2015 Eclipse Awards: Todd Pletcher

Once again, Todd Pletcher’s name stood atop the training leaderboard in 2015, as he ranked first in North American earnings (more than $26.2 million), Grade 1 stakes victories (15), graded stakes victories (47), and stakes victories (71).

Despite a banner year from trainers Chad Brown and Bob Baffert, neither could match him in those statistical categories, with Pletcher earning $6 million more than Brown and $10 million more than Baffert, albeit with more starters than the other two trainers.

Unlike in 2014, when he was shut out during the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, Pletcher won a pair of races in the 2015 event at Keeneland, taking the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff with Stopchargingmaria and the Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with Liam’s Map. He also trained Rachel’s Valentina to a runner-up finish behind the unbeaten Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Curalina, Liam’s Map, and Rock Fall led the way for him by winning a pair of Grade 1 races apiece, with Curalina taking the Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks, Liam’s Map the Woodward and the Dirt Mile, and Rock Fall the Alfred G. Vanderbilt and Vosburgh.

Other Grade 1 victories from Pletcher trainees in 2015 included Carpe Diem in the Blue Grass, Constitution in the Donn Handicap, Dame Dorothy in the Humana Distaff, Got Lucky in the Spinster, Jack Milton in the Maker’s 46 Mile, Materiality in the Florida Derby, Mshawish in the Gulfstream Park Turf, and Rachel’s Valentina in the Spinaway.

Pletcher also racked up numerous meet titles, topping the standings at Gulfstream Park during the winter, Belmont and Keeneland in the spring, and Saratoga over the summer.

Pletcher, 48, has won seven Eclipse Awards as outstanding trainer, including the past two years.