The 41st annual Eclipse Awards, celebrating excellence in Thoroughbred horse racing for 2011, will be handed out on Monday January 16 at a dinner ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California. Winners in all 17 horse and human categories will be announced on stage, but the eyes of the racing world will be waiting for the final announcement of the night, when the golden trophy for Horse of the Year, but finalists for that category will not be announced until the night of the ceremony. Finalists for the rest of the categories were announced on January 5 by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters, the three voting blocs who decide the winners by secret ballot.
Havre de Grace is likely the unanimous choice for Champion Older Female, with wins in the Azeri Stakes, Apple Blossom, Obeah, and the Woodward against males. She is also a top contender for Horse of the Year, and would be the unprecedented third consecutive female to take home the golden trophy, after Rachel Alexandra in 2009 and Zenyatta in 2010. My Miss Aurelia, undefeated in 4 starts including the Adirondack, Frizette, and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, is a shoo-in for Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.
One of the tightest contests this year would have to be 3-year-old males, with Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, Preakness winner Shackleford, and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Caleb's Posse as the finalists. Caleb's Posse is also a finalist in the Male Sprinter category, with Amazombie and Regally Ready. The Older Male category, which historically has drawn the most Horses of the Year, has Clement Hirsch winner Acclamation, Goodwood winner Game on Dude, and Whitney winner Tizway, with Breeders' Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer shut out.
Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey could take home both the Owner and Breeder awards. Three veterans are finalists for the Trainer award, but Bill Mott must be considered the front-runner ahead of Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher. The Jockey category appears to be the closest in years, with defending champion Ramon Dominguez as well as past winner John Velazquez, and Javier Castellano looking for his first award.
There are 267 eligible voters, from the Daily Racing Form, National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and voters submit their top 3 in each category. For the purpose of listing finalists, the votes are scored points in a 10-5-1 system, but only first place votes are counted when determining award winners. 248 of the eligible voters (92.88%) cast ballots, and voting was audited by the Louisville accounting firm Strothman & Company.
Below are the finalists in alphabetical order. You can view lifetime past performances for the horses and stats for the other categories from Daily Racing Form by clicking their name.
2-year-old male: Creative Cause, Hansen, Union Rags
2-year-old female: Grace Hall, My Miss Aurelia, Stephanie's Kitten
3-year-old male: Animal Kingdom, Caleb's Posse, Shackleford
3-year-old female: It's Tricky, Plum Pretty, Royal Delta
Older male: Acclamation: Game On Dude, Tizway
Older female: Awesome Maria, Blind Luck, Havre de Grace
Male sprinter: Amazombie, Caleb's Posse, Regally Ready
Female sprinter: Hilda's Passion, Musical Romance, Sassy Image
Male turf: Acclamation: Cape Blanco, St Nicholas Abbey
Female turf: Dubawi Heights, Perfect Shirl, Stacelita
Steeplechase: Black Jack Blues, Decoy Daddy, Tax Ruling
Owner: Midwest Thoroughbreds, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Team Valor
Breeders: Adena Springs, Brereton Jones, Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Trainer: Bob Baffert, Bill Mott, Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Javier Castellano, Ramon Dominguez, John Velazquez
Apprentice jockey: Ryan Curatolo, Kyle Frey, Rosario Montanez
Previous Eclipse Award Winners
