Eclipse Awards
Home Horse of Year 2 Year Old Male 2 Year Old Filly 3 Year Old Male 3 Year Old Filly Older Male Older Female Turf Horse Turf Male Turf Female Sprinter

 

It's not really difficult to find a list of Eclipse Award winners, but often we forget who the runner-ups were.  We think compiling a history of Eclipse voting is a trip down memory lane and a reminder of the 'almost' champions.

The method of vote tabulation changed several times over the years.  The three voting organizations--Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Racing Association and National Turf Writers Association--for a number of years each had one bloc vote.  For awhile each groups first three choices in individual categories was counted on a 5-3-1 basis; later on a 10-5-1 basis.  In a couple of years I failed to locate detail or had to rely on total point counts, although for the past several years the calculation has been based on total votes cast, eliminating the sometimes unfair bloc procedure.

No matter how the calculation was made in a given year, the differences in comparing numerics offers a view of how strongly those horses were viewed at the time.  If it offers you a sense of history and perhaps a little information, then the time compiling it was worthwhile.

---Ron Parker

2009 Awards Results with Vote Counts

Horse of the Year

Rachel Alexandra 130     Zenyatta 99    

Two-Year-Old Male

Lookin At Lucky 209      Vale of York 17    Buddy's Saint 2     Noble's Promise  2    D'Funnybone 1    Jackson Bend 1

 

Two-Year-Old Female

She Be Wild 171    Blind Luck 41     Hot Dixie Chick 17     Awesome Maria 1     Biofuel 1     Tapitsfly 1  

 

Three-Year-Old Male

Summer Bird  225      Mine That Bird 4     Blame 1    I Want Revenge 1   

 

Three-Year-Old Filly

Rachel Alexandra 232 

 

Older Male

Gio Ponti 184     Einstein (Brz) 18    Kodiak Kowboy 16    Macho Again 5    Furthest Land 2    Rail Trip 2    Well Armed 1

 

Older Female

Zenyatta 232

 

Male Sprinter

Kodiak Kowboy 118    Zensational 54    Dancing in Silks 43    Fabulous Strike 9    California Flag 6    Vineyard Haven 1

 

Female Sprinter

Informed Decision 222     Ventura 5     Game Face 1     Indian Blessing 1     Music Note 1     Diamondrella 1

 

Male Turf Horse

Gio Ponti 206     Conduit 22     Presious Passion 3     Court Vision 1

 

Female Turf Horse

Goldikova (Ire) 172     Ventura 41     Magical Fantasy 7     Midday (GB) 7    Pure Clan 3    Forever Together 1

 

Steeplechase

Mixed Up  209    Red Letter Day 3   

 

Owner

Godolphin Racing 61    

 

Breeder

Juddmonte Farms 157    

 

Trainer

Steve Asmussen 130    

 

Jockey

Julien Leparoux 122    

 

Apprentice Jockey

Christian Santiago Reyes 93