Rawnaq – 2016 Champion Steeplechaser
Owner Irv Naylor and trainer Cyril Murphy, who celebrated an Eclipse Award victory by Dawalan a year ago, had the good fortune to campaign the country’s leading steeplechaser in 2016 as well. Rawnaq proved an […]
Eclipse Awards
Drefong – 2016 Champion Male Sprinter
By two-time grass champion Gio Ponti and out of a mare by Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1)-winning Horse of the Year Ghostzapper (who happened to be a pretty good miler, too), there wasn’t necessarily a genetic […]
Finest City – 2016 Champion Female Sprinter
Finest City captured just two races in 2016, but it was the latter of those, combined with no clear-cut division leader, that helped propel the chestnut daughter of City Zip to an Eclipse Award as […]
Little Drama Expected Among Eclipse Award winners as DeRosa Reveals His Votes
This is my 15th year voting for the Eclipse Awards (obligatory mention that I have a vote out of the way already), and I can’t remember a year with so little drama and so many […]
Arrogate’s case for Horse of the Year
This could just as well be subtitled “confessing my unpopular opinion,” because I’m sure that California Chrome will be awarded his second Horse of the Year title. And he’ll be a thoroughly deserving honoree. My […]
2016 Eclipse Award selections: California Chrome gets nod in Horse of the Year race
Eclipse Award ballots are due by January 3 and Horse of the Year wasn’t an easy choice for me. It’s a two-horse race between the top finishers from the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), Arrogate and […]
2016 Eclipse Award choices generally not so tough
With the knowledge that waiting for Mind Your Biscuits and Constellation (or others for that matter) to become nominal Grade 1 winners later in the day would make absolutely no difference — zero, zilch, nada […]