Wise Dan ranks among legends as repeat Horse of the Year

Morton Fink's homebred

WISE DAN

burnished his Hall of Fame resume by winning his second straight Horse of the

Year title at Saturday night's 43rd annual Eclipse Awards at Gulfstream Park in

Hallandale Beach, Florida. Moreover, the newly-turned seven-year-old gelding was

once again hailed as champion turf horse and champion older male, completing an

unprecedented repeat of his 2012 Eclipse Award treble.

Wise Dan joins the circle of legends who have earned consecutive Horse

of the Year titles. Since the advent of the Eclipse Awards in 1971, that list

comprises Secretariat (1972-73), Forego (1974-76), Affirmed (1978-79), Cigar

(1995-96) and Curlin (2007-08). Under the old voting system in place from 1936

through 1970, Hall of Famers Challedon (1939-40), Whirlaway (1941-42) and the

amazing Kelso (1960-64) were so honored.

But Wise Dan is the only Horse of the Year to

repeat purely because of his turf prowess. Although his 2013 campaign was

criticized in some quarters for sticking to the turf script, and not hazarding

any bold, new ventures, Wise Dan still stood tall as simply the best U.S.

Thoroughbred of the year. His connections' methodical, stay-the-course approach

worked out well in the end, especially once his most dangerous challenger for

Horse of the Year, Game On Dude, torpedoed his own candidacy for the second

straight year by imploding in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

Unlike in 2012, when Wise Dan opened his triple-Eclipse season with a track

record-setting rout in

the Ben Ali (G3) on Keeneland's Polytrack, the reigning Horse of the Year

commenced 2013 in the Maker's 46 Mile (G1) on the Keeneland turf. With jockey

Jose Lezcano taking over for the injured John Velazquez, the 2-5 favorite

comfortably dethroned defending champion Data Link by a length. California

shipper Silentio, who had just missed by a nostril in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile

(G1), trailed the short field of five, underscoring the extent of Wise Dan's

dominance at the trip. Nine days later, Successful Dan represented the team in

the Ben Ali and claimed Wise Dan's undefended crown.

Wise Dan next appeared in the 1 1/8-mile Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1)

on Kentucky Derby Day. Fans looked forward to a mouthwatering clash with Point

of Entry, the high-class turf marathoner who was coming off an upset of Animal

Kingdom in the Gulfstream Park Turf (G1) at this nine-furlong distance.

Unfortunately, rain turned the Matt Winn Turf yielding, and Point of Entry

scratched. The race was now reduced to a mere formality, and Wise Dan strode to an

effortless 4 3/4-length decision as the 3-5 choice.

With Successful Dan earmarked for the Stephen Foster H. (G1), Wise Dan

swerved another crack at that prize on the Churchill Downs dirt. He had suffered

his only loss of 2012 in the Stephen Foster -- a tough-trip, near-miss to Ron

the Greek -- but would not seek to correct the record. Nor did Successful Dan

strike a blow for his half-brother, for he wound up a distant fourth.

In his return trip north of the border for the September 15 Woodbine Mile

(Can-G1), Wise Dan obliterated the course record without appearing to take a deep

breath. Hammered into 1-5 favoritism, he cantered 3 1/2 lengths ahead of a solid

yardstick in Za Approval, and the globetrotting Trade Storm, in a smashing 1:31.75. Wise

Dan also made history by becoming the first two-time winner of the Woodbine

Mile. That extended his winning streak to nine, dating back to the summer of

2012.

Wise Dan had overcome the elements and adverse circumstances a few times over

the course of 2013, but they finally conspired against him in the October 5

Shadwell Turf Mile. A torrential downpour transferred the race off the turf

and onto the Keeneland Polytrack. Ordinarily, a triple-surface threat like Wise

Dan would have taken it all in stride. But the rains were pelting the surface so

heavily that pools of standing water began to collect on the track. While Wise

Dan tried mightily to come to terms with the conditions, Velazquez reported that

he was all at sea. The 1-2 favorite had to settle for second to the

front-running Silver Max.

LoPresti didn't want to blame the loss entirely on the last-minute surface

switch. Rather, he second-guessed himself for his training regimen, believing

that he should have breezed Wise Dan between the Woodbine and the Shadwell, as

he had done in 2012.

