VOTE TOTALS FOR ECLIPSE AWARD WINNERS
The following information was provided by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, detailing the 2009 Eclipse Award winners and vote totals (first place votes only). The first order of business for the NTRA should be to investigate who voted for Icon Project as the older female champion over Zenyatta. That person should not be eligible for future voting. Rachel Alexandra was rightfully selected unanimously in her category as champion 3-year-old filly. (UPDATE: See my comment below this story; the NTRA sent out a press release explaining the Icon Project vote as as "mistake" made by a Daily Racing Form editor. The vote totals have been amended and Zenyatta is now a "unanimous" winner of her division, as was Rachel Alexandra.) – Ray Paulick
Rachel Alexandra was named the 2009 Horse of the Year tonight at the conclusion of the 39th annual Eclipse Awards at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Undefeated as a 3-year-old filly last year, Rachel Alexandra finished ahead of undefeated mare Zenyatta by a margin of 130-99. There were two abstentions and one no vote.
Votes were tallied from members of the three presenting organizations – the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form (DRF) and National Turf Writers Association (NTWA). The votes are tabulated and certified by Strothman and Company.
The complete list of 2009 Eclipse Award winners and voting totals are below.
· Horse of the Year: Rachel Alexandra
· Two-Year-Old Male: Lookin At Lucky
· Two-Year-Old Filly: She Be Wild
· Three-Year-Old Male: Summer Bird
· Three-Year-Old Filly: Rachel Alexandra
· Older Male: Gio Ponti (4)
· Older Female: Zenyatta (5)
· Female Sprinter: Informed Decision (4)
· Male Sprinter: Kodiak Kowboy (4)
· Male Turf Horse: Gio Ponti (4)
· Female Turf Horse: Goldikova (4)
· Steeplechase Horse: Mixed Up (10)
· Owner: Godolphin Racing
· Breeder: Juddmonte Farms
· Jockey: Julien Leparoux
· Apprentice Jockey: Christian Santiago Reyes
· Trainer: Steve Asmussen
The Eclipse Awards
Eclipse Awards are bestowed upon the Thoroughbred horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements have earned them the title of Champion in their respective divisions. The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.
Voting Overview
In voting that concluded January 4, 2010, Eclipse Awards voters cast their ballots to rank the top three horses and individuals in each Championship division on a 10-5-1 point system basis with the exception of the Horse of the Year category. This voting established the top three finalists in each division, the names of which were released on Jan. 6, 2010. Eclipse Award winners; however, were determined by first-place votes only.
In voting that concluded January 4, 2010, Eclipse Awards voters cast their ballots to rank the top three horses and individuals in each Championship division on a 10-5-1 point system basis with the exception of the Horse of the Year category. This voting established the top three finalists in each division, the names of which were released on Jan. 6, 2010. Eclipse Award winners; however, were determined by first-place votes only.
The tallies below represent only first-place votes from members of the consolidated voting entities, NTRA/Equibase, Daily Racing Form and National Turf Writers Association.
Voter participation rate: 232/271 = 85.6%
Two-Year-Old Male (Name, First-Place Votes)
Lookin At Lucky, 209; Vale of York, 17; Buddy’s Saint, 2; Noble’s Promise, 2; D’Funnybone, 1; Jackson Bend, 1.
Two-Year-Old Filly
She Be Wild, 171; Blind Luck, 41; Hot Dixie Chick, 17; Awesome Maria, 1; Biofuel, 1; Tapitsfly, 1.
Three-Year-Old Male
Summer Bird, 225; Mine That Bird, 4; Blame, 1; I Want Revenge, 1; No Vote, 1.
Three-Year-Old Filly
Rachel Alexandra, 232.
Older Male
Gio Ponti, 184; Einstein (BRZ), 18; Kodiak Kowboy, 16; Macho Again, 5; Furthest Land, 2; Rail Trip, 2; Well Armed, 1; Voter Abstentions, 4.
Older Female
Zenyatta, 231; Icon Project, 1.
