Airoforce
The undefeated Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner with three Grade 1 victories should be a unanimous selection.
Two-year-old filly: 1-Songbird, 2-Rachel’s Valentina, 3-Carina Mia
Not to repeat myself, but this undefeated Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner with three Grade 1 victories should be a unanimous selection.