Wise Dan was "mad" following the lese majeste, and that was a bad omen

for his challengers in the November 2 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita.

Not only was he returning to the scene of his brilliant victory in the 2012

Mile, accomplished in a stakes and course-record 1:31.78, but he was also

spoiling for a fight.

Wise Dan thereby put himself in the league of Miesque, Lure and Goldikova as

a repeat winner of the Breeders' Cup Mile. Finishing the season six-for-seven,

and bankrolling $2,751,972 in 2013 alone, Wise Dan sports an overall mark of

27-19-2-0, $6,293,610.

Those eager for Wise Dan to explore new vistas can point to the remarkable

versatility he had shown earlier in his career. Unraced at two, Wise Dan

tipped his hand in his sophomore year. He broke his maiden by 15 1/4 lengths in

his second start on the Polytrack at Turfway Park, followed up promptly in an entry-level

optional claimer in the Churchill slop, and returned from a five-month layoff to

land the Phoenix (G3) at Keeneland in his stakes debut. Trying the 2010 Breeders' Cup

Sprint (G1) in only his fifth lifetime start, he checked in a creditable sixth,

beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Big Drama.

Wise Dan took a few starts to get his act together in 2011, but the sleeping

giant woke up in the aforementioned Firecracker, and went on to add the Presque Isle Mile on Tapeta.

Although his progress was briefly halted when fourth to Gio Ponti in that fall's Shadwell,

he soon resumed it with a

vengeance. Wise Dan ended that year with blowouts in Keeneland's Fayette (G2) on

Polytrack and Churchill's Clark H. (G1) on the dirt.

His success is a heartwarming tale. Fink co-owned his sire Wiseman's Ferry, who captured the Lone Star Derby

(G3) and West Virginia Derby (G3) in 2002. He purchased Wise Dan's dam, Lisa

Danielle, for $29,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 1995. A daughter of

South African great Wolf Power, Lisa Danielle won only once from seven starts,

and didn't stand out as a broodmare prospect. But Fink had named her after his

granddaughter, and so kept her.

ROYAL

DELTA earned her third straight Eclipse Award on Saturday when the

six-year-old daughter of Empire Maker was honored as champion older female for

the second consecutive year. Her very first Eclipse came in 2011 when she was

named champion three-year-old filly.

Royal Delta put together a great career-ending season in 2013, racking up

$1,107,275 in earnings to go along with a 6-3-2-0 mark. Though she wasn't able

to complete a three-peat in the Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 1, the dark

bay mare still managed to take down a pair of Grade 1s by big margins.

For 2013, trainer Bill Mott mapped out the same exact route that led to

Breeders' Cup and Eclipse glory for Royal Delta in 2012.

The Kentucky-bred began the year at Gulfstream Park in mid-February and

managed to go one better than her previous campaign when taking the Sabin (G3)

by five lengths under regular rider Mike Smith. A trip to the Dubai World Cup

(UAE-G1) once again was in the cards following that score, but Royal Delta yet

again proved her dislike of the synthetic Tapeta surface at Meydan when tiring

to 10th as 2011 Kentucky Derby hero Animal Kingdom raced on to victory in that

rich contest.

Given the rest of the spring off to recuperate from both the travel and her

loss, Royal Delta reappeared on June 15 at Churchill Downs for a title defense

run in the Fleur de Lis H. (G2). She showed the first chink in her armor when

unable to catch loose-on-the-lead Funny Proposition that day, settling for

second while five lengths behind the winner.

Royal Delta quickly made up for that puzzling loss a month later, though,

romping by 10 3/4 lengths in her second straight Delaware H. (G1) victory. Just

like in 2012, she would have two more races before the Distaff but reversed

decisions in each.

Despite her last-out defeat, Royal Delta was still sent off the favorite for

the Breeders' Cup Distaff. It was the 11th straight time she garnered favoritism

in her stateside races, but the game mare showed her connections it was maybe

time for a new career in the breeding shed.

Authenticity led the way onto the backstretch with Royal Delta staying in

close contact to her outside through the first half-mile. Eventual winner

Beholder had taken up a waiting position while four wide to Royal Delta's

outside and hit the front rounding the turn as her older rival began backing up.