Female Sprinter
Informed Decision, 222; Ventura, 6; Game Face, 1; Indian Blessing, 1; Music Note, 1; Diamondrella, 1.
Male Sprinter
Kodiak Kowboy, 118; Zensational, 54; Dancing in Silks, 43; Fabulous Strike, 9; California Flag, 6; Vineyard Haven, 1; Voter Abstentions, 1.
Male Turf Horse
Gio Ponti, 206; Conduit, 22; Presious Passion, 3; Court Vision, 1.
Female Turf Horse
Goldikova (IRE), 172; Ventura, 41; Magical Fantasy, 7; Midday (GB), 7; Pure Clan, 3; Forever Together, 1; Voter Abstentions, 1;
Steeplechase Horse
Mixed Up, 209; Red Letter Day, 3; Voter Abstentions, 20.
Horse of the Year
Rachel Alexandra, 130; Zenyatta, 99; Voter Abstentions, 2; No Vote, 1.
Outstanding Owner
Godolphin Racing, 61; Mr. and Mrs. Jerome S. Moss, 56; Juddmonte Farms, 40; WinStar Farm, 38; Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick, 15; Augustin Stables, 7; Michael Gill, 6; Darley Stable, 3; Zayat Stables, 2; Heiligbrodt Racing Stables, 1; Midwest Thoroughbreds, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2.
Outstanding Breeder
Juddmonte Farms, 157; Adena Springs, 44; Dolphus Morrison, 16; Maverick Productions, Ltd., 3; WinStar Farm, 3; Eugene Melnyk, 2; Darley Stable, 1. Voter Abstentions, 6.
Outstanding Trainer
Steve Asmussen, 130; John Shirreffs, 57; Jonathan Sheppard, 19; Bob Baffert,10; Saeed bin Suroor, 5; Bobby Frankel, 4; Jerry Hollendorfer, 2; Hal Wiggins, 2; Todd Pletcher, 2; Voter Abstentions, 1.
Outstanding Jockey
Julien Leparoux, 122; Garrett Gomez,46; Ramon Dominguez, 45; Calvin Borel, 13; Mike Smith, 3; Kent Desormeaux, 2; Russell Baze, 1.
Apprentice Jockey
Christian Santiago Reyes, 93; Luis Saez, 48; Luis Batista, 47; Inez Karlsson, 8; Michael Straight, 4; Omar Moreno, 3; Jose Vega, 3; Tony Maragh, 2; Casey Papineau, 1; Angel Serpa, 1; Voter Abstentions, 21, No Vote, 1.
Award of Merit and Special Award
The winner of the Award of Merit, voted on by a panel of representatives from the three presenting organizations and previously announced, is William S. Farish of Lane’s End Farm. The Award of Merit is presented to honor outstanding lifetime achievement in the Thoroughbred industry.
The winner of the Special Award, voted on by a panel of representatives from the three presenting organizations and previously announced, is Monique Koehler, founder of race horse rescue programs. The Special Award is presented to honor outstanding individual achievements in, or contributions to, the sport of Thoroughbred racing.
Media Eclipse Awards also are given in the categories of photography, audio and multi-media Internet, news/commentary writing, feature/enterprise writing, local television, national television–feature and national television–live racing programming to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing. The 2009 Media Eclipse Awards winners, determined by a judges’ panel for each category and previously announced, are:
· Photography - Jeff Taylor, The Winchester Star, “Rider Thrown”; March 9, 2009.
· Writing – Feature/Enterprise: Joe Drape, The New York Times; April 30, 2009.
· News/Commentary – Sean Clancy, The Blood-Horse, “Life’s Work”; January 3, 2009.
· National Television - Live Racing: ESPN, The Belmont Stakes on ABC; Mike McQuade, Producer; June 6, 2009.
· National Television - Feature: NBC Sports, “The Story of Mine That Bird, 50-1”; Rob Hyland and Jack Felling, Producers; May 16, 2009.
