Heading into 2018 jockey Mike Smith had seemingly accomplished just about all there is to achieve in racing . . . and then along came Justify.
Justify made the Hall of Fame rider a Triple Crown-winning jockey at 52. The Triple Crown has been won just 13 times in American racing history, and for his journey to that summit Smith is a finalist for the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey of 2018. He has won the category twice before, in 1993 and 1994.
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has for some time established himself as an elite rider, but one could argue the 26-year-old Puerto Rico native had a breakout year in 2018.
Ortiz led all North American-based riders in wins and mount earnings, with 346 and $27,727,039, respectively. He had 1,616 mounts in 2018. Ortiz also won an assortment of important races across the country – all while winning riding titles at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga.
It’s a special start to a career when a rider’s first winner comes for a Hall of Fame trainer.
Such was the case for Edgar Morales, who is an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding apprentice jockey of 2018.
Morales won the first race of his career for the late Jack Van Berg, in a $7,500 claiming route over 1 1/8 miles on Oct. 15, 2017 at Keeneland. His mount, Star Dog, was up for a half-length win in the field of 12.
“That horse came from far back,” Morales said. “Jack Van Berg told me to be patient, and I won!”
Maryland’s tradition of producing top-class apprentice jockeys continued in 2018 with the emergence of Weston Hamilton.
Hamilton led all of his North American-based peers in both wins – with 118 – and mount earnings, with $3,440,135 through the final day of his apprentice allowance Dec. 22.
For the accomplishments, Hamilton is an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding apprentice jockey of 2018.
Apprentice jockey Reylu Gutierrez took a somewhat unconventional path to the starting gate despite the fact that he is a son of a trainer. Gutierrez secured a college degree before he pursued a career in the saddle.
The approach proved effective.
Gutierrez is a finalist for the Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice of 2018 after a year in which he won 109 races and had mount earnings of $3,360,314. His wins and earnings ranked second among all apprentices in 2018.
Justify’s bandwagon simply kept growing as the colt streaked in his meteoric fashion toward the Triple Crown. On the ownership line in the program on Belmont Stakes Day, that bandwagon was driven, in alphabetical order, by China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Starlight Racing, and WinStar Farm.
Brothers Kosta and Pete Hronis jumped into Thoroughbred ownership in 2010 and have swiftly found success at the top levels of the game. Their multiple Grade 1 winner Accelerate is in line to be the outfit’s second divisional Eclipse Award champion, joining 2015 champion 3-year-old filly Stellar Wind.
Niggling notions and faint fears had impeded the translation of Expert Eye’s talent to production out on the racetrack. The starting gate, for instance, set his brain buzzing, sapping energy, severing the focus required to win the very best races.
Finally, during the second part of 2018, Expert Eye got his act together. He flirted with long-awaited top-level success and, after traveling from England, finally found it, winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs. His Breeders’ Cup Mile triumph has made him a finalist for an Eclipse Award as champion turf male.
Peter M. Brant has used his eye for bloodstock to build a powerhouse stable via strategic private purchases of diverse foreign runners and via high-end auction moves. His investments paid off in 2018. Brant’s runners earned nine graded stakes victories on the season, second only to Hronis Racing, whose Accelerate accounted for six of its 10 wins. And that’s not even counting the graded runners Brant campaigned in partnership.
Kenny and Lisa Troutt’s WinStar Farm, which won Eclipse Awards for outstanding owner in 2010 and standout breeder in 2016, led all North American breeders by earnings in 2018. WinStar is a finalist for the Eclipse Award as outstanding breeder for 2018.