Beholder kept motoring to score an easy win while Royal Delta faded to fourth on

the wire.

"She's had three hard campaigns," Mott declared following the Breeders' Cup.

"I've been very blessed to have a lot of good horses and it's difficult to have

more than two good campaigns with any horse. This mare has come back and won

Grade 1s this year and I see no reason why she wouldn't be champion older mare.

She didn't win the Breeders' Cup, but she's been good to us. She's won two

championships and maybe three, and won a couple of Breeders' Cups. It's not a

bad career."

Three weeks following the Breeders' Cup came the announcement everyone was

expecting. Royal Delta had been retired from competition and would take up a new

career inside the breeding shed, visiting Galileo for her first cover.

"I've had many great moments in my life but the joy and pleasure that Royal

Delta has brought to me and my family is indescribable," owner Benjamin Leon

stated at that time. "She offered us the opportunity to enjoy wonderful places,

people and experiences. She was a gift that allowed us many thrilling moments

and we will be forever grateful.

"It's a credit to Mr. Leon to run her not only after such a big purchase

price, but again this year for a second season," Mott said. "Royal Delta will

always have a warm spot in my heart as I trained her grandmother and her mother

before her. It was special to get her back after the sale and it meant a great

deal to all of us."

Royal Delta is descended from a black-type rich family as a daughter of the

A.P. Indy mare Delta Princess. That one would capture six stakes, including

three Grade 3 contests, during her time on track while racking up nearly

$750,000 in earnings. Royal Delta's second dam is Group 2 victress Lyphard's

Delta, who would go on in the breeding shed to produce Grade/Group 1 winners

Biondetti and Indy Five Hundred.

Lyphard's Delta is herself a daughter of Proud Delta, who was honored as

champion handicap mare in 1976, and counts as a full brother Grade 3 hero and

sire Proud Debonair.

Royal Delta has more than continued the championship tradition of her family.

The dark bay earned three straight Eclipse Awards -- four shy of being the

unanimous three-year-old filly champ, taking 231 first-place votes for her 2012

older mare honor and this time around garnering 234 first-place votes.

Winner of the Travers (G1), Clark H. (G1), Pennsylvania Derby (G2), Rebel

(G2) and Smarty Jones, and a nose second in the Breeders' Cup Classic,

WILL

TAKE CHARGE dominated the voting for champion three-year-old male, winning by a

231-15 margin over Kentucky Derby winner Orb.

Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, who received the Award of Merit

Saturday evening for his outstanding contributions to the Thoroughbred industry,

Will Take Charge raced in the silks of Willis D. Horton.

He is of the multiple Grade 1-winning Take Charge Lady, an earner of more

than $2.4 million, and Will Take Charge commanded a $425,000 sales price at the

2010 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. However, the blue-blooded son of

Unbridled's Song did not bring major expectations into his sophomore season

after concluding 2012 with a last-place effort in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2)

at Churchill Downs and a second in the Springboard Mile at Remington Park.

The Triple Crown proved to be a pothole in a very successful campaign as Will

Take Charge recorded a trio of unplaced finishes in the Kentucky Derby,

Preakness and Belmont Stakes. After a freshening, he put those experiences

behind him, recording a good second to Belmont winner Palace Malice in the Jim

Dandy (G2) at Saratoga. The well-built chestnut colt then captured the

"Midsummer Derby," surging late to win the 1 1/4-mile Travers by a nose on

August 24.

He carried his momentum forward in the Pennsylvania Derby, winning the $1

million event by 2 1/4 lengths on September 21, and made his next start in the

November 2 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Will Take Charge had to swing

six wide into the stretch due to a tiring rival and closed determinedly to miss

in a head-bobbing decision, falling a nose short to Mucho Macho Man in the final

stride.

The Kentucky-bred colt garnered tons of respect for the setback and came back

four weeks later with arguably a career-best performance in the Clark at

Churchill Downs, running down the classy Game On Dude, who had a clear lead in

midstretch but could not withstand the powerful late kick of his younger rival.

BEHOLDER

joined a select group of great racemares on Saturday when honored as the

champion three-year-old filly. Beholder took 207 first-place votes, easily

beating out rival Princess of Sylmar in second with 42.

