Eclipse finalists: 2 females vie for Horse of Year

By foxsports
Published

Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta are finally in that long-awaited match race - for Horse of the Year.

The two females who dominated thoroughbred racing were the only horses receiving votes for the honor, however, there were three finalists in each of the other 16 Eclipse Award categories announced Wednesday.

The winners will be honored Jan. 18 in Beverly Hills.

Either Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta will become the first female to win the year-end honor since Azeri in 2002. They are virtual locks to win divisional championships.

Rachel Alexandra is a finalist for 3-year-old filly after going 8-0 with a Preakness Stakes win, one of three victories over males. Careless Jewel and Flashing are the other nominees.

The 5-year-old Zenyatta is a finalist for older female after a 5-0 campaign capped by a win over boys in the Breeders' Cup Classic. The other nominees are her stablemate Life Is Sweet, who won the BC Ladies' Classic, and Music Note.

Rachel Alexandra is scheduled to compete as a 4-year-old this year, while Zenyatta has been retired for breeding.

Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird and Florida Derby winner Quality Road are the 3-year-old male finalists.

Gio Ponti and Kodiak Kowboy are finalists in two divisions. Both are up for an Eclipse as top older male, with Gio Ponti also a finalist for best male turf horse, and Kodiak Kowboy also a finalist for best male sprinter.

Ventura also is a finalist in two categories - female sprinter and female turf horse.

The top three finishers in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Vale of York, Lookin at Lucky and Noble's Promise - are finalists for champion 2-year-old colt or gelding.

Zenyatta owners Jerry and Ann Moss and her trainer, John Shirreffs, are finalists in their respective categories. The other trainers up for the Eclipse are Steve Asmussen (Rachel Alexandra) and Bob Baffert (Lookin at Lucky). Godolphin Racing and Juddmonte Farms are the other finalists for owners.

The jockey finalists are Ramon Dominguez, Garrett Gomez and Julien Leparoux. Gomez topped the national purse earnings list for the fourth consecutive year with $18,571,171.

Voting is done by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the National Turf Writers Association and the Daily Racing Form.