2015 Eclipse Awards

[Man o Taz]

I think we are in full agreement.

I get the idea some are mentioning that Honor  Code did lose his last two races - is 3-3 but he also showed well in some of the top races this year.

It will be interesting to see what happens.

[Man o Taz]

Male Sprinter

Runhappy
Race Record: 5-5-0-0
Next Race: Unknown
Signature Wins: G1 BC Sprint over Private Zone; G1 King's Bishop, G3 Phoenix Stakes

Private Zone
Race Record: 6-3-2-1
Next Race: Unknown
Signature Wins: G1 Forego, G2 Churchill Stakes, G3 Belmont Sprint Championship

Rock Fall
Race Record: 5-5-0-0
Signature Wins: G1 Vosburgh, G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, G2 True North

This would not just be a sentimental vote. Rock Fall actually possesses the strongest graded stakes resume for the award. He contested only sprint races. He won all of his races. And he competed on the tough NY circuit against older horses the entire year besting Salutos Amigos, a good quality horse, twice.   

If Private Zone were to contest and win the Cigar Mile over Tonalist I would give him the champion sprinter eclipse. He would have won 4 graded stakes. 2 G1s and raced from March to the end of November while Runhappy would have raced from July to November. Can Private Zone win the Eclipse even without contesting the Cigar Mile? He finished well in all his races (3 G1s vs. 2 for Runhappy) which were all graded stakes race and he entered more of the top sprint races than Runhappy did. Also, there is some controversy that is following Runhappy and he could lose some votes because of it. I think Runhappy will win, but it could get interesting.

With Runhappy's G1 win in the Malibu Stakes should he receive consideration for champion three year old male?

I think we all know that American Pharoah will win this award. However, there are 2nd and 3rd place balloting and I believe that Runhappy's campaign is stronger than Liam's Map who may received consideration for champion older male. After all, Runhappy has not been retired, he has won 3 G1 races now albeit 2 in restricted company, but he is a three year old.

[peeptoad]

I don't think it matters who the other candidates in Pharoah's division are... neither of them will even get sniffed by the voters.
Runhappy is a slam dunk for the sprint award though...

[Man o Taz]

I agree. I just think it would be nice for Runhappy to be nominated for two Eclipse Awards.

Hopefully he stays healthy and we get to see full seasons from him at 4 and 5 as his connections have suggested.

Also, I hope Dortmund is also there among the finalists. He finished up a strong year with his 4th graded stakes win in the Native Diver - the only other 3 year old to win against older horses except Runhappy and American Pharoah in graded stakes that I am aware of.

[curtis]

I agree. I just think it would be nice for Runhappy to be nominated for two Eclipse Awards.

Hopefully he stays healthy and we get to see full seasons from him at 4 and 5 as his connections have suggested.

Also, I hope Dortmund is also there among the finalists. He finished up a strong year with his 4th graded stakes win in the Native Diver - the only other 3 year old to win against older horses except Runhappy and American Pharoah in graded stakes that I am aware of.

I look at it this way, there should be no other finalists for Champion Three-Year-Old Male. If a voter doesn't vote for American Pharoah, they should have their voting rights revoked. Second and Third are irrelevant in this case. As for Runhappy, I always take sprinters with a grain of salt. I've seen too many classy routers over the years beat the best sprinters at their own game--Forego, Ancient Title, Precisionist, Ferdinand, Unbridled, etc. There are a few BC Classic horses from the last few years who if entered in the Sprint would have won. Now Runhappy is reportedly going to stretch out and if he can do so, I'll reassess. Until he does, he's Groovy or Housebuster--nice horses, but limited.

[Man o Taz]

Fair points. I grade all horses based upon their individual accomplishments and I think that the top three year olds of 2015 were American Pharoah. Dortmund and Runhappy.

Could Keen Ice and/or Frosted beat Runhappy at 6-7 furlongs? I do not know.

[Man o Taz]

From Bloodhorse
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/96941/american-pharoah-team-tops-eclipse-finalists

Not too many surprises.

Observations:

Runhappy is a worthy 3rd choice for HOTY. Like American Pharoah and Beholder he was pretty dominant setting a track record at his distance in the Breeders Cup, and proving himself the best 3 year old sprinter at a minimum, and perhaps the best sprinter in the country.

