The celebrities of the racing world came to the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on Monday night January 21st for the 2007 Eclipse Awards. Breeders' Cup Classic victor Curlin came out the big winner, as he was named Champion 3-Year-Old Male and Horse of the Year. Majority owner Jess Jackson said, "He loves to compete, and what he met this year was a group of some of the finest 3-year-olds in the history of racing. I have to take my hat off to Street Sense, Rags to Riches, Hard Spun, who stayed there every time, and, of course, Any Given Saturday."
Rags to Riches was the runaway winner for 3-Year-Old Female off her Belmont Stakes win. Trainer Todd Pletcher said, "It is quite an accomplishment to win the Belmont, and given that she beat Curlin really adds to the mystique of the race." Lawyer Ron was the lukewarm winner for Champion Older Male over Invasor, given neither was dominant for the entire year. This year 89% of eligible ballots were cast, up from 86% last year.
Trainer Todd Pletcher took home trainer for the fourth year in a row and Frank Stronach's Adena Springs got their fifth Champion Breeder title. Stronach's Ginger Punch also was named Champion Older Female. Shadwell Stable took home Champion Owner honors and their Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Lahudood was named Champion Turf Female.
All the winners are listed below with the actual vote totals. A link to a full profile is given for each horse and person. 2007 DRF past performances for all the horses can be viewed here. To see all this years finalists with profiles for each, check here. You can look up past year's winners here.
Horse of the Year and Champion Three-Year-Old Male: Curlin
HOY Vote totals: Curlin, 249; Rags to Riches, 12; Invasor (ARG) 2; Corinthian, 1; English Channel, 1; Street Sense, 1. Voter Abstentions, 1.
3-Year-Old Male Vote totals: Curlin, 262; Street Sense, 3; Hard Spun 1; Voter Abstentions, 1.
Two-Year-Old Male: War Pass
Vote totals: War Pass, 262; Court Vision, 1; Kodiak Kowboy, 1; Nownownow,1. Voter abstentions, 2.
Two-Year-Old Filly: Indian Blessing
Vote totals: Indian Blessing, 250; Country Star, 11; Pure Clan, 2; Cry and Catch Me, 1; Mushka, 1; Proud Spell, 1. Voter Abstentions, 1.
Three-Year-Old Female: Rags to Riches
Vote totals: Rags to Riches, 258; Octave, 4; Panty Raid, 2; Dream Rush, 1; Lear’s Princess, 1; Voter abstentions, 1.
Older Male: Lawyer Ron
Vote totals: Lawyer Ron, 147; Invasor (ARG) 94; Corinthian, 13; Lava Man, 4; English Channel 3, Student Council, 2. Voter Abstentions, 4.
Older Female: Ginger Punch
Vote totals: Ginger Punch, 247; Nashoba’s Key, 18, Take D’Tour, 1. Voter Abstentions, 1.
Female Sprinter: Maryfield
Vote totals: Maryfield, 155, Dream Rush, 61; River’s Prayer, 32; Hystericalady, 12. Voter Abstentions, 7.
Male Sprinter: Midnight Lute
Vote totals: Midnight Lute, 229; Hard Spun, 18; Fabulous Strike, 9; Idiot Proof, 3; Diabolical, 2; Greg’s Gold, 1; In Summation, 1; Mach Ride, 1; Smokey Stover, 1. Voter Abstentions, 2.
Male Turf Horse: English Channel
Vote totals: English Channel, 251; Kip Deville, 6; After Market, 5; Cloudy’s Knight, 1; Daytona (IRE), 1; Doctor Dino (FR), 1; Shakespeare, 1. Voter abstentions, 1.
Female Turf Horse: Lahudood
Vote totals: Lahudood (GB), 188; Nashoba’s Key, 43; Precious Kitten, 16; Citronnade, 7; Bit of Whimsy, 3; Panty Raid, 3; Honey Ryder, 2; Mrs. Lindsay, 1; Rutherienne, 1; Wait a While, 1. Voter Abstentions, 2.
Steeplechase: Good Night Shirt
Vote totals: Good Night Shirt, 222; McDynamo, 13; Floodlights, 1; Planets Aligned, 1. Voter Abstentions, 30.
Owner: Shadwell Stable (Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum)
Vote totals: Shadwell Stable, 144; Stronach Stables, 59; Maggi Moss, 18; West Point Thoroughbreds, 8; James Tafel LLC, 7; Zayat Stables, LLC, 5; Stonestreet Stable, Padua, George Bolton and Midnight Cry Stables, 4; James Scatuorchio, 3; Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, 3; Jess Jackson, 2; Fares Farm Inc.1; Fox Hill Farms, Inc. 1; Louis D. O’Brien LLC, 1; Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc., 1; Voter Abstentions, 10.
Breeder: Adena Springs (Frank Stronach)
Vote totals: Adena Springs, 203; Fares Farm Inc., 13; Martin and Pam Wygod, 12; William S. Farish, 11; James Tafel, 8; Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 2; Skara Glen Stables, 2; Farnsworth Farms, 1, Juddmonte Farms, 1; Eugene Melnyk, 1; Voter Abstentions, 13.
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Vote totals: Todd Pletcher, 139; Steve Asmussen, 65; Kiaran McLaughlin, 39; Carl Nafzger, 9; Bill Mott, 5; Scott Lake, 3; Dale Baird, 1; Larry Jones, 1; Graham Motion, 1; Voter Abstentions, 4.
Jockey: Garrett Gomez
Vote totals: Garrett Gomez, 248; Robby Albarado, 11; Russell Baze, 2; Calvin Borel, 1; Ramon Dominguez, 1. Voter Abstentions, 4.
Apprentice Jockey: Joe Talamo
Vote totals: Joe Talamo, 254; Carol Cedeno, 2; Arnaldo Bocachica, 1. Voter abstentions, 10.