It was the bay filly's second Eclipse Award as she was also named the

champion two-year-old filly for 2012. She became just the fifth filly to win

those back-to-back honors since the inception of the Eclipse Awards in 1971. The

other four are Ruffian (1974-75), Open Mind (1988-89), Go For Wand (1989-90) and

Silverbulletday (1998-99), all of whom have also been inducted into Racing's

Hall of Fame.

Beholder competed seven times last year, capturing five of those races and

running second in the other two while bankrolling $1.86 million in earnings. She

capped off her season with a 4 1/4-length romp in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, but

the bay daughter of Henny Hughes took quite a journey before reaching that

point.

Beholder closed out her juvenile campaign, and wrapped up juvenile filly

champion honors, with a win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in November

2012, but didn't get much down time before returning to competition just two

months later for a run in the Santa Ynez (G2).

Jockey Gary Stevens had taken the reins on Beholder ever since the Kentucky

Oaks and settled his mount four wide to two-time defending Distaff champion Royal Delta's

outside through the opening half-mile. Authenticity was leading the way but

proved no match for her younger rival as Beholder hit the front rounding the

turn while still on cruise control.

Royal Delta never kicked into gear and faded to fourth on the wire, but

Beholder provided flashbacks to her Juvenile Fillies win a year ago when romping

home an easy winner of the race.

"We trained her this way (to run from off the pace.) We've just never had to

use it before," Mandella said after the race of his normally front-running

filly's stalking trip. "She's so naturally fast, you don't have to train that

into her and she's made the lead so easily in many of her races.

"Today, she had to come from off of it and she did it -- and boy do I love

it. I've been lucky enough to have many good mares in my years of training, but

this mare might have to be the best of all."

Beholder not only earned back-to-back Breeders' Cup wins, she also handed

Stevens his first Breeders' Cup victory since 2000 following a seven-year

retirement from the saddle. In addition, she re-opened the question of who the

top three-year-old filly in the country was with the victory.

Leading up to the Distaff, Princess of Sylmar would have been the automatic

answer with scores in the Kentucky Oaks, Coaching Club American Oaks (G1),

Alabama (G1) and Beldame Invitational (G1) to her credit. The two sophomores

found themselves on even in terms in regards to beating each other following the

Distaff, though, and Beholder has now ended up not only capturing the year-end

championship but Eclipse Award honors as well.

The two-year-old gelding

SHARED

BELIEF helped Hollywood Park conclude its 75-year history as a racing

facility with a bang, dominating both the November 10 Hollywood Prevue (G3) and

December 14 CashCall Futurity (G1). In doing so, the son of Candy Ride made a

late, winning rally to snare the Eclipse Award as 2013's leading juvenile male.

Shared Belief received 115 first-place votes to 99 for New Year's Day, who

appeared to be in pole position for the honor after taking the Breeders' Cup

Juvenile (G1). But Shared Belief's last-minute shot at the buzzer put him over

the top. That was just the crowning disappointment for New Year's Day, following

the career-ending sesamoid injury he suffered in December.

Shared Belief, who romped by seven lengths in his six-furlong debut at Golden

Gate Fields on October 19, was purchased privately from breeders Pam and Marty

Wygod following that race. Among the numerous members of the partnership is

Jungle Racing LLC, headed by sports radio and television personality Jim Rome,

and Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

Shipped to Hollywood following his acquisition, Shared Belief next stepped up

to stakes company for the seven-furlong Hollywood Prevue. His four rivals didn't

stand a chance as Shared Belief seized control at the top of the stretch after

pressing the pace, and drew off to an emphatic 7 3/4-length triumph.

SHE'S A TIGER put together a 6-3-3-0 season in 2013, and despite being

disqualified from winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, was still awarded

an Eclipse as champion two-year-old filly on Saturday.

She's a Tiger earned 212 first-place votes as compared to Breeders' Cup

Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Chriselliam's 15 and Ria Antonia's 10. The latter

filly was given the win in the Juvenile Fillies by the stewards following the

disqualification of She's a Tiger, but it wasn't enough to derail her bay

rival's chances for an Eclipse Award.