I wonder if Mohaymen is able to edge out Nyquist since many people seem to not be enthused by him. I do not think he will, but who knows.

I think the champion three year old nominees are interesting in what they all have in common. They all won multiple graded stakes and defeated older horses.

Golden Horn gets a nomination for best turf horse without securing a win in North America. That seems a bit curious especially since Flintshire won the Sword Dancer.

Found is a legitimate champion three year old filly. She only raced here once which probably means she will not win the award, but her defeat of the Arc of Triumph winner was spectacular.

Effinex did not make the final 3 in the older male category. He only had 3 stakes wins, but he did edge out Tonalist in the Suburban, though he lost to him by 12 lengths or so in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

A case could have been made for Tepin to receive the nod for Horse of the Year, as well. She had an incredible year. I hope she wins turf female.

What do you think?

* Horse of the Year: American Pharoah, Beholder, Runhappy             
* 2-year-old male: Airoforce, Mohaymen, Nyquist
* 2-year-old filly: Catch a Glimpse, Rachel's Valentina, Songbird
* 3-year-old male: American Pharoah, Dortmund, Runhappy
* 3-year-old filly: Found, I'm a Chatterbox, Stellar Wind   
* Older dirt male: Honor Code  , Liam's Map  , Tonalist                       
* Older dirt female: Beholder, Sheer Drama, Stopchargingmaria       
* Male sprinter: Private Zone, Rock Fall, Runhappy 
* Female sprinter: La Verdad, Lady Shipman, Wavell Avenue                     
* Male turf horse: Big Blue Kitten, Golden Horn, The Pizza Man
* Female turf horse: Found (IRE), Stephanie's Kitten, Tepin
* Steeplechase horse: Bob Le Beau, Dawalan, Demonstrative
* Owner: Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc., Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, Zayat Stables
* Breeder: Darley, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Zayat Stables           
* Trainer: Bob Baffert, Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher       
* Jockey: Javier Castellano, Victor Espinoza, Irad Ortiz Jr.
* Apprentice jockey: Eric Cancel, Angel Cruz, Tyler Gaffalione

[curtis]

American Pharoah's Horse of the Year campaign was much like Ken Griffey Jr's Hall of Fame campaign.  Griffey's was decided in 1999 and Pharoah's in June.  In the case of the equine, there should be no other nominations.

[Man o Taz]

I agree. But acclamation is not an easy thing. We shall see just how many votes there were for Runhappy and Beholder. I would hazard a guess its more than were for someone other than Griffey.

[curtis]

I agree. But acclamation is not an easy thing. We shall see just how many votes there were for Runhappy and Beholder. I would hazard a guess its more than were for someone other than Griffey.

I love Beholder. She's the best mare I've seen since Azeri and is closing in on my top five but she wasn't horse of the year.

Runhappy is the proverbial nut to his blind squirrel connections. He's a nice horse--who should get a shot at getting 9f--but without the chaos and human interest stuff around him, he doesn't get nominated. When I see him I picture him singing the Scarecrow's song from the Wizzard of Oz only substitute trainer for brain.  A first place vote for either of these horses can only stem from a personal grudge against Pharoah and his connections.

[Man o Taz]

That is funny about Runhappy.

I liked Azeri a lot,but Blind Luck, Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra and even Havre De Grace replaced her for me. I guess out of sight, out of mind.

I never did see her run in person, though, so maybe that's it.

And, as you note, now we have Beholder.

[Man o Taz]

I thought the program ran very smoothly and the remarks were kept to a minimum in most cases. The longest remarks were from the presenter for the achievement of merit it seemed.

On the results, there were few surprises.

La Verdad was a surprise winner for me, but after looking at her performances that should not have been the case.

Songbrid and Nyquist were no surprise.

I felt bad for Victor Espinoza. We know he is headed for the hall of fame, but what he did on California Chrome and American Pharoah should have given him the Eclipse. Granted his numbers could not compare with Javier Castellano, but neither could Zayats as a breeder or owner , or Baffert as a trainer,compare with the other nominees there. If you make an exception for one, it should happen for all.

I thought Big Blue Kitten was a deserving winner over The Pizza Man.

I thought Ahmed Zayat's remarks were gracious and I liked how different family members got the spotlight.

