In three weeks, Black Jack Blues did more than any other 2011 American steeplechase starter. He won his only two starts, both stakes, earned $171,000, and laid waste to the best field of the season.

And he wound up an Eclipse Award finalist by leading the division in earnings. His chief competition comes from a another runner owned by Irv Naylor, Tax Ruling, who extended his quality over a longer period by winning Grade 1 stakes in May and November.

Todd Pletcher received his trainer’s license in December 1995. Nine years and one month later, he was recognized as North America’s outstanding trainer when he won his first Eclipse award, for 2004. He immediately became the trainer to beat by winning again for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010.

Bill Mott, 58, won the Eclipse Award in 1995 and 1996. He had one of his better years in 2011 with purse earnings of $10,731,249, his highest total since 1996 and the third-highest of his career. That placed him fourth among trainers in North America.

Bob Baffert, who turned 59 on Jan. 13, won the Eclipse Award for trainer in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Baffert enjoyed his best year of the century in 2011. The $14,504,834 his horses earned, his $10,601,832 stakes earnings, his $9,717,569 graded stakes earnings, and his 44 stakes wins are all his best performances since 1999. His earnings total were the third highest among North American trainers in 2011. His stakes wins were second behind Pletcher’s 85.

He began working with horses just three years ago but won 153 races in his first full season of riding in 2011 to earn recognition as an Eclipse Award finalist for champion apprentice jockey.

Frey, a 19-year-old native of Tracy, Calif., who spent most of the season riding at Parx Racing in Pennsylvania, got serious about a career in racing in his late teens and went to work on a ranch in Washington State.

As usual, jockey John Velazquez proved a force in 2011 on the Florida-New York circuit over which he regularly competes. But it was his rides at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. – where he won his first Kentucky Derby aboard Animal Kingdom and later notched two Breeders’ Cup victories, aboard Stephanie’s Kitten in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and on longshot Perfect Shirl in the Emirates Airlines Filly and Mare Turf – that made the year so memorable.

The Ramseys’ homebred stallion and 2004 champion turf horse Kitten’s Joy has helped his owners establish a dynasty at their Ramsey Farm near Nicholasville, Ky.

Frank Stronach’s far-flung breeding operation continued to dominate North American racing in 2011, ending the season well ahead in every category. With the largest number of starters among top breeders – 483 compared with second-ranked Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s 231 – Adena Springs led by total earnings with more than $14 million, by number of stakes winners with 20, and by number of winners with 252.

For jockey Ramon Dominguez, 2010 was a career year as he led North America in money won with more than $16.1 million and earned his first Eclipse Award as outstanding rider.

As rewarding as 2010 was, 2011 proved even more lucrative for the 35-year-old Dominguez. He was the second-leading rider in North America by victories, and he again led in money won, with his mounts earning more than $19.4 million.