She's a Tiger began her career in late June at Pleasanton and would never

step hoof outside of California in 2013. She broke her maiden in that initial

outing by nine lengths and trainer Jeff Bonde immediately sent her to Hollywood

Park for a try against stakes rivals.

The Kentucky-bred miss made her stakes bow in the Landaluce on July 13,

posting a three-length victory that day, then suffered her first loss next out

at Del Mar in the Sorrento (G2). She's a Tiger missed by a half-length in the

contest while dueling with eventual winner Concave all the way, but got her

revenge 24 days later.

The duo both showed up for the Del Mar Debutante (G1) on August 31, and She's

a Tiger proved best by a half-length while Concave ended up third. She's a Tiger

would make just one more start before the Breeders' Cup, just losing in a

head-bobbing finish on the wire of the Chandelier (G1) at Santa Anita while

stretching out past seven furlongs for the first time while going the Juvenile

Fillies distance of 1 1/16 miles.

She's a Tiger and Ria Antonia hooked up in the lane, with each filly drifting

back and forth a bit. However, the stewards ruled that She's a Tiger's drifting

caused the slight bump right before the wire, resulting in Ria Antonia losing

her momentum for a second. That and the close nose finish saw She's a Tiger

being disqualified from her gutsy win and placed second.

"This is heartbreaking -- heartbreaking," Bonde said after the race. "There

is nothing else I can say. She is still a wonderful filly, but this just

heartbreaking."

The heartbreak more than likely healed right up when She's a Tiger was named

champion two-year-old filly on Saturday. The bay miss has already earned back

her purchase price of $150,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, and currently

campaigns for Mark DeDomenico, Allen J. Aldrich, Lisa Hernandez and Stuart

Downey.

Bred by Dr. Rodney Orr, She's a Tiger is out of the stakes-winning Cahill

Road mare Shandra Smiles, who found fame when producing multiple Grade 1 winner

and $1.4 million earner Smiling Tiger. That colt attempted Breeders' Cup glory

himself, but could do no better than third in both the 2010 and 2012 editions of

the Sprint.

Shandra Smiles is a half-sister to Grade 3 runner-up Traci Girl as well as

the stakes-placed Elusive Quality duo Draw Fire and Calidad. This female family

is also responsible for Group 1 diva Escaline and Grade 2 king Love That Mac.

GROUPIE DOLL became the first two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Filly &

Mare Sprint (G1) on November 2, holding off a late surge from Judy the Beauty to

claim the seven-furlong test at Santa Anita by a half-length. That victory

ensured another Eclipse Award for the daughter of Bowman's Band, who becomes the

first repeat titlist in the female sprint category. Both the Breeders' Cup Filly

& Mare Sprint and its corresponding divisional championship were inaugurated in

2007.

Though not as dominating as she had been in 2012, Groupie Doll prevailed in

two of her three outings under one mile, and with her Breeders' Cup score

avenged an earlier loss to Judy the Beauty in the Thoroughbred Club of America

(G2) at Keeneland.

Unhappy with her training in Florida early in the year, trainer Buff Bradley

gave Groupie Doll several months off at his Frankfort, Kentucky, farm. Though it

delayed her seasonal bow, the mare emerged the better following the needed rest

and relaxation.

Groupie Doll would snare her second victory of the season over Judy the

Beauty in the Breeders' Cup, for which she was made the mild 3-1 favorite.

Overcoming an outside draw, Groupie Doll forged to the lead after a wide rally,

opened up a two-length lead with a furlong to go, and held off her arch-rival in

a time of 1:20 3/5.

Days after the Breeders' Cup Groupie Doll was consigned to the Keeneland

November Breeding Stock Sale, where she fetched $3.1 million from Mandy Pope's

Whisper Hill Farm. Pope enthusiastically returned the mare to the Bradley barn

in an attempt to win the November 30 Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct, a race she had

lost by a nose in 2012. Despite encountering some trouble in the one-turn test

against males, Groupie Doll could only finish fourth, 3 1/2 lengths behind

distance specialist Flat Out.

Groupie Doll concluded her second championship season with a record of

5-2-0-2, $871,000. Her overall mark improved to 22-11-4-4, $2,528,850.

If Breeders' Cup week was a time of sadness for the connections of

POINTS OFFTHEBENCH, the Eclipse Awards ceremony provided a welcome antidote

as the Benchmark colt was posthumously honored as the champion male sprinter of

2013.

