Wise Dan and his connections enjoyed a banner night at the Eclipse Awards on Saturday at Gulfstream Park when the now 6-year-old gelding took home the hardware in three categories, including 2012 Horse of the Year.
The Wiseman’s Ferry gelding also was named champion older male and champion turf male following a campaign that included five graded stakes wins from six starts, highlighted by a season-ending triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park in November.
Dual classic winner I’ll Have Another was the runaway winner in the 3-year-old male division after an unbeaten season that included wins in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), Kentucky Derby (G1), and Preakness Stakes (G1).
Shanghai Bobby was named champion 2-year-old male after an undefeated season, and Royal Delta picked up her second straight Eclipse Award with a championship in the older female division.
Jockey Ramon Dominguez, hospitalized on Saturday with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain, was named outstanding jockey, and veteran Kentucky horseman Dale Romans took home his first Eclipse Award.
The Eclipse Awards, presented by The Stronach Group, Daily Racing Form and the Breeders’ Cup, are voted on the NTRA, Daily Racing Form (DRF) and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters (NTWAB). The votes are tabulated and certified by Strothman and Company.
(Horse ages in parenthesis where applicable; Country codes indicate a foreign breeding designation)
Two-Year-Old Male: Shanghai Bobby
Two-Year-Old Filly: Beholder
Three-Year-Old Male: I’ll Have Another
Three-Year-Old Filly: Questing (GB)
Older Male: Wise Dan (5)
Older Female: Royal Delta (4)
Male Sprinter: Trinniberg (3)
Female Sprinter: Groupie Doll (4)
Male Turf Horse: Wise Dan (5)
Female Turf Horse: Zagora (FR) (5)
Owner: Godolphin Racing LLC
Breeder: Darley
Apprentice Jockey: Jose Montano
Trainer: Dale Romans
Jockey: Ramon Dominguez
Steeplechase Horse: Pierrot Lunaire (8)
Digital images from the Eclipse Awards ceremony will be disseminated by Horsephotos on January 19.
The Eclipse Awards
Eclipse Awards are bestowed upon the Thoroughbred horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements have earned them the title of Champion in their respective divisions. The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-Century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.
Voting Overview In voting that concluded January 3, 2013, Eclipse Awards voters cast their ballots to rank the top three horses and individuals in each Championship division on a 10-5-1 point system basis. This voting established the top three finalists in each division, whose names were released on Jan. 5, 2012.
The tallies below represent only first-place votes from members of the consolidated voting entities, NTRA, Daily Racing Form and National Turf Writers And Broadcasters.
Voter participation rate: 254/272= 93.38%
Two-Year-Old Male (Name, First-Place Votes)
Shanghai Bobby, 253; Uncaptured, 1.
Two-Year-Old Filly
Beholder, 225; Executiveprivilege, 27; Dreaming of Julia, 1; So Many Ways, 1.
Three-Year-Old Male
I’ll Have Another, 247; Bodemeister, 3; The Lumber Guy, 1; Paynter, 1; Union Rags, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.
Three-Year-Old Filly
Questing (GB), 106; My Miss Aurelia, 102; Believe You Can, 17; Contested, 13; Dance Card, 6; Lady of Shamrock, 5; In Lingerie, 4; Zo Impressive, 1.
Older Male
Wise Dan, 139; Fort Larned, 109; Little Mike, 4; Game On Dude, 1; Shackleford, 1.
Older Female
Royal Delta, 231; Groupie Doll, 22; It’s Tricky, 1.
Male Sprinter
Trinniberg, 233; Shackleford, 11; The Lumber Guy, 8; Caixa Eletronica, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.
Female Sprinter
Groupie Doll, 250; Mizdirection, 3; Contested, 1.
Male Turf Horse
Wise Dan, 170; Little Mike, 78; Point of Entry, 5; No Vote, 1.
Female Turf Horse
Zagora (FR) 242; Marketing Mix, 5; Lady of Shamrock, 4; Dayatthespa, 2; Voter Abstention, 1.
Steeplechase Horse
Pierrot Lunaire, 116; Demonstrative, 99; Arcadius, 1; Divine Fortune, 1; Woodmont, 1; Voter Abstentions, 36.
Horse of the Year
Wise Dan, 194; I’ll Have Another, 30; Fort Larned, 12; Royal Delta, 8; Little Mike, 6; Frankel, 1; Groupie Doll, 1; Shanghai Bobby, 1; Voter Abstentions, 1.
Owner
Godolphin Racing, LLC, 138; Midwest Thoroughbreds, 50; Reddam Racing, LLC, 26; John C. Oxley, 13; Morton Fink, 12; Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 2; Janis Whitham, 2; Zayat Stables, 2; Repole Racing, 1; Starlight Racing, 1; Voter Abstentions, 7.
Breeder
Darley, 170; Adena Springs, 25; Morton Fink, 20; Brereton C. Jones, 15; Janis Whitham, 4; Phipps Stable, 3; Harvey Clarke, 2; Fred and William Bradley, 1; William D. Graham, 1; Palides Investments, 1; Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 1; Stonestreet Thoroughbreds, 1; Voter Abstentions, 10.
Trainer
Dale Romans, 119; Todd Pletcher, 87; Bob Baffert, 35; Chad Brown, 2; Bill Mott, 2; Jamie Ness, 2; Doug O’Neill, 2; Steve Asmussen 1; Ian Wilkes, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.
Jockey
Ramon Dominguez, 201; John Velazquez, 37; Rosie Napravnik, 4; Russell Baze, 2; Rafael Bejarano, 2; Javier Castellano, 2; Mario Gutierrez, 1; Mike Smith, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3; No Vote, 1.
Apprentice Jockey
Jose Montano, 127; Irad Ortiz, Jr., 34; Angel Suarez, 25; Eswan Flores, 16; Wilmer Garcia, 4; Eliska Kubinova, 4; C.J. McMahon, 2; Jose Ortiz, 2; Hugo Sanchez, 2; Nicolas Milford, 1; Voter Abstentions, 37.
Award of Merit
The winner of the Award of Merit, voted on by a panel of representatives from the three presenting organizations and previously announced, is Nick Nicholson. The Award of Merit is presented to honor outstanding lifetime achievement in the Thoroughbred industry.
Media Eclipse Awards also are given in the categories of photography, audio and multi-media Internet, news/enterprise writing, feature/commentary writing, national television–feature and national television–live racing programming to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing. The 2012 Media Eclipse Awards winners, determined by a judges’ panel for each category and previously announced, are:
Photography – Tom Keyser, Daily Racing Form; “Start of Brooklyn Handicap, July 11, 2012.
Writing – Feature/Commentary: Ryan Goldberg, Daily Racing “Keiber Coa Presses on a Year After Father’s Fateful Spill,” July 7, 2012.
Writing - News/Enterprise – Mary Simon, Thoroughbred Times, “Added Obstacle” June 9, 2012.
Television - Live Racing: NBC Sports, “The Kentucky Derby”; Rob Hyland, Coordinating Producer; May 5, 2012.
Television - Feature: ESPN, “Notinrwilderstdremz”, Heather Lombardo, Producer; October 30, 2012.
Audio and Multi-Media Internet – Glenye Cain Oakford, Daily Racing Form.com “Zenyatta: Wait for First Foal Combines Science, Art and Anticipation,” February 28, 2012.
