GI Breeders' Cup Classic one-two finishers Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) and California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), along with superstar sophomore filly Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro), are the three finalists for the 2016 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, it was announced Thursday morning.
California Chrome, campaigned in 2016 by a group that includes Taylor Made Farm, co-breeder Perry Martin and later the China Horse Club under the California Chrome LLC banner, became the highest-earning North American-based Thoroughbred in history when he took March's G1 Dubai World Cup by a convincing 3 3/4-length margin. The Art Sherman-trained 2014 Horse of the Year had already annexed the G2 San Pasqual S. in January and a World Cup prep at Meydan in February, and returned to the States after his lucrative score for a hard-fought victory over Dortmund (Big Brown) in Del Mar's GII San Diego H. July 23. The then-5-year-old chestnut crushed defending champion and three-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder (Henny Hughes) in the Aug. 20 GI Pacific Classic S.
He had no trouble with Dortmund in the GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita Oct. 1, but was reeled in by Arrogate in a GI Breeders' Cup Classic for the ages, finishing a half-length back in second while 10 3/4 lengths clear of third. California Chrome earned $8.13 million last season from a record of 7-6-1-0, and will retire to Taylor Made Farm after an expected rematch with Arrogate in the $12-million GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Jan. 28.
'TDN Rising Star' Arrogate, meanwhile, was third with a very tough trip first up at Los Alamitos Racecourse in April, but has been nothing but brilliant since then. After a trio of facile scores in Southern California, Juddmonte's $560,000 KEESEP acquisition shipped to Saratoga for his stakes debut in the GI Travers S., and turned in one of the most brilliant performances in recent memory, trouncing a strong field by 13 1/2 lengths in track record time, good for a gaudy 122 Beyer Speed Figure. Arrogate gave Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his third-consecutive Breeders' Cup Classic, and appears to be a shoe-in to follow in the hoofsteps of his trainer's previous sophomore superstar American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in being named champion 3-year-old male. Arrogate scratched from last Sunday's GII San Pasqual S. due to wet conditions, and will train up to the Pegasus World Cup.
Fellow 'Rising Star' Songbird, 2015's champion juvenile filly, maintained a perfect record into her 3-year-old season with a trio of facile victories at Santa Anita, culminating in the GI Santa Anita Oaks in April. Forced to miss the GI Kentucky Oaks in May due to a minor illness, she resurfaced with a 6 1/2-length success in the GII Summertime Oaks June 18, and shipped east for similarly dominant efforts in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Alabama S. at Saratoga and the GI Cotillion S. at Parx Sept. 24. The $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad was beaten by the narrowest of margins by her aforementioned elder Beholder in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 4. Trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, the dark bay earned $2.21 million for Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farms in 2016.
Winners of all categories announced Thursday will be revealed at the 46th annual Eclipse Awards, held at Gulfstream Park on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 21 and presented by Daily Racing Form, Breeders' Cup and The Stronach Group. Media Eclipse Awards had been previously announced, and legendary turf writers/handicappers Andy Beyer and Steve Crist will each receive the Eclipse Award of Merit for lifetime achievements. Eclipse Awards are voted on by the NTRA, National Turf Writers and Broadcasters and Daily Racing Form.
Tickets for the Eclipse Awards ceremony are available for $425 each. Visit NTRA.com/eclipse-awards for more information.
Horse of the Year:
Arrogate (Unbridled's Song)
California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit)
Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro)
Older Dirt Male:
California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit)
Frosted (Tapit)
Lord Nelson (Pulpit)
Older Dirt Female:
Beholder (Henny Hughes)
Cavorting (Bernardini)
Stellar Wind (Curlin)
3-year-old Male:
Arrogate (Unbridled's Song)
Exaggerator (Curlin)
Nyquist (Uncle Mo)
3-year-old Filly:
Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss)
Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB})
Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro)
2-year-old Male:
Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile)
Not This Time (Giant's Causeway)
Practical Joke (Into Mischief)
2-year-old Filly:
Champagne Room (Broken Vow)
Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy)
New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro)
Male Sprinter:
A. P. Indian (Indian Charlie)
Drefong (Gio Ponti)
Lord Nelson (Pulpit)
Female Sprinter:
Finest City (City Zip)
Haveyougoneaway (Congrats)
Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper)
Male Turf Horse:
Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB})
Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})
Tourist (Tiznow)
Female Turf Horse:
Lady Eli (Divine Park)
Miss Temple City (Temple City)
Tepin (Bernstein)
Steeplechase Horse:
Rawnaq (Ire) (Azamour {Ire})
Scorpiancer (Ire) (Scorpion {Ire})
Top Striker (Van Nistelrooy)
Outstanding Owner:
Juddmonte Farms
Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey
Spendthrift Farm, LLC
Breeder:
Clearsky Farms
Darley
WinStar Farm, LLC
Outstanding Jockey:
Javier Castellano
Jose Ortiz
Mike Smith
Outstanding Apprentice Jockey:
Kevin Gomez
Lane Luzzi
Luis Ocasio
Trainer:
Bob Baffert
Chad Brown
Mark Casse
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