Voter participation rate: 261/281= 92.88%

(Horse ages in parentheses where applicable; Country codes indicate a foreign breeding designation)

Two-Year-Old Male: Nyquist
Two-Year-Old Filly: Songbird
Three-Year-Old Male: American Pharoah
Three-Year-Old Filly: Stellar Wind
Older Dirt Male: Honor Code (4)
Older Dirt Female: Beholder (5)
Male Sprinter: Runhappy (3)
Female Sprinter: La Verdad (5)
Male Turf Horse: Big Blue Kitten (7)
Female Turf Horse: Tepin (4)
Steeplechase Horse: Dawalan (FR) (5)
Owner: Zayat Stables
Breeder: Zayat Stables
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Apprentice Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Horse of the Year: American Pharoah

Two-Year-Old Male (Name, First-Place Votes)
Nyquist, 255; Mohaymen, 3; Voter Abstentions, 3.

Two-Year-Old Filly
Songbird, 260, Catch a Glimpse, 1.

Three-Year-Old Male
American Pharoah, 261.

Three-Year-Old Filly
Stellar Wind, 108; I'm a Chatterbox, 47; Found (IRE), 46; Lady Eli, 34; Lovely Maria, 12; Curalina, 11; Include Betty, 2; Voter Abstentions, 1.

Older Dirt Male
Honor Code, 126; Liam's Map, 95; Tonalist, 14; Effinex, 12; Shared Belief, 9; California Chrome, 3. Voter Abstentions, 2.

Older Dirt Female
Beholder, 256; Stopchargingmaria, 4; Sheer Drama, 1.

Male Sprinter
Runhappy, 255; Private Zone, 2; Rock Fall, 2; Mongolian Saturday, 1; Secret Circle, 1.

Female Sprinter
La Verdad, 98; Wavell Avenue, 90; Lady Shipman, 41; Cavorting, 19; Unbridled Forever, 5; Ageless, 1; Birdonthewire, 1; Fantastic Style, 1; Voter Abstentions, 5.

Male Turf Horse
Big Blue Kitten, 134; Golden Horn (GB), 63; The Pizza Man, 41; Flintshire, 18; Chiropractor, 1; Grand Arch, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.

Female Turf Horse
Tepin, 211; Found (IRE), 38; Stephanie's Kitten, 8; Lady Eli, 2; Curvy (GB), 1; Voter Abstentions, 1.

Steeplechase Horse
Dawalan (FR), 165; Bob Le Beau (IRE), 47; African Oil (FR), 2; Demonstrative, 2; Grinding Speed, 1; Voter Abstentions, 44.

Owner
Zayat Stables, 220; Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 26; Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc., 6; Reddam Racing, 2; Godolphin Racing, 1; Voter Abstentions, 6.

Breeder
Zayat Stables, 190; Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 39; Darley, 13; WinStar Farm, 5; Adena Springs, 4; Spendthrift Farm, 1; Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, 1; Voter Abstentions, 8.

Trainer
Bob Baffert, 200; Todd Pletcher, 44; Chad Brown, 12; Karl Broberg, 1; Jerry Hollendorfer, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.

Jockey
Javier Castellano, 184; Victor Espinoza, 70; Joe Bravo, 1; Pedro Monterrey, Jr., 1; Irad Ortiz, Jr., 1; Joel Rosario, 1; John Velazquez, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2.

Apprentice Jockey
Tyler Gaffalione, 149; Eric Cancel, 63; Angel Cruz, 9; Ashley Broussard, 6; David Lopez, 3; Jorge Robles, 1; Voter Abstentions, 30.

Horse of the Year
American Pharoah, 261.

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/american-pharoah-unanimous-horse-of-the-year-champion/

[curtis]

I thought the program ran very smoothly and the remarks were kept to a minimum in most cases. The longest remarks were from the presenter for the achievement of merit it seemed.

On the results, there were few surprises.

La Verdad was a surprise winner for me, but after looking at her performances that should not have been the case.

Songbrid and Nyquist were no surprise.

I felt bad for Victor Espinoza. We know he is headed for the hall of fame, but what he did on California Chrome and American Pharoah should have given him the Eclipse. Granted his numbers could not compare with Javier Castellano, but neither could Zayats as a breeder or owner , or Baffert as a trainer,compare with the other nominees there. If you make an exception for one, it should happen for all.

