California Chrome honored as 2016 Horse of the Year

California Chrome and assistant trainer Alan Sherman (c) Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com

California Chrome ruled the night at the 2016 Eclipse Award ceremony at Gulfstream Park on Saturday evening. The talented and popular chestnut was honored as both the Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male of 2016.

It was the second Horse of the Year title for California Chrome. During his sophomore season in 2014, the son of Lucky Pulpit captured the Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Hollywood Derby (G1). That was enough for him to earn the titles of Horse of the Year and champion three-year-old male.

In 2016, California Chrome posted an 8-7-1-0 mark that included wins in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), Pacific Classic (G1) and Awesome Again Stakes (G1). He also became North America’s all-time leading money earner having banked $14,502,650 lifetime.

California Chrome also earned the NTRA Moment of the Year for his Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) victory on March 26 at Meydan. He is the first two-time Horse of the Year to win in non-consecutive years since John Henry did so in 1981 and 1984.

California Chrome received 202 first-place votes for Horse of the Year. Arrogate and Songbird were also finalists for Horse of the Year, earning 40 votes and five votes, respectively. Highland Reel received one vote.

While Arrogate and Songbird didn’t get Horse of the Year they did easily win in their own divisions. Arrogate was named champion three-year-old male with 243 first-place votes while Songbird was the unanimous choice as champion three-year-old filly.

The complete list of 2016 ECLIPSE AWARD winners and vote totals appears below:

·         Two-Year-Old Male: CLASSIC EMPIRE

·         Two-Year-Old Filly:  CHAMPAGNE ROOM

·         Three-Year-Old Male:  ARROGATE

·         Three-Year-Old Filly:  SONGBIRD

·         Older Dirt Male:  CALIFORNIA CHROME

·         Older Dirt Female: BEHOLDER

·         Male Sprinter:  DREFONG

·         Female Sprinter: FINEST CITY

·         Male Turf Horse: FLINTSHIRE

·         Female Turf Horse: TEPIN

·         Steeplechase Horse: RAWNAQ

·         Owner: JUDDMONTE FARMS INC.

·         Breeder: WINSTAR FARM LLC

·         Jockey: JAVIER CASTELLANO

·         Apprentice Jockey: LUIS OCASIO

·         Trainer: CHAD BROWN

TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE (Name, First-Place Votes)

Classic Empire, 248

TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY

Champagne Room, 202
New Money Honey, 21
Lady Aurelia, 11
Pretty City Dancer, 5
Shane’s Girlfriend, 3
Abel Tasman, 2
Miss Sky Warrior, 2
Victory to Victory, 1
Voter Abstentions, 1.

THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE

Arrogate, 243
Exaggerator, 2
Nyquist, 2
Gun Runner, 1

THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY

Songbird, 248

OLDER DIRT MALE

California Chrome, 248

OLDER DIRT FEMALE

Beholder, 246
Stellar Wind, 2

MALE SPRINTER

Drefong, 199
Lord Nelson, 29
A.P. Indian, 20

FEMALE SPRINTER

Finest City, 185
Haveyougoneaway, 20
Paulassilverlining, 13
Taris, 12
Carina Mia, 11
Constellation, 2
Lightstream, 1
Songbird, 1
Voter Abstentions, 3

MALE TURF HORSE

Flintshire (GB) 137
Highland Reel (IRE), 76
Tourist, 32
Da Big Hoss, 1
Voter Abstentions, 2

FEMALE TURF HORSE

Tepin, 225
Found (IRE), 11
Queen’s Trust (GB), 7
Lady Eli, 2
Miss Temple City, 2
Catch a Glimpse, 1

STEEPLECHASE HORSE

Rawnaq (IRE), 171
Top Striker, 31
Special Skills, 2
Bob Le Beau (IRE), 1
Portrade (IRE), 1
Voter Abstentions, 42

OWNER

Juddmonte Farms, Inc., 134
Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 45
Klaravich Stables, Inc. and William Lawrence, 17
Spendthrift Farm LLC, 17
California Chrome LLC, 16
Reddam Racing LLC, 4
Fox Hill Farms Inc., 3
John Oxley, 3
WinStar Farm, 2
End Zone Athletics, 1
Midwest Thoroughbreds Inc., 1
Voter Abstentions, 5.

BREEDER

WinStar Farm, LLC; 164
Clearsky Farms, 62
Juddmonte Farms Ltd., 4
Darley, 3
Perry Martin and Steve Coburn, 3
Adena Springs, 2
Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 1
Machmer Hall, 1
Voter Abstentions, 8

TRAINER

Chad Brown, 208
Bob Baffert, 21
Mark Casse, 11
Art Sherman, 3
Steve Asmussen, 2
Karl Broberg, 1
Todd Pletcher, 1
Voter Abstention, 1

JOCKEY

Javier Castellano, 146
Mike Smith, 44
Jose Ortiz, 41
Florent Geroux,12
Irad Ortiz Jr., 2
Julien Leparoux, 1
Voter Abstentions, 2

APPRENTICE JOCKEY

Luis Ocasio, 182
Lane Luzzi, 34
Eric Cancel, 1
Ashley Castrenze, 1
Voter Abstentions, 30

AWARD OF MERIT

The recipients of the Award of Merit, voted on by a panel of representatives from the three presenting organizations and previously announced, are Andrew Beyer and Steven Crist. The Award of Merit is presented to honor outstanding lifetime achievement in the Thoroughbred industry.

MEDIA ECLIPSE AWARDS

Live Racing Programming – NBC Sports – “2016 Breeders’ Cup World Championships,” Billy Matthews, producer; November 5, 2016.

Television Features – ESPN – E:60; “Barnyard Buddies,”. Megan Anderson, Heather Lombardo, Tonya Malinowski and Mike Johns, producers; May 3, 2016

Audio/Multi-Media and Internet – Daily Racing Form – “Time Bandits,” Jay Hovdey (writer), Barbara Livingston (photographer) and Molly McGill (videographer); June 6, 2016.

Writing – News/Enterprise - Natalie Voss, “’Something’s Wrong With My Brain’ – The Lurking Danger of Concussions for Jockeys,” Paulick Report. December 30, 2015.

Writing – Feature/Commentary – John Scheinman, “Andrew Beyer: Rebel with a Cause,” Paulick Report. November 12, 2016

Photography – Tod Marks – “George & John Sloan Hurdle,” Chronicle of the Horse, Untacked; May 14, 2016.