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Dateline: 01/05/03
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), National Turf Writers Association (NTWA) and Daily Racing Form (DRF) Friday announced the finalists for the 2002 Eclipse Awards, voted on and presented by the three organizations in recognition of excellence in Thoroughbred racing. The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies. Winners in all categories will be announced at the 32nd annual Eclipse Awards ceremony, to be held Monday, Jan. 27, 2003 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Below are the equine finalists in alphabetical order with some stats for each. To view the human finalists, check here. To vote for who you think should win, check here.
Horse of the Year | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record |  Some may say she doesn't deserve to win HOY because she never took on the males, but no other horse dominated their division all year like Azeri and I think she deserves to win. No way Rock of Gibraltar deserves it since he didn't even win a race in North America!!! |
| Azeri | 9 8-1-0 $2,181,540 | |
| Left Bank | 4 3-0-0 $626,146 | |
| Rock of Gibraltar | 6 5-1-0 $1,347,191 | |
| War Emblem | 10 5-0-0 $3,455,000 | |
2-year-old Male | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record |  Vindication went undefeated and dominated all his competition. |
| Sky Mesa | 3 3-0-0 $416,576 | |
| Toccet | 8 6-0-1 $755,610 | |
| Vindication | 4 4-0-0 $680,950 | |
2-year-old Female | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record |  Storm Flag Flying also dominated her division and showed real grit coming back to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. |
| Awesome Humor | 4 4-0-0 $301,115 | |
| Storm Flag Flying | 4 4-0-0 $967,000 | |
3-year-old Male | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record |  War Emblem won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Haskell but is that enough to keep the 3-year-old championship? |
| Came Home | 8 6-0-0 $1,624,500 | |
| Medaglia D'Oro | 9 4-2-0 $2,260,600 | |
| War Emblem | 10 5-0-0 $3,455,000 | |
3-year-old Female | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record |  Farda Amiga won the Kentucky Oaks, the Alabama, and was second in the Distaff which should be enough to make her champion filly. |
| Farda Amiga | 6 3-1-0 $1,248,902 | |
| Imperial Gesture | 7 5-0-1 $1,056,276 | |
| Take Charge Lady | 10 6-3-0 $1,388,635 | |
Older Male | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record |  Street Cry did well early in the year, but will that count now when votes are placed? Really a wide open division since nobody dominated all year. |
| Left Bank | 4 3-0-0 $626,146 | |
| Street Cry | 4 3-1-0 $4,266,615 | |
| Volponi | 8 3-3-1 $2,389,200 | |
Older Female | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record |  Azeri dominated her division all year and was a unanimous choice for champion. |
| Azeri | 9 8-1-0 $2,181,540 | |
Sprinter | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record |  Orientate did what it takes to be the champion sprinter. |
| Left Bank | 4 3-0-0 $626,146 | |
| Orientate | 10 6-1-0 $1,412,970 | |
| Xtra Heat | 10 7-1-1 $765,485 | |
Turf Male | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record |  With Anticipation deserves this championship in my opinion. He won several major races and was second in the Breeders' Cup Turf, while the others made one start in the US. |
| High Chaparral | 6 5-0-1 $3,510,155 | |
| Rock of Gibraltar | 6 5-1-0 $1,347,191 | |
| With Anticipation | 8 3-3-0 $1,507,700 | |
Turf Female | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record |  Although Golden Apples didn't fire at the Breeders' Cup, she was great the rest of the year and still deserves to be champion. |
| Astra | 5 3-1-1 $758,000 | |
| Golden Apples | 7 3-3-0 $1,111,680 | |
| Starine | 4 1-2-0 $820,600 | |
Steeplechase | ||
| Horse | 2002 Record | Unfortunately I don't have a photo for here, but Flat Top won the Breeders's Cup Steeplechase and the Colonial Cup and looks solid to win this Eclipse again. |
| Flat Top | 5 2-0-3 $237,831 | |
| It's a Giggle | 5 3-1-0 $177,660 | |
| McDynamo | 6 4-1-0 $199,404 | |
From an NTRA press release.
Photos ©2002, Cindy Pierson Dulay, licenced to About.