I thought Big Blue Kitten was a deserving winner over The Pizza Man.

I thought Ahmed Zayat's remarks were gracious and I liked how different family members got the spotlight.

Voter participation rate: 261/281= 92.88%

(Horse ages in parentheses where applicable; Country codes indicate a foreign breeding designation)

Two-Year-Old Male: Nyquist
Two-Year-Old Filly: Songbird
Three-Year-Old Male: American Pharoah
Three-Year-Old Filly: Stellar Wind
Older Dirt Male: Honor Code (4)
Older Dirt Female: Beholder (5)
Male Sprinter: Runhappy (3)
Female Sprinter: La Verdad (5)
Male Turf Horse: Big Blue Kitten (7)
Female Turf Horse: Tepin (4)
Steeplechase Horse: Dawalan (FR) (5)
Owner: Zayat Stables
Breeder: Zayat Stables
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Apprentice Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Horse of the Year: American Pharoah

Two-Year-Old Male (Name, First-Place Votes)
Nyquist, 255; Mohaymen, 3; Voter Abstentions, 3.

Two-Year-Old Filly
Songbird, 260, Catch a Glimpse, 1.

Three-Year-Old Male
American Pharoah, 261.

Three-Year-Old Filly
Stellar Wind, 108; I'm a Chatterbox, 47; Found (IRE), 46; Lady Eli, 34; Lovely Maria, 12; Curalina, 11; Include Betty, 2; Voter Abstentions, 1.

Older Dirt Male
Honor Code, 126; Liam's Map, 95; Tonalist, 14; Effinex, 12; Shared Belief, 9; California Chrome, 3. Voter Abstentions, 2.

Older Dirt Female
Beholder, 256; Stopchargingmaria, 4; Sheer Drama, 1.

Male Sprinter
Runhappy, 255; Private Zone, 2; Rock Fall, 2; Mongolian Saturday, 1; Secret Circle, 1.

Female Sprinter
La Verdad, 98; Wavell Avenue, 90; Lady Shipman, 41; Cavorting, 19; Unbridled Forever, 5; Ageless, 1; Birdonthewire, 1; Fantastic Style, 1; Voter Abstentions, 5.

Male Turf Horse
Big Blue Kitten, 134; Golden Horn (GB), 63; The Pizza Man, 41; Flintshire, 18; Chiropractor, 1; Grand Arch, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.

Female Turf Horse
Tepin, 211; Found (IRE), 38; Stephanie's Kitten, 8; Lady Eli, 2; Curvy (GB), 1; Voter Abstentions, 1.

Steeplechase Horse
Dawalan (FR), 165; Bob Le Beau (IRE), 47; African Oil (FR), 2; Demonstrative, 2; Grinding Speed, 1; Voter Abstentions, 44.

Owner
Zayat Stables, 220; Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 26; Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc., 6; Reddam Racing, 2; Godolphin Racing, 1; Voter Abstentions, 6.

Breeder
Zayat Stables, 190; Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 39; Darley, 13; WinStar Farm, 5; Adena Springs, 4; Spendthrift Farm, 1; Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, 1; Voter Abstentions, 8.

Trainer
Bob Baffert, 200; Todd Pletcher, 44; Chad Brown, 12; Karl Broberg, 1; Jerry Hollendorfer, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.

Jockey
Javier Castellano, 184; Victor Espinoza, 70; Joe Bravo, 1; Pedro Monterrey, Jr., 1; Irad Ortiz, Jr., 1; Joel Rosario, 1; John Velazquez, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2.

Apprentice Jockey
Tyler Gaffalione, 149; Eric Cancel, 63; Angel Cruz, 9; Ashley Broussard, 6; David Lopez, 3; Jorge Robles, 1; Voter Abstentions, 30.

Horse of the Year
American Pharoah, 261.

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/american-pharoah-unanimous-horse-of-the-year-champion/

I agree about the general lack of surprises. I expressed my reservations about Honor Code before--I respect Tonalist's campaign more--but I can't argue as to his resume and obviously that was what the voters were looking at when they made their selections.

