Journalists Wandering Eyes Posted January 5, 2019 Journalists Share Posted January 5, 2019 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 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. But for a somewhat questionable 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. The complete list of Eclipse Award finalists 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) McKinzie (Street Sense) 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) City of Light (Quality Road) 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 View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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