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.

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation filed a lawsuit on Thursday in New York Supreme Court alleging that the executors of an endowment provided by the late Thoroughbred owner and breeder Paul Mellon have “engaged in a campaign of vilification” of the organization over the past 12 months, costing it hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to contributions and its reputation.

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.

Cape Blanco was already a multiple Group 1 stakes winner when he made his first trip to the United States in July 2011.

Less than three months later, by Oct. 1, he had won three consecutive Grade 1 stakes to outdo his previous accomplishments and earn a nomination as finalist for champion turf male of 2011.

Trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, Cape Blanco was bred by Jack Ronan and Des Vere Hunt Farm Co. As a 4-year-old in 2011, he was a global traveler. He raced in four countries, exclusively in Grade 1 or Group 1 races, and had his greatest success in the United States.

The focus was on family, and rightfully so, when Joseph O’Brien, all 18 years of him, guided St Nicholas Abbey to an emphatic victory in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5 on behalf of his 42-year-old father, Aidan.

It was the first time a father and son had teamed to win a race in the storied history of the Breeders’ Cup, and it took an outstanding horse to get them there.