Dissecting My Eclipse Ballot

For no particular reason, I choose not to make public my Eclipse ballot until after the awards have been handed out, but I figured I would put myself out there and open myself up to comments from the public and simultaneously critique my performance.

I'll begin by saying that I voted with the winner in nine of the 11 flat categories. With all due respect to my colleagues whose last name is Clancy, for the last several years, I–as do many of my fellow voters–abstain from the steeplechase category. I don't follow it closely enough where I feel I can cast an educated opinion and feel I would be doing a disservice by voting off the past performances handed to me with my awards packet. My strike rate in the human categories was slightly less impressive. We'll get to those later on.

There were obviously several 'no-brainer' divisions. American Pharoah (x2), Nyquist, Songbird, Beholder, Runhappy. Pharoah was always going to be a unanimous choice in both his divisions, though with the nature of the beast that is Eclipse voting, you just never can tell. More disappointing (and I'll be looking forward to reviewing the NTWAB spreadsheet when it comes out) was that there were not unanimous votes for horses like Songbird and Beholder and to a somewhat lesser extent for Runhappy. I couldn't fault a vote for Rock Fall as champion sprinter, as it would have been plenty interesting to have seen him contest the Breeders' Cup. Unfortunately that did not happen. I am as big a fan of Mohaymen as anyone, but it would be difficult for me to accept that a pair of Grade II wins could remotely trump three at Grade I level, including that wide-trip win at Keeneland. Three saw fit to go Mohaymen's way. More shocking is that there were three abstentions. Huh?

Songbird got 260 of the 261 votes, the lone outlier going for Catch a Glimpse. I have nothing against that filly, but maybe someone has something against Jerry Hollendorfer. In 2010, No Such Word–who didn't even garner enough points to make the top three–got one crazy first-place vote to deny Blind Luck a unanimous Eclipse as champion 3-year-old filly.

Most would deem my approach to the older female division as highly questionable. Beholder was the clear winner, the Pacific Classic assured that. I thought Sheer Drama had a season worthy of a spot on the ballot with her two Grade Is. On the third line, I opted for Wedding Toast, based on her body of work and consistently fast races. I felt like Ted Allen and Alex Guarnaschelli where it came to this category–something had to get chopped. Stopchargingmaria, who four voters thought did the best work in 2015, was the one for me. Go ahead, fire away.

Tepin got my vote for distaff turf horse, earned the third spot on my Horse of the Year ballot and would have gotten my support for most improved horse of the year. Not that she had a great deal to prove, but she certainly lifted her game to a new level in 2015, and but for a few unfortunate bobs of the head, may have been an undefeated champion. I honestly couldn't believe she was 9-2 on Breeders' Cup day, but she relished those conditions and really earned my respect. Happy for her to train on this season.

OK, now for the more disputed categories, from less controversial to more. Honor Code got my vote for champion older male. This was meant as no disrespect to Liam's Map, who had a really brilliant year, or to Tonalist, who was a monster. But for me, Honor Code's Met Mile–set up and all–was one of the top performances of the season and his Whitney equally spectacular.

The 3-year-old filly division was a difficult one for me, as it was for many. I started the season as a Stellar Wind fan, backed her in the Oaks. I thought I'm A Chatterbox deserved a spot on the ballot over Curalina, just thought she was the better and more versatile/faster filly over the course of the season. In the end, mine was one of 46 votes in favor of Found. Those of you who want to deny these horses on principle–that's fine, I don't begrudge you that feeling and I understand it to a certain extent. Here's how I approached it: for her to beat that field, including Europe's Horse of the Year and the best on the planet at what he does, that–to me–was the single most important performance turned in on these shores by a 3-year-old filly during 2015. If my obligation is to vote for the horse I thought was best, then Found was it. I get it. It was one race, etc. But her one best race was better than anything else that I saw and I voted accordingly. Maybe the time is right to institute that 'two starts in America rule.' But the fact that Team Hronis picked up the hardware is hardly objectionable.

I admittedly went for Wavell Avenue in the filly/mare sprint division and reasoned that her win over La Verdad, head-to-head, on the biggest stage, in a Grade I tipped the scales slightly in her direction. But I have a deep amount of respect for La Verdad, and, again, it isn't like she is an undeserving winner.

When you look at the PPs for Big Blue Kitten, you can't help but be amazed. From a maiden claimer, he has developed into this country's most reliable and reliably fast turf horses and, though the category was a little thin, I thought he was a clear winner. I was surprised by the 63 first-place votes for Golden Horn and that's to take nothing away from a tremendous animal. I did have The Pizza Man on the list, but I had Flintshire second in recognition of the single biggest race on the grass in this country last year.

I did vote for Zayat Stables as champion owner and breeder, simply employing the reasoning that you breed and race a Triple Crown winner, you deserve to be recognized. I also think that small breeders with big accomplishments deserve some recognition and for that reason, Machmer Hall earned a spot on my ballot for breeder.

I did not vote for Bob Baffert as champion trainer. I take nothing away from the job he did with American Pharoah and the job he did was spectacular, particularly getting the colt back to full health in time for his historic run. Maybe this seems illogical, but I couldn't go in that direction. I was one of just a dozen voters who went for Chad Brown, whose stats didn't match up with fellow finalist Todd Pletcher, but was right there on a percentage basis and consistently gets the most from his stock. How about that vote for Karl Broberg? OK, let's see….here's this table…Broberg led with a zillion winners…I'll go for him. Sheesh.

I'm probably wearing out my welcome here, but there was no way Victor Espinoza was ever outpointing Javier Castellano for Eclipse jockey. Great being the pilot through that season, but it was a record-breaking year for Javy and that result was never in doubt in my mind. The Pedro Monterrey Jr. vote doesn't merit a comment. One addition here–I voted Florent Geroux for third, thought he had a campaign deserving of recognition. And Tyler Gaffalione looks to have a bright future ahead of him after easily outpointing Eric Cancel, for whom I voted and whose star is also very much on the rise.

The dust has certainly settled on the 2015 Eclipse Awards, but I welcome your feedback, comments, critiques and admonitions. Tweet me @EquinealTDN.