2017 Eclipse Award Ballot & Discussion

[Kasept]

My 2017 Eclipse Awards Ballot

Horse of the Year: 1st - Gun Runner, 2nd - Arrogate, 3rd - World Approval

Two-Year-Old Male: 1st - Good Magic, 2nd - Bolt d'Oro, 3rd - Solomini
Two-Year-Old Filly: 1st - Rushing Fall, 2nd - Caledonia Road, 3rd - Moonshine Memories

Three-Year-Old Male: 1st - West Coast, 2nd - Always Dreaming, 3rd - Battle of Midway
Three-Year-Old Filly: 1st - Abel Tasman, 2nd - Elate, 3rd - It Tiz Well (Unique Bella)

Older Dirt Male: 1st - Gun Runner, 2nd - Arrogate, 3rd - Collected
Older Dirt Female: 1st - Forever Unbridled , 2nd - Stellar Wind, 3rd - Vale Dori (Songbird)

Male Sprinter: 1st - Roy H., 2nd - Mind Your Biscuits, 3rd - Imperial Hint
Female Sprinter: 1st - Unique Bella, 2nd - Ami's Mesa, 3rd - Highway Star (Paulassilverlining, Bar of Gold)

Male Turf Horse: 1st - World Approval, 2nd - Beach Patrol, 3rd - Sadler's Joy (Talismanic)
Female Turf Horse: 1st - Lady Eli, 2nd - Off Limits, 3rd - Dickinson (Wuheida)
Steeplechase Horse: 1st - All the Way Jose, 2nd - Mr. Hot Stuff, 3rd - Scorpiancer

Owner: 1st - Klaravich/Lawrence, 2nd - Live Oak (Mrs. Weber), 3rd - Godolphin Racing LLC (Juddmonte, Winchell/Three Chimneys)
Breeder: 1st - Live Oak (Mrs. Weber), 2nd - Hertrich/Fielding, 3rd - Clearsky Farms (Besilu, WinStar)

Jockey: 1st - Jose Ortiz, 2nd - Javier Castellano, 3rd - Mike Smith
Apprentice Jockey: 1st - Evin Roman, 2nd - Katie Clawson, 3rd - Hector Diaz Jr.

Trainer: 1st - Chad Brown, 2nd - Bob Baffert, 3rd - Steve Asmussen

[Kasept]

Here's access to the info package for your ballots..

List your 1-2-3 selections below..

Eclipse Candidate Past Performances (Horses by category)

Statistics Links Page

Two-Year-Old Male:
Two-Year-Old Filly:

Three-Year-Old Male:
Three-Year-Old Filly:

Older Dirt Male:
Older Dirt Female:

Male Sprinter:
Female Sprinter:

Male Turf Horse:
Female Turf Horse:
Steeplechase Horse:

Horse of the Year:

Owner:
Breeder:

Jockey:
Apprentice Jockey:

Trainer:

[goodcopy]

Sorry Steve, I have to vote for my friend and "Compadre" and Bolt D'Oro
for Two Year Old Colt!
He won more Grade 1 (2) to (1)
3 out of 4 for the year and the 3rd in the Breederscup to Good Magic had a terrible trip or I think there would be no debate!
But I have fed carrots and alfalfa to the next Kentucky Derby winner so I am Bias
Happy New Year to all!

[richard burch]

Horse of the Year: 1st - WINX, Gun Runner, 2nd - Arrogate, 3rd

What a shame she is left out. Hasn't lost a race since 2015 with almost 16 mil. in earnings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winx_(horse)

[Indian Charlie]

My vote for hoy is damascus.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

My vote for hoy is damascus.

[cakes44]

Originally Posted by richard burch

Horse of the Year: 1st - WINX, Gun Runner, 2nd - Arrogate, 3rd

What a shame she is left out. Hasn't lost a race since 2015 with almost 16 mil. in earnings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winx_(horse)

??????

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by richard burch

Horse of the Year: 1st - WINX, Gun Runner, 2nd - Arrogate, 3rd

What a shame she is left out. Hasn't lost a race since 2015 with almost 16 mil. in earnings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winx_(horse)

Strangely, they have Awards for Australian racehorses in Australia.
https://www.racing.com/news/2017-10-...alias-champion

[saratogadew]

Pretty spot on. I would probably flipflop Asmussen and Baffert.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by goodcopy

Sorry Steve, I have to vote for my friend and "Compadre" and Bolt D'Oro for Two Year Old Colt! He won more Grade 1 (2) to (1) 3 out of 4 for the year and the 3rd in the Breederscup to Good Magic had a terrible trip or I think there would be no debate! But I have fed carrots and alfalfa to the next Kentucky Derby winner so I am Bias.

Happy New Year to all!

Completely understand the preference for Bolt d'Oro. I went back and forth and expect Bolt will win. Thought Good Magic did enough be thoroughly dominant in the Juvenile while exiting a very good edition of the Champagne. This was one of 4 divisions that were authentically tough with 2yo Filly, Female Sprinter and 'Chaser.

Best wishes for a great New Year!