· Local Television – WLKY-TV- Louisville, Ky. “Tom McCarthy”; John Boel and Scott Eckhardt, Producers; April 29, 2009.
· Audio and Multi-Media Internet – ESPN Radio, The 2009 Kentucky Derby; John Martin, Producer; May 2, 2009.
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Tags: 2009 eclipse awards, eclipse awards, Paulick Report, Rachel Alexandra, Ray Paulick, zenyatta
January 18th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
Maybe I don’t understand how it works but how can a non final-three finalist get *more* votes then an actual finalist? Example:
Steve Asmussen, 130; John Shirreffs, 57; Jonathan Sheppard, 19; Bob Baffert,10;
Sheppard wasn’t listed as a finalist at the Eclipse Awards yet the voters actually gave him more votes then an announced finalist with Baffert?
January 18th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
Hi Ray, Thanks for the fine coverage tonight. I just want to say, however, that to call for the person who voted for Icon Project to be ineligible to participate in the future is a quick-trigger response that is the wrong one. All voters have qualified under the rules to participate and indiscriminate barring of people because you don’t like their choices is not the way things should be done. You carry a lot of weight, so I’m sorry to see you having written it, and, no, I wasn’t the one who voted for that horse. Nor did I vote for Hal Wiggins, Tony Maragh, Russell Baze, Darley, Court Vision, I Want Revenge or any other undeserving candidate. The right candidates won and there is nothing wrong with a few flies in the ointment. If for whatever reason a voter doesn’t like the prospect of a unanimous selection, whether they have an axe to grind or not, they can register that complaint or stance at the ballot box. That’s how it should be. Please don’t call for totalitarian measures. Oh, and happy new year!
January 19th, 2010 at 12:04 am
John,
You’re right. I might have been a little harsh. I understand there are areas where we can disagree or interpret the undefined qualities of what it takes to be an Eclipse Award winner. I usually try to see all sides of an argument or debate, though in this case it is ridiculous for someone to vote for Icon Project over Zenyatta just as it would be for anyone to vote against Rachel Alexandra.
Maybe a good old-fashioned tar and feathering would be better than revocation of voting rights. (And I don’t agree with you that all voters are qualfied, but that’s for another day.)
January 19th, 2010 at 12:06 am
Glimmerglass,
The votes shown above are first-place only. The three finalists are compiled from first, second and third-place votes, which I believe are required in all categories with the exception of Horse of the Year. That’s how you get three finalists in Rachel Alexandra’s category even though she got all the first-place votes.
January 19th, 2010 at 1:03 am
The problem lies in the system. Hypothetically, Godolphin Racing could have won without being a finalist. If you are going to ask voters to vote 1st-2nd-3rd, then all the votes should count towards who wins the Eclipse. Otherwise, why bother? Personally, I think there’s no reason to announce finalists ahead of time, except for Horse of the Year and the human categories, but I doubt they’re going to change that.
And also, you were not too harsh. Every year people vote for horses/people who have absolutely no business even being considered, and even as protest votes those people should be disqualified from voting thereafter. But then again, eight people did not vote Tony Gwynn into the Hall of Fame, so I guess at least horse racing writers are more principled in voting than baseball writers.
And thank you for the live blogging. It made it much easier for those of us without TVG to keep track!
January 19th, 2010 at 7:01 am
Ray:
How do you ever hope to amount to anything? By owning up a mistake, you could be setting dangerous precedents for other media types.
How come co HOY for Rachel and Zenyatta was not an option on the ballot? I seriously doubt there are over 200 people smart enough to discern the difference. [I'd ask the same if Zenyatta had won.]
January 19th, 2010 at 8:24 am
Ray,
I was the lone no vote because I DID split by HOY ballot between RA & Z. Thus my HOY ballot was DQ’d. I’d do it again right now. It’s a crock we voters didn’t have a split option in such a unique scenario. Let’s not kid ourselves. The Eclipse Awards are a marketing & promotional tool.
