My Eclipse Award Choices: The Week in Review

[Wandering Eyes]

It's an interesting year when it comes to the Eclipse Awards, which will be announced next week.

As always, there are the categories that are no-brainers where the winners should be unanimous. But there are several divisions this year that aren't so clear-cut, which will make for an interesting ceremony come Jan. 23.

Here's a look at my ballot:

Two-Year-Old Male: Citizen Bull (Into Mischief)

Became the obvious pick after winning the 2024 GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Scary thing is that he might be no better than the third or fourth best now 3-year-old in the Bob Baffert barn.

Two-Year-Old Filly: Immersive (Nyquist)

Another obvious choice. Too bad she got hurt as she looked like the type of imposing filly that cold romp in the GI Kentucky Oaks and establish herself as a true superstar. The good news is that she will be back.

Three-Year-Old Male: Sierra Leone (Gun Runner)

A really close call between two terrific horses in Sierra Leone and Fierceness (City of Light). They ran against each other four times with each one finishing ahead of the other twice. In the most high-profile races, Fierceness beat Sierra Leone in the GI DK Travers Stakes, while Sierra Leone beat his rival in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Fierceness (inside) and Thorpedo Anna | Sarah Andrew

The Classic victory ordinarily would be enough to guarantee that Sierra Leone won the award, but Fierceness has plenty of backers. Their argument is that the Breeders' Cup proved that Fierceness was the better horse. He stalked a brutally fast pace yet held on to finish second. The late-running Sierra Leone had a dream trip closing from 11th and was passing tired horses in the stretch.

So does that make Fierceness the better horse? Yes? No? Maybe? It doesn't matter. Eclipse Awards are not decided by “what if.” On the day when it mattered most, Sierra Leone was victorious.

Three-Year-Old Filly: Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna)

Obvious.

Older Dirt Male: National Treasure (Quality Road)

Because just about every three-year-old from 2023 that mattered retired this was a particularly weak division. Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast) was pretty much an unknown before he won the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, but his 1 1/2-length win in that race showed that he is a quality horse and one that could have a big 2025. But the Argentinean import only ran three times in the U.S. and the Dirt Mile was his only stakes win. The other candidate is National Treasure. He didn't exactly have a typical championship season either, but wins in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes and the GI Metropolitan Handicap make for a better resume than what Full Serrano has.

Idiomatic | Sarah Andrew

Older Dirt Female: Idiomatic (Curlin)

Another tough category as neither of the best two horses in the division, Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) or Idiomatic made it to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. Both had similar records, winning two Grade I races. Idiomatic was probably running against tougher horses than the ones Adare Manor was meeting in California and she blew out the field in a 6 1/2-length win in the GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes. She's the pick, but anyone who votes for Adare Manor has nothing to apologize about.

Male Sprinter: Straight No Chaser (Speightster)

Another tough one because Cogburn (Not This Time) was the fastest horse among the three finalists. But all of his races came on the turf and I've never been comfortable voting for a turf horse in a division where conventional wisdom says it's for dirt horses. Straight No Chaser didn't have anything close to a full campaign, running just three times. But he did win the GI Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint, which was enough for me to put him on the top of my list.

Female Sprinter: Soul of an Angel (Atreides)

Another division where no one really stood out, but Soul of an Angel put it all together in the fall, winning the GIII Princess Rooney and the GI PNC Bank Breeders' Cup F&M Sprint. No one did more. Will be interesting to see if voters hold her loss in the Dec. 26 running of the Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream against her.

Male Turf Horse: Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire})

Another fascinating division. GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will probably get the nod off his recent win at Del Mar. But that was his only start stateside. He also ran in Qatar, Dubai, Hong Kong, Great Britain and Germany and lost only once all year. Was he the best male turf horse to run in the U.S. in 2024? Absolutely. Did he get my vote? No, he did not.

Carl Spackler | Sarah Andrew

I have always been against handing out Eclipse Awards to foreign horses who come in, run once in the U.S., win a Breeders' Cup race and then catch the next flight out. What someone did outside of North America should have no bearing on their Eclipse Award status.

In fact, it's time for the Eclipse Award committee to institute a new rule, that a horse is ineligible for an Eclipse Award unless running at least twice in the U.S. In Canada, a horse must run a minimum of three times in that country to be eligible for a Sovereign Award.

So, the pick is Carl Spackler, who ran six times in the U.S. and won four races, including two top level races. Plus, he's got a cool name.

Female Turf Horse: Moira (Ghostzapper)

Not much doubt in this division. She finally had that big break-through race and won the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The best horse based in Canada last year she will not be named Canadian Horse of the Year because she ran only once in her native country.

Steeplechase Horse: Snap Decision (Hard Spun)

I find it silly that so many people abstain in this division. Granted few of us among the voters are steeplechase experts, but we can all read past performances. It's not hard to figure out who the best horse was. With three graded stakes wins Snap Decision was the best of this bunch.

Jockey: Flavian Prat

The Frenchman had an historic year. Yes, Irad Ortiz Jr. is also wonderfully gifted, but this was the year of Prat.

Apprentice Jockey: Erik Asmussen

Led all apprentices in wins and earnings. If he can maintain his weight, he could have quite a career.

Ken McPeek with Brian Hernandez | Sarah Andrew

Trainer: Kenny McPeek

Judging by the feedback I have gotten, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and McPeek is going to win the trainers' award, as well he should. Yes, Chad Brown had another very good year, but this was the year of McPeek.

How do you not give the Eclipse to the trainer who won the Derby-Oaks double and the Breeders' Cup Distaff? Also, he nearly won the Travers with Thorpedo Anna, who will be named Horse of the Year.

Breeder/Owner: Godolphin

These guys must have a huge trophy case.

Horse of the Year: Thorpedo Anna

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