Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky), Triple Crown hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Justify (Scat Daddy) and the exceptional 3-year-old filly Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) will battle it out for hotly contested and much-debated Horse of the Year honors as the finalists for the 2018 Eclipse Awards in 12 equine and 5 human categories were revealed Saturday morning.
Accelerate, whose owner Hronis Racing of Kosta and Pete Hronis was among the three finalists in that particular division, won six of his seven outings in 2018, including a wide-trip success in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.
Justify's rise to glory in 2018 was nothing short of sensational, going from a February maiden score to become the second Bob Baffert-trainer runner in four years to win the Triple Crown, albeit in the remarkable space of less than four months. He retired a perfect five-for-five in July.
But for a controversial disqualification in the GI Cotillion S., Monomoy Girl would have amassed a perfect record in 2018, with marquee victories in the GI Kentucky Oaks, the GI Acorn S. and GI CCA Oaks ahead of a brave success in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. All three are also well-positioned to be named unanimous champions in their individual divisions.
Among the most noteworthy omissions among finalists were Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, which won five Grade I events with in 2018 with as many horses, 38 races overall and nearly $3.6 million in purse money; and jockey Joel Rosario, who rode three Breeders' Cup winners, including Accelerate.
Of the 271 eligible voters representing the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers and Broadcasters and Daily Racing Form, 249 cast ballots.
The Eclipse Awards will be held Thursday, Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. For information on tickets, click here.
The complete list of Eclipse Award finalists (in alphabetical order) is as follows:
Horse of the Year
Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky)
Justify (Scat Daddy)
Monomoy Girl (Tapizar)
3-Year-Old Male
Catholic Boy (More Than Ready)
Justify (Scat Daddy)
3-Year-Old Female
Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute)
Monomoy Girl (Tapizar)
Rushing Fall (More Than Ready)
2-Year-Old Male
Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg})
Improbable (City Zip)
Knicks Go (Paynter)
2-Year-Old Female
Bellafina (Quality Road)
Jaywalk (Cross Traffic)
Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire})
Male Sprinter
Imperial Hint (Imperialism)
Roy H (More Than Ready)
Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic)
Female Sprinter
Finley'sluckycharm (Twirling Candy)
Marley's Freedom (Blame)
Shamrock Rose (First Dude)
Male Turf Horse
Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB})
Glorious Empire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire})
Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic)
Female Turf Horse
A Raving Beauty (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire})
Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire})
Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire})
Older Dirt Male
Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky)
Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg})
Older Dirt Female
Abel Tasman (Quality Road)
Marley's Freedom (Blame)
Unique Bella (Tapit)
Steeplechase
Jury Duty (Ire) (Well Chosen {GB})
Optimus Prime (Fr) (Deportivo {GB})
Zanjabeel (GB) (Aussie Rules)
Breeder
Mike Abraham
John D Gunther
WinStar Farm LLC
Owner
Peter Brant
Hronis Racing LLC
Team Justify
Apprentice Jockey
Reylu Gutierrez
Weston Hamilton
Edgar Morales
Jockey
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Jose Ortiz
Mike Smith
Trainer
Steve Asmussen
Bob Baffert
Chad Brown
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