JC / Railbird

HOF/Awards Archive

And the Winners Are …

Ghostzapper runs away with Horse of the Year, Azeri wins a third straight divisional title. No time for much commentary or linking this morning, so I’ll just say this: Afleet Alex wuz robbed in the 2-year-old male category, and I was pleased to see that two voters appreciated the merits of steeplechaser Tres Touche enough to write him in on their ballots.

Posted in HOF/Awards on January 25, 2005

Hottest HOTY Race in Years

For some fans, I suppose. “The anticipation for this year’s Eclipse Awards is the highest in years,” writes Ralph Siraco. “What makes this year’s racing Oscars so intriguing is the race for the gold trophy: Horse of the Year, 2004…. Although there have been many anticlimactic years in the past 33 announcements for the Horse of the Year Eclipse trophy, that will be far from the case this year.” Yes, which will win? The three-year-old with a whirlwind career who triumphed over other three-year-olds in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, or the four-year-old who ran four freakishly fast races? This may be the least compelling HOTY contest ever. (Las Vegas Sun)

Posted in HOF/Awards on January 11, 2005

Eclipse Finalists Announced

The finalists for this year’s Eclipse Awards were announced Wednesday afternoon. Ghostzapper was nominated in both the sprinter and older male categories and is one of two contenders for Horse of the Year (MSNBC). He wasn’t the only horse nominated for multiple honors: Kitten’s Joy and Ouija Board are also up for two each (LA Times). Many of the nominees have Texas ties (Star-Telegram), and unsurprisingly, quite a few have Kentucky roots (Courier-Journal).
Maryjean Wall wonders if the Eclipse Awards are for journalists to decide (Herald-Leader).
Past performances for the nominees are available at the Daily Racing Form.

(more…)

Posted in HOF/Awards on January 6, 2005

Achievement Over Hype

Don’t reward the cherry-pickers who avoided competition, says Gary West. “The Eclipse Award finalists will be announced Wednesday and the winners Jan. 24. The Eclipse Awards, of course, represent horse racing’s championships. But they also represent an opportunity to discourage the cowering opportunism and the premature retirements that have compromised competition, as well as the sport’s popularity, in recent years.” (Star-Telegram)

Posted in HOF/Awards on January 4, 2005