I disagree about Victor Espinoza though. Other than a few years early in the 2000's he has not been the best jock on his own circuit and that is even more true now. Being lucky enough to fall into the mount on Anerican Pharoah shouldn't net him an Eclipse award. I also don't understand what California Chrome has to do with it. The horse ran twice last year--only once in North America--and finished second both times.  I don't remember who won in 1977 but I'd be surprised to find it was Jean Cruguet. Cauthen may have won in 1978--I don't remember--but I do remember that Laffit Pincay Jr.--ironically Sham's jockey--won in 1973.  He deserved it to as he had a much better year than did Ron Turcotte. In the scheme of things I tend to believe that these awards are much ado about nothing but if they are to exist they should at least reflect historical accuracy and Javier Castellano had a much better year, and is currently a better rider, than Victor Espinoza.

[Man o Taz]

I agree about the general lack of surprises. I expressed my reservations about Honor Code before--I respect Tonalist's campaign more--but I can't argue as to his resume and obviously that was what the voters were looking at when they made their selections.

I disagree about Victor Espinoza though. Other than a few years early in the 2000's he has not been the best jock on his own circuit and that is even more true now. Being lucky enough to fall into the mount on Anerican Pharoah shouldn't net him an Eclipse award. I also don't understand what California Chrome has to do with it. The horse ran twice last year--only once in North America--and finished second both times.  I don't remember who won in 1977 but I'd be surprised to find it was Jean Cruguet. Cauthen may have won in 1978--I don't remember--but I do remember that Laffit Pincay Jr.--ironically Sham's jockey--won in 1973.  He deserved it to as he had a much better year than did Ron Turcotte. In the scheme of things I tend to believe that these awards are much ado about nothing but if they are to exist they should at least reflect historical accuracy and Javier Castellano had a much better year, and is currently a better rider, than Victor Espinoza.

Honor Code or Tonalist I would have been fine with. Tonalist ran in all the top races. His one issue I felt was how he finished in the BC Classic. I think that may have been where HC edged him. Liam's Map ran some great races, but I really had reservations with his opting out of the BC Classic.

Regarding Espinoza, is Baffert the leading trainer in California? I thought that was Hollendorfer. I could be mistaken. If it is Hollendorfer, then not only were his numbers less than the other nominees, but even in CA he was not the leader. Also, Zayat was not the leader for breeder or owner and he got it so really numbers should not matter. Ironically, Cruguet did not win it in 1977 because Steve Cauthen won it. He also won top apprentice jockey. The following year, Cauthen did not win it, Darrel McHargue did as the leading money earning jockey. In 1977, Maxwell Gluck won the Award for leading owner. In 1977, E.P. Taylor won the award for leading breeder. In 1978, Harborview Farm won the award for leading owner and breeder, and owner in 1979 too, but then again they did have a 2 time HOTY. In 1977 and 1978, Laz Barrera won the Eclipse for outstanding trainer. He was also named outstanding trainer in 1976 and 1979 so the feat does not seem like it was linked directly to Affirmed - at least not in 1976.

It seemed all the accolades in 2015 were tied to the connection with American Pharoah. That being the case, it seems that they similarly should attach to the jockey to be consistent. I do not dispute that Castellano was well deserving. Only that for consistency sake Espinoza should have received the award.

[curtis]

I should have remembered Darrel McHargue as he was based in so. CA that year and he won everything in sight. From 1974 through roughly the end of the decade, Hollywood Park staged an All-Star Jockey race. Because of that race a wave of riders based elsewhere moved their tack to so. CA. The first was Sandy Hawley, then McHargue, then Chris McCarron and Eddie Delahoussaye. That silly little annual race created one of the strongest jockey colonies of all time. Max Gluck bred and raced both two-year-old champions in 1973 but probably did not win anything due to Secretariat.

Hollendorfer will almost always win more races than Baffert because he hasn't completely given up his cheap horses. For years Charlie Whittingham was the top trainer in so. CA but trainers like Farrell Jones, Bobby Frankel and Gary Jones had more winners. Laz Barerra--who did train Derby/Belmont winner Bold Forbes in 1976--was around too, then.

I'd give Martin Garcia as much credit as I would Espinoza for American Pharoah's success. Just because the voters may not have got the other categories correct, doesn't mean they should have compounded it by giving Espinoza the trophy. He's having a great career that as you mentioned will get him eventually enshrined at Saratoga. At this point though he's adding numbers to his stats not putting up outstanding individual seasons.