'Chrome' Earns Second HOTY Award

An already special Saturday night at the 46th annual Eclipse Awards was infused with a further sense of anticipation, as California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) took home top honors as 2016's Horse of the Year and Champion Older Dirt Male one week before his expected final career start and rematch with Juddmonte Farms' 2016 Champion 3-Year-Old Male Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) in the inaugural $12-million GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. The connections of Arrogate and 'Chrome', who respectively finished first and second in the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, both made three trips to the podium in Gulfstream's Sport of Kings Theater throughout the evening.

Trainer Art Sherman was particularly reflective about the conclusion of California Chrome's time as a racehorse, which also included a Horse of the Year title as a 3-year-old in 2014.

“He's just awesome right now, and I watched him work this morning and I said, 'Give me one more year, please,'” Sherman said while being recognized with NTRA's Moment of the Year for California Chrome's win in the G1 Dubai World Cup earlier in the evening.

Owners Perry Martin and Frank Taylor of Taylor Made Farm also spoke about the magnitude of the chestnut's career.

“I am just so thankful for this horse and for Art Sherman,” Taylor said. “I hope [the Pegasus] is the race I think it's going to be.”

Juddmonte Farms also cleaned up, landing three awards of their own. Arrogate, however, was undeniably the centerpiece of the 2016 campaign.

“We don't take this lightly,” O'Rourke said. “We certainly have a very special horse.”

While O'Rourke said Champion Owner honors are most meaningful to his team, Juddmonte secured further hardware as celebrated globetrotter Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}) was named Champion Turf Horse.

“I think the racing public here [in America] delighted in being able to enjoy his brilliant performances,” O'Rourke reflected.

The evening began with an engaging monologue by host Jeannine Edwards, who harkened back to the achievements of 2015 Horse of the Year American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), setting the stage for the stars who filled his void upon retirement in 2016. Edwards also stressed the importance of Thoroughbred aftercare and the need to provide aid for disabled jockeys throughout the evening.

Seltzer Thoroughbreds' Finest City (City Zip) secured a successful day long before the ceremony began with a victory in the GII Santa Monica S. at Santa Anita, and the mare fittingly took home the first award of the evening for Champion Female Sprinter. In a seemingly wide open division, the chestnut locked up year-end honors with a score in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in November. With trainer Ian Kruljac in California to saddle Finest City, his father and fellow trainer, Eric, accepted the award on his behalf.

“We're all very fortunate,” Kruljac said, reflecting on the development of his son as a trainer with the help of John Shirreffs. “When we get a great horse, they make us look good She's the one I want to thank the most.”

Baoma Corporation's Drefong (Gio Ponti) preceded stablemate Arrogate as Bob Baffert's first of two award-winners on the evening, but the award gave the Chu Family their first ever award as relatively new owners in the game. As Susan Chu accepted the award, her passion for racing was evident–she even quipped that Drefong has learned both the family's native Mandarin and English from the time they have spend visiting Baffert's shedrow.

“I'd like to say how honored I am to be here today,” a gracious Susan Chu said. “We really started from nothing.”

WinStar Farm, who previously captured Outstanding Owner in 2010, added another trophy to their shelf with the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder in 2016. WinStar CEO Elliott Walden observed that the collaborative nature of a breeding operation makes the award truly unique.

Rawnaq (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) was named Champion Steeplechase Horse, and owner Irv Naylor's wife, Diane, delivered a poignant speech honoring the horse, trainer Cyril Murphy and her husband, who was paralyzed in a 1999 riding accident.

In a contentious battle for Champion Female Turf Horse, Robert Masterson's Tepin (Bernstein) edged out Miss Temple City (Temple City) and Lady Eli (Divine Park), earning her second straight win in the category.

“What a joy this mare's been, I mean what the heck–I think all racing fans love this mare,” said Masterson, who thanked trainer Mark Casse and his son and assistant trainer Norman, as well as jockey Julien Leparoux. “She's been outstanding, and the only thing she ever wants in return is peppermints.”

Spendthrift Farm's Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Fox Hill Farms' Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) were rewarded with respective honors as Champion Older Dirt Female and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly after capping memorable campaigns with a rousing stretch battle in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, where Beholder came out a nose in front. During their acceptance speeches, Spendthrift's B. Wayne Hughes and trainer Richard Mandella provided contrasting, but equally lively, tributes to the now-retired mare.

“I wish you would stop showing [videos] of the race, because everytime I see it, I think that Songbird won,” Hughes laughed.

Mandella followed by offering a heartfelt tribute to his four-time champion: “I can say my life will never be the same without her.”

Fox Hill Farms' Rick Porter was on hand to accept Songbird's award–her second in as many years at the racetrack–and the successful owner's class was on full display in acknowledging the connections of Beholder, the only horse to defeat Songbird in her 12-start career.

“If I had to lose to anyone, I couldn't have picked a better trio–perhaps the classiest trio in racing–Wayne Hughes, Dick Mandella and Beholder,” Porter admitted. “[Songbird] truly is almost a perfect horse. She is the center of the picture.”

Looking toward the future, Champagne Room (Broken Vow) was honored as Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, while Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) was unanimously crowned Champion 2-Year-Old Male. The latter, who stands as the de-facto favorite for the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby, was trainer Mark Casse's second Eclipse winner of the night. Casse read a message from owners John and Debby Oxley, who called their colt a “most deserving” winner.

Chad Brown earned his first Eclipse Award as Champion Trainer, and was quick to credit the people behind the scenes in his large-scale operation.

“So many talented, dedicated people work side-by-side with me every day,” Brown said before recognizing everyone from his current assistant trainers to his former mentors in a emotion-filled acceptance speech.

The Eclipse Awards of Merit were given to recently retired Daily Racing Form editor and publisher Steven Crist and Andy Beyer, long-time Washington Post columnist and founder of Beyer Speed Figures. Beyer credited horseplayers for helping his work rise to prominence and deflected much of the credit to his colleagues and employees, while Crist spoke about his hopes for events such as the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup in coming years.

In the jockey category, 19-year-old Puerto Rican rider Luis Ocasio was honored as Champion Apprentice Jockey, while Javier Castellano won his fourth consecutive Champion Jockey award, having won nine Grade I races with earnings of over $26 million in 2016.