2018 Eclipse Awards: Roy H

If Roy H is named champion male sprinter for the second year in a row, he will become only the second horse to top the division twice since the Eclipse Awards were established in 1971. Housebuster was voted North America’s best sprinter in 1990 and 1991.

Just as in 2017, Roy H concluded his season by winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He seized control of the Churchill Downs race in upper stretch and quickly opened up, cruising home comfortably to score by 3 1/4 lengths while giving rider Paco Lopez his first Breeders’ Cup victory.

Roy H is the second horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint twice since the race was introduced in 1984. Midnight Lute won it in 2007 and 2008.

Roy H is trained by Peter Miller and owned by Gary Hartunian’s Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen. Those are the same connections as Stormy Liberal, who was voted an Eclipse Awards finalist in both the sprint and male turf divisions following a repeat victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

The 2018 BC Sprint and BC Turf Sprint wins make Miller the only trainer to ever successfully defend titles in two BC races the same year with the same runners.

:: 2018 Eclipse Finalists: Profiles and photos for all categories

“It’s all a little surreal,” Miller said. “This game is so hard in and of itself, and there is so much racing it’s really hard to do something that has never been done before. Winning both races again in 2018 is certainly the highlight of my career.”

While Roy H’s 2018 campaign was highly successful, things did not come as easily for him as the previous season.

“In 2017, things pretty much went perfectly other than being carried wide when he was second in the Bing Crosby,” Miller said. “Last year it was a little touch and go.”

Roy H started off the year with a 3 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes at Santa Anita. He then was shipped to Dubai for the Group 1 Golden Shaheen, but broke slowly, spotted the field a few lengths, and was fanned wide.

Although he appeared to have a chance to win in midstretch, he came up three-quarters of a length short and finished third behind repeat winner Mind Your Biscuits and X Y Jet, who is co-owned by Hartunian.

Roy H did not race for four months following the Golden Shaheen. He began his push to the Breeders’ Cup in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar in late July.

“It took him a little while to get over the trip to Dubai,” Miller said. “He just wasn’t at his best.”

Roy H finished second in the Crosby, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Ransom the Moon.

“He was just flat,” Miller said. “We made some changes after that race. We moved him from Santa Anita to my main string at San Luis Rey and we changed riders.”

Roy H responded with a 2 3/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, his final start prior to the Breeders’ Cup.

“Once he won that race, I felt confident about the Breeders’ Cup,” Miller said.

Roy H is gearing up at San Luis Rey Downs for his 7-year-old debut in the Jan. 19 Palos Verdes at Santa Anita. Miller is then planning a return trip to Meydan for the $2.5 million Golden Shaheen.

“After Dubai, I wouldn’t expect him to run again until Del Mar,” Miller said. “We have the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita this year, which gives him an edge.”

Bred by Ramona S. Bass, Roy H is a 7-year-old gelded son of More Than Ready and the Elusive Quality mare Elusive Diva. Rockingham Ranch bought him for $310,000 at Keeneland as a 2-year-old.