[blackthroatedwind]

Voters struggle with the human categories. I'm not sure why Asmussen is a nominee for Trainer, as ex-Gun Runner, he didn't have a particularly good year. I guess, however, assuming he finishes third, there are worse choices to fill out the category. I assume the voters will get it right with Chad Brown and Jose Ortiz, both of whom should be runaway winners.

Don't even get me started about the owner nominees. Klaravich and E-Five Racing both were better choices than at least two of the nominees in my opinion.

[South Beach Luv]

Will there by any resolution to this?

https://twitter.com/railbird/status/948691159311945731

Seems pretty shady to me. In the responses it is said there was an INQ? Have yet to hear any judgment.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by South Beach Luv

Will there be any resolution to this?

https://twitter.com/railbird/status/948691159311945731

Seems pretty shady to me. In the responses it is said there was an INQ? Have yet to hear any judgment.

It's in the hands of the Eclipse Steering Committee reps from the NTRA & NTWAB. The DRF recused itself from participating in the decision as to whether the entry is allowable in light of the rules regarding 'first publication'.

(For those that don't know the background, the Eclipse Awards are managed in a triumvirate of the NTRA, the National Turf Writers & Broadcasters and the DRF.)

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Voters struggle with the human categories. I'm not sure why Asmussen is a nominee for Trainer, as ex-Gun Runner, he didn't have a particularly good year. I guess, however, assuming he finishes third, there are worse choices to fill out the category. I assume the voters will get it right with Chad Brown and Jose Ortiz, both of whom should be runaway winners.

Don't even get me started about the owner nominees. Klaravich and E-Five Racing both were better choices than at least two of the nominees in my opinion.

As Andy mentions, the voters seem to really struggle with any imaginative comprehension past the obvious earnings lists. It's an embarrassment and indicative of people that aren't really following the game, are too lazy to work beneath the surface figures and don't particularly care about properly recognizing the stakeholders.

To tackle breeder for a moment, Besilu is not in the sport anymore and accrued it's numbers almost entirely via the exploits of Gun Runner. WinStar, a commercial breeding factory, had Bolt d'Oro, New Money Honey and American Patriot as their headliners in what was obviously a sub-par year. From 226 WinStar products that made starts in 2017, there were 9 Graded Stake wins (4 G1's).

By comparison, Live Oak Stud (Mrs. Weber) homebred 4 different Graded Stakes winners that won 8 stakes (3 G1's). That came from just 46 horses that started in '17. You say earnings are your priority? OK.. Live Oak runners earned $15,524 per start v. WinStar's $6,948.

Mrs. Weber will have a Champion in World Approval and some might say that's a nice acknowledgement of her season. But in fact, 2017 was one of the best years she's had in 50 years in the game and this was an ideal opportunity for anyone paying attention to reward her with a Breeder ~ or Owner ~ Eclipse for decades of service to the sport. A reward she would greatly cherish.

As Andy noted too, the failure the past 2 years to take notice of Seth Klarman & Bill Lawrence is equally inexcusable.

It's all very irksome to anyone that takes their involvement in the industry seriously.

[blackthroatedwind]

For better or worse, the Eclipse Awards do not take a broad view of the accomplishments of the entrants. They focus on the one entry. For some relatively obvious reasons, I have issues with this, but at the same time, I also understand it. I think it works in many cases but has drawbacks in others. Like many here, I would love to see Steve recognized for his contributions to the Industry, but as of yet the Industry has failed to do that. Hopefully that will change at some point. I am confident that it will.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by South Beach Luv

Will there by any resolution to this?

https://twitter.com/railbird/status/948691159311945731

Seems pretty shady to me. In the responses it is said there was an INQ? Have yet to hear any judgment.

Announcement coming today apparently..

More from Jessica Chapel on past controversies: http://jessicachapel.com/2018/01/06/...-then-and-now/

[freddymo]

Until you win an Eclipse for your service to the industry, I view the media categories as complete drivel. Every friggin day you are on the air bringing listeners the most current news within the industry. You bring virtually every significant player from every facet of the sport on air and delve into whatever is substantial with their visit. How in the world any of these "matter of fact" pieces have any substantive effect on the sport and or the people that follow it vs. what you do day in and day out is dubious at best. Frankly, I find the whole matter just another example of the blind leading the blind.

[Alabama Stakes]

Originally Posted by freddymo

Until you win an Eclipse for your service to the industry, I view the media categories as complete drivel. Every friggin day you are on the air bringing listeners the most current news within the industry. You bring virtually every significant player from every facet of the sport on air and delve into whatever is substantial with their visit. How in the world any of these "matter of fact" pieces have any substantive effect on the sport and or the people that follow it vs. what you do day in and day out is dubious at best. Frankly, I find the whole matter just another example of the blind leading the blind.

You left out the part about what dapper dresser he is. I’d go if he got an eclipse award. It was cool to finally meet him at Saratoga this year. Wifey loved his canary yellow blazer.

[Kasept]

[Kasept]

Fred, Andy, Dan..

Thank you. Greatly appreciate the sentiments.