“She's run a lot of people out of her stall, I can tell you that,” trainer John Servis said of Cathryn Sophia. But luckily, the diminutive bay filly put her fighting spirit to good use on the racetrack, taking down one of her division's signature events to stamp herself as an Eclipse Award finalist.
Top Striker delivered the biggest surprise of the steeplechase season when he trounced the year's most dominant horse, Rawnaq, by 10 1/2 lengths in the Grade 1 Colonial Cup.
Dawalan won the Eclipse Award as America's top steeplechase horse in 2015, but sustained a bowed tendon that ended his season early this year. Dawalan's stablemate Rawnaq turned out to be a more than adequate replacement.
For much of his career, both in Europe and the United States, Scorpiancer has been an underachiever. But he did not disappoint in the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory at Belmont Park, rallying from seventh to win the 2 1/2-mile Lonesome Glory by 2 1/2 lengths.
B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm took quality over quantity to its extremes on the racetrack in 2016, taking home seven graded stakes wins in just 35 non-partnership starts.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey have made winning the mission in every facet of their Thoroughbred holdings, both in quality and quantity, and it has paid off in national-level recognition on a yearly basis.
Prince Khalid bin Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms has developed into a global superpower over the course of four decades and arguably had North America's most electrifying runners on dirt and turf in 2016.
No rider in history has won more championship races than Mike Smith, and in 2016 the jockey added to his lore when he snagged three Breeders' Cup events, led by the $6 million Classic with Arrogate.
Jockey Jose Ortiz had a whirlwind year in 2016. He led all North American-based jockeys in wins with 351. He won his first Breeders' Cup race, aboard Oscar Performance. And, she said, “Yes!”
Javier Castellano is bidding for a fourth consecutive Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey after leading all North American-based riders in both mount earnings and graded stakes wins in 2016.
