Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
ECLIPSE AWARDS Ballot-box battle begins for Horse of the Year
Accelerate made his first start of 2018 exactly 15 days before Justify ever raced, and his campaign continued for nearly five months after Justify made his last start. They could not have had more contrasting schedules, and though they never faced one another on the track, their accomplishments have set the stage for a battle at the ballot box for Horse of the Year.
Accelerate and Justify were announced on Saturday as finalists for Horse of the Year along with Monomoy Girl, but this is perceived as no more than a two-horse race. All three are cinches in their respective Eclipse Awards divisions – Accelerate for older dirt male, Justify for 3-year-old male, and Monomoy Girl for 3-year-old filly. But the Horse of the Year debate, which seemed closed for discussion after the unbeaten Justify became the 13th Triple Crown winner on June 9 in the Belmont Stakes, was renewed with fervor after Accelerate closed out a 6-for-7 season by winning his fourth Grade 1, 1 1/4-mile race of the year in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The announcement of the Horse of the Year finalists – as well as the top three human or equine finalists in 16 other Eclipse Awards categories – was held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the winners will be revealed during a black-tieoptional dinner on Jan. 24.
The Eclipse Awards are voted on by members of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, Daily Racing Form, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Of the 271 eligible voters, 249 returned ballots. Voters are tasked with naming their top three in each division. The finalists are determined on a points system – 10 for first, 5 for second, 1 for third – but the winner in each category is strictly the one who receives the most first-place votes.
Accelerate raced from Feb. 3 through Nov. 3 and won five Grade 1 races, his lone loss coming against City of Light – the eventual Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner – in the Oaklawn Handicap. He is trying to become the first horse of the Eclipse Award era, which began in 1971, to be named Horse of the Year at the expense of a Triple Crown winner.
Accelerate, City of Light, and Gun Runner – the 2017 Horse of the Year who won the Pegasus World Cup in his lone 2018 outing before going to stud – are the finalists for older dirt male.
Justify compressed six starts into 112 days, going from an unstarted maiden to a Triple Crown winner while knocking off the Santa Anita Derby before the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. He is the first Triple Crown winner to not have raced at age 2, and he was the first winner of the Derby who did not race at 2 since Apollo in 1882.
Besides Justify, the other finalists for 3-year-old male are Catholic Boy and McKinzie. Good Magic did not make the top three.
Monomoy Girl won 6 of 7, with five Grade 1 wins, including the Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Her only loss came via disqualification against Midnight Bisou, who along with Rushing Fall is a fellow finalist for champion 3-year-old fill.
The coattails of the three Horse of the Year finalists reached down the ballot.
Kosta and Pete Hronis, the owners of Accelerate, as well as the partnership that raced Justify – WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Starlight Racing, and Head of Plains Partners – are finalists for champion owner, along with Peter Brant. Monomoy Girl’s ownership group – which includes Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, the Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables – did not make the top three.
Mike Abraham, who bred Accelerate, and John Gunther, who bred Justify, are two of the finalists for champion breeder, along with WinStar Farm. FPF LLC and Highfield Ranch, the breeders of Monomoy Girl, did not make the cut, nor did the Summer Wind Equine of Jane Lyon, a small operation that bred the winners of six Grade 1 races, tops in North America last year.
Bob Baffert, the trainer of Justify, is a finalist for champion trainer, but neither John Sadler, who trains Accelerate, nor Brad Cox, who trains Monomoy Girl, are finalists. Baffert’s rivals are Chad Brown, who is seeking his third straight Eclipse Award as champion trainer, and Steve Asmussen.
Mike Smith, who rode Justify, is a finalist for champion jockey, along with the Ortiz brothers, Irad Jr. and Jose. Joel Rosario, who rode Accelerate after Victor Espinoza was injured – and rode likely champion juveniles Game Winner and Jaywalk – did not make the cut, nor did Florent Geroux, who rode Monomoy Girl.
Game Winner, who won all four of his starts, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, is an overwhelming favorite for champion 2-year-old male against fellow finalists Improbable and Knicks Go. Line of Duty, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, did not make the top three.
Jaywalk, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner, is as light favorite over Newspaper of record, the Juvenile Fillies Turf winner, in the 2-year-old filly category. The other finalist is two-time
Grade 1 winner Bellafina.
Two horses are finalists in two divisions.
Marley’s Freedom is a finalist for both older dirt female and female sprinter. She is seen as having a stronger chance for female sprinter, where her fellow finalists are Shamrock Rose, who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint against Marley’s Freedom, and Finley’ s lucky charm.
Marley’s Freedom is a longer shot for older dirt female against fellow finalists Abel Tasman and Unique Bella, last year’s champion 3-year-old filly.
Stormy Liberal, the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner, is a finalist for both male sprinter and male turf horse. Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Roy H, trained like Stormy Liberal by Peter Miller, is the heavy favorite to be named champion sprinter for the second straight year. The other finalist is Imperial Hint. In the inscrutable male turf category, Stormy Liberal is up against Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Expert Eye as well as Glorious Empire.
The female turf category is a compelling match between twotime Arc de Triomphe winner Enable, whose lone start in this country was a win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and Sistercharlie, whose victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf was her fourth Grade 1 win of the year. A Raving Beauty is the other finalist.
Jury Duty, Optimus Prime, and Zanjabeel – the division’s only two-time Grade 1 winner – are the finalists for champion steeplechase horse.
The finalists for apprentice jockey are Reylu Gutierrez, Weston Hamilton, and Edgar Morales, who led their brethren in earnings.