Points Offthebench's life came to a tragic end on October 26 at Santa Anita

while turning in his final major piece of work before the November 2 Breeders'

Cup Sprint (G1), a race he was expected to be favored in. The four-year-old

sustained a condylar fracture of the right front fetlock and had to be

euthanized.

Owned by Donnie Crevier and Charles Martin, Points Offthebench was trained by

Tim Yakteen. The California-bred made a successful transition from the allowance

ranks to stakes company in 2013, winning both of his outings at the Grade 1

level.

Like a deus ex machina descending onto the stage, James Wigan's

homebred DANK

swooped from her English redoubt to impose her will on the filly and mare turf

division. The Sir Michael Stoute trainee was the inevitable choice for

championship honors after capturing both of her American invasions, the Beverly

D. (G1) and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), and accordingly garnered

229 first-place votes.

Dank's success comes 10 years after another Stoute star, Islington, shipped

in to take the Filly & Mare Turf en route to the divisional Eclipse Award.

Stoute employed a similar game plan for his champion turf males Singspiel

(1996), Kalanisi (2000) and Conduit (2008). Singspiel won the Canadian

International (Can-G1) before being upset by stablemate Pilsudski in the Breeders' Cup

Turf, but that was enough to secure the statuette. Kalanisi and Conduit,

meanwhile, both executed smash-and-grab raids on the Turf.

A half-sister to Irish highweight Eagle Mountain, who was runner-up to

Conduit in the 2008 Turf, and to French/English highweight Sulk, Dank is now the

third top-rated performer produced by the Darshaan mare Masskana. Dank did not

exactly shape as a champion in embryo earlier in her career, but as with so many

Stoute runners, she bloomed with time.

Dank kicked off her four-year-old campaign with a hard-fought victory in the

May 5 Dahlia (Eng-G3) back at Newmarket. Upped in trip to 1 1/8 miles for the

first time, she looked stronger the farther she went, and ultimately nipped

Chigun at the wire. Dank reverted to a mile for the June 19 Duke of Cambridge

(Eng-G2) at Royal Ascot, and kept on for a close, if one-paced, third to Duntle.

That turned out to be the only loss of a championship season.

In her first foray outside of England, Dank ventured to the Curragh for the

July 21 Kilboy Estate (Ire-G2). By drawing right away from the useful Say in

that nine-furlong test, Dank displayed a newfound swagger. Her passport was now

ready to go further afield.

Dank made the trek to Arlington Park for the August 17 Beverly D., and a

revelation was in the offing. Under regular rider Ryan Moore, the bay was

reserved several lengths off the early pace, then delivered the coup de grace.

Dank stormed home by a resounding 4 1/4 lengths, in near course-record time of

1:53.38 for 1 3/16 miles, and left even-money favorite Marketing Mix toiling in

fourth. Duntle, who had beaten Dank in the Duke of Cambridge, could do no better

than seventh -- continuing the pattern of Dank's insistence on avenging her

defeats.

Her Breeders' Cup heroics clinched the Eclipse Award. Dank's biggest rival

for the championship, Laughing, did not run up to her best after failing to

handle the cross-country ship. The front-running heroine of the Diana (G1),

Ballston Spa (G2) and Flower Bowl Invitational (G1), Laughing never made it to

the lead at Santa Anita and checked in seventh.

Sadly, Laughing died during

colic surgery on January 6, just two days before she was named an Eclipse

finalist. Laughing received eight votes, tying with two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

(G1) winner Mizdirection for a distant second to Dank in the balloting.

Dank boasts a career mark of 12-7-2-1, $1,784,990, the lion's share --

$1,697,877 -- amassed during her four-for-five campaign in 2013. According to

Racing Post, she will soon seek more international adventure in Dubai.

At Saturday night's festivities, Wigan said that plans call for Dank to

return for title defenses in both the Beverly D. and Filly & Mare Turf.