Envision this PR shot. Co-HOYs on stage and then Jerry Moss says that Z will be back in 2010! Bring it on!
January 19th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Hello Frankfort. We might be hurting but we ain’t dead yet. Ky. breds win ten championship awards. The world wins two.
January 19th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
No less a person than Mark Twain is reported to have said:
It was a difference of opinion that led to horseracing.
- quoted in South Australian Register, 10/15/1895
It would be grossly unfair to deny a person a vote merely because she or he selected Icon Project over Zenyatta. Let’s not forget how impressive the former was when annexing the Personal Ensign Stakes by 13-1/2 lengths. That may - or may not - make her better than Zenyatta, but at least it’s not an untenable view. The right to freely express an opinion is the hallmark of a democracy.
January 19th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Mr. Eng, I remember that piece and when I saw there was only one “no vote,” I thought immediately of you. Can’t believe no one else was brave enough to follow your lead. Even though I disagree with your choice, I respect your decision.
January 19th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Amazing that in the Outstanding Owner category Augustin Stables gets only one more vote (total of 7) then Michael Gill with 6 votes. One vote difference but light years apart in their methods, goals, and results.
January 19th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Richard Eng is my favorite turf writer. I agree with him that the Eclipse Awards are a marketing & promotional tool. But with that said, I want to add that they’re dong a VERY poor job of promoting the awards and consequently the sport.
Last night I didn’t have access to TVG, HRTV or a computer. I could not find any info about the awards through other sources. I’m in Chicago and there wasn’t a peep about HOY or any of the other Eclipse awards in our local media (neither radio, TV or print) either last night or today. It also wasn’t mentioned on satellite radio sports channels. And as far as I know, it wasn’t mentioned on ESPN’s main network last night. A friend later told me there was only a “blurb” about the awards on ESPNews late last night.
If it was the Heisman trophy or any other “big” sports award, I would have easily found the info within seconds. IMO that’s mostly because those sports are much, much better at marketing and promotion. So why is it that racing can’t find a competent promoter for its most prestigious awards?
January 19th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Rich Eng,
You are dead-on right here. It would have been a perfect solution and an incredible way to launch the year. Another missed opportunity but at least they’re both running in 2010.
BTA
January 19th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
Ray, thanks for the write-back. Appreciate it. As for “qualified” voters, I only meant that they were qualified under the existing rules that allowed them to vote in the first place. It’s probably too much to hope that everyone takes the voting seriously and does the right thing. Still, I would have a hard time banishing anyone. I know some quirky turf writers. That said, there were reportedly a lot of people who were eligible who did not vote. I would say that if they skip two or maybe three years in a row the overlords might want to consider a provision to revoke their rights.
As for the awards being a marketing and promotional tool, I say, sure, but so what? Does that invalidate them? I think not. As for co-titlists, I really didn’t think it was that close!
January 21st, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Regarding that weird vote for Icon Project, the NTRA sent out the following press release on Thursday:
ECLIPSE AWARD VOTING TABULATION REVISED TO REFLECT UNANIMOUS VICTORY IN OLDER FEMALE CATEGORY FOR ZENYATTA
The three presenting organizations of the Eclipse Awards—the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form (DRF) and the National Turf Writers Association (NTWA)—announced today that voting in the 2009 Older Female category will be officially revised to correct an error made by one of the voters. The error caused Zenyatta to win the Older Female category by a count of 231-1, rather than by a unanimous, 232-0 margin.
The voter in question, Duke Dosik of Daily Racing Form, assured Eclipse Awards officials that he fully intended to vote for Zenyatta in the Older Female category, but he inadvertently voted for Icon Project in the category while Zenyatta was not listed among his top three finalists. Elsewhere on his ballot, Dosik had listed Zenyatta as his selection for Horse of the Year.
“There is no way I meant to do anything but put Zenyatta on top,” said Dosik.
The revised voting tabulation means that both Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra (Champion Three-Year-Old Filly) won 2009 Eclipse Awards by unanimous, 232-0 vote counts.