Bred in the name of Wigan's London Thoroughbred Services in Great Britain,

Dank is a half-sister to the aforementioned Group 1-winning highweights Eagle

Mountain and Sulk. Eagle Mountain scored his signature win in the 2008 Hong Kong

Cup. Sulk ranked as France's highweight juvenile filly of 2001 by virtue of

capturing the Prix Marcel Boussac, and she was England's highweight staying

filly courtesy of a second in the 2002 Prix Royal Oak. Sulk went on to produce

Dubai stakes winner and Group 2-placed Ibn Battuta.

Dank is also a half-sister to multiple Group 3-placed stakes victor Wallace

and to the dams of Group 2-placed stakes winner Pimpernel and to Bye Bye Birdie,

queen of the Curragh's Balanchine last June.

In a season where a different horse won each of the six Grade 1 steeplechase

races in the U.S., winning the most lucrative one helped

DIVINE FORTUNE score a lopsided 112-27 victory over Italian Wedding in the

Eclipse Award balloting for champion steeplechaser.

A flag-to-finish winner of his April 6 season debut against allowance foes at

Stone Mountain, Georgia, Divine Fortune was caught by Demonstrative in the final

yards of May 11 Iroquois (NSA-G1) at Percy Warner Park in Nashville. Next seen

at Saratoga, Divine Fortune finished an even third in the A.P. Smithwick

Memorial (NSA-G1) and a tiring seventh in the New York Turf Writers Cup

(NSA-G1).

Divine Fortune's form continued to be lackluster in the September 19 Lonesome

Glory (NSA-G1) at Belmont Park, where the 10-year-old son of Royal Anthem

retreated to seventh after setting the pace. However, he snapped out of his

doldrums in the $250,000 Grand National (NSA-G1) at Far Hills, New Jersey, on

October 19, leading throughout the 2 5/8-mile test to win by a comfortable 5 1/2

lengths.

He concluded his campaign with a fourth-place effort in the November 23

Colonial Cup (NSA-G1) in South Carolina, finishing the season with a mark of

7-2-1-1, $207,000.

Todd Pletcher led all trainers by earnings for the fourth consecutive year in

2013, bankrolling nearly $10 million more than second-place Bob Baffert, and

easily captured his unprecedented sixth Eclipse Award for leading trainer,

passing the late Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel.

Pletcher received 183

first-place votes compared to only 21 for runner-up D. Wayne Lukas, who was

honored elsewhere on the evening with the Award of Merit.

Pletcher's horses earned $25,248,816 in 2013, leading the way for the eighth time in

his career, and his runners won 224 races from 946 starts, a 23.7 percent success

rate.

He won four straight Eclipse Awards from 2004 to 2007, becoming just

the third trainer to do so, and another in 2010. The 46-year-old conditioner won

48 graded events, including 13 Grade 1s, during 2013. His top performers

included Cross Traffic, Graydar, Havana, Palace Malice, Princess of Sylmar and

Verrazano.

A native of Dallas, Pletcher is based primarily on the East Coast, with

year-round operations in New York and a winter base in South Florida, and he

also operated stables in Kentucky and New Jersey last year.

Pletcher is close to breaking the all-time earnings record held by his

mentor, Lukas. At the conclusion of 2013, Pletcher's horses have earned more

than $258 million during his career, which puts him less than $9 million behind

the Hall of Famer Lukas.

Javier Castellano established a single-season earnings record for North

American jockeys in 2013 and won his first Eclipse Award for leading jockey. A

winner of 362 races from 1,617 starts, Castellano's mounts earned $26,213,507.

Castellano broke the previous mark set by Ramon Dominguez, who received the

Eclipse Award after his mounts earned $25,582,252 in 2012.

"I'm very proud and thankful to break the record and be on the same level

with such a classy guy as Ramon Dominguez," Castellano said. "You work all year

long for a moment like this."

A 36-year-old native of Venezuela, Castellano easily bested Hall of Fame

rider Gary Stevens, who came out of retirement after a seven-year hiatus in

2013, by a 134-65 first-place margin in the Eclipse voting.

Castellano was the leading rider last winter at Gulfstream Park and added

riding championships at Belmont Park in the spring and fall and Saratoga Race

Course in the summer.

"I've been very blessed to ride in New York. The purses are good and they

help me break the record," he said. "I am thankful to participate at Gulfstream

with the best jockeys in the winter. To be the consistent leading jockey all

year round is very special for me, almost more impressive to me than breaking

the money record.

Buoyed by the success of their homebred champion Kitten's Joy, the leading

sire of 2013, Kenneth L. Ramsey & Sarah K. Ramsey earned their first Eclipse

Award for leading breeder in 2013. The outcome wasn't close, with the

Nicholasville, Kentucky-based couple receiving 204 more first-place votes than

runner-up and seven-time Eclipse Award winner Adena Springs.

The Ramseys, who were also named leading owner during the Eclipse Award

ceremonies, topped the individual breeders list in North America in 2013 with

$12,175,837 in earnings. The Ramseys bred the winners of 287 races from 2,071

starts, including a staggering 23 black-type winners, 10 more than Adena Springs

in second.

For the past 10 years, Adena Springs led the individual breeders list, and it

finished second in 2013 with $11,999,752 in earnings. The Frank Stronach-owned

operation bred 347 winners from 2,309 starts.

Kitten's Joy, the champion turf horse of 2004, stands at Ramsey Farm and

ranked first on the North American general sire list by progeny earnings in 2013

with $11,320,523. He produced a total of 133 winners, ranking first by Grade 1

winners (six) and stakes winners (23). The son of El Prado stands for a stud fee

of $100,000 in 2014.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey led all North American owners in 2013 with record

earnings of $12,231,045, shattering the previous mark of $11.1 million earned by

Stronach Stables in 2000, and the couple garnered their second Eclipse Award for

leading owner. They were honored in the same category in 2011.

The Ramseys, who were also named leading breeder during the Eclipse Award

ceremonies, won 230 of 880 starts for a 26 percent strike rate in 2013, and

overwhelmed the competition in the Eclipse voting, receiving 235 first-place

votes compared to only four for runner-up Midwest Thoroughbreds, who led all

North American-based owners with 401 wins in 2013.

Natives of Eastern Kentucky, the Ramseys operate Ramsey Farm near

Nicholasville, Kentucky, and race many homebreds by their linchpin stallion

Kitten's Joy, who led all North American sires by progeny earnings, Grade 1

winners and stakes winners in 2013.

The Ramseys' banner 2013 season included seven Grade 1 victories and leading

owner titles at Churchill Downs (spring/summer, September and fall meets),

Gulfstream Park, Keeneland (April and October meets), Kentucky Downs and

Saratoga.

Their top performers included Admiral Kitten, Big Blue Kitten, Bobby's

Kitten, Emotional Kitten, Hyper, Kitten's Dumplings, Real Solution, Stephanie's

Kitten and We Miss Artie.

On August 17, the Ramseys enjoyed one of the greatest days ever by an owner,

capturing three Grade 1 races (two at Arlington and one at Saratoga) with

homebreds.

Known for his exuberance and self-confidence, Ken Ramsey likes to grab the

halter and lead his horses into the winner's circle.

"Lot of people think it's showing off, trying to be in the limelight and all

that. But I really enjoy leading them in," Ramsey explained.

Victor Carrasco, who led all apprentices in both wins (215) and earnings

($4,357,715) in 2013, became the 10th Maryland-based rider to earn the Eclipse

Award for leading apprentice jockey

A native of Puerto Rico, the 21-year-old won the fall jockey title at Laurel

Park and finished second in the standings at Delaware Park and Pimlico.

"Winning the Eclipse was my goal. I hope I did enough to win it but you never

know," Carrasco said after being named an Eclipse finalist. "We didn't really

get started until April. My agent Tom Stift did a really good job of picking the

right horses and we got so much help from all the trainers, especially Juan

Vazquez, Hugh McMahon and Scott Lake. There were also many riders in the jocks'

room who were always willing to help me improve."

Carrasco easily bested his Eclipse rivals, garnering 172 first-place votes.

The other Maryland-based apprentice riders to capture the Eclipse Award are

Chris McCarron (1974), Ronnie Franklin (1978), Alberto Delgado (1982), Allen

Stacy (1986), Kent Desormeaux (1987), Mike Luzzi (1989), Mark Johnston (1990),

Jeremy Rose (2001) and Ryan Fogelsonger (2002).

Rosie Napravnik (2006) and Forest Boyce (2010) were the last local riders on

the ballot, finishing second in 2006 and 2010 respectively.