by Ron Parker
Shadwell Stable’s Invasor (Arg) was named the winner of the Secretariat Award as New York’s 2006 Horse of the Year, the New York Turf Writers Association (NYTWA) announced Saturday.
The five-year-old Candy Stripes horse won four of five starts last year, including a victory over Bernardini in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Invasor also was victorious in the Pimlico Special Handicap (G1) at Pimlico Race Course, the Suburban Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park, and the Whitney Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
Prior to those victories he finished fourth in the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) at Nad al Sheba Race Course, his only defeat in ten career starts. Invasor, currently in training for a 2007 campaign, has earned $3,904,070.
Other NYTWA winners are:
Team Barbaro – the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Award
Kiaran McLaughlin – the C. V. Whitney Achievement Award
Eibar Coa – the Eddie Arcaro Award
Todd Pletcher – the Woody Stevens Award
Julien Leparoux – the Fourstardave Award
Lael Stable – the Ogden Phipps Award
Darley Stable – the Paul Mellon Award
Kiaran McLaughlin and Tom Albertrani – co-winners of the Red Smith “Good Guy” Award
Fleet Indian – the Big Apple Award
Allen Jerkens – the President’s Award
All of the winners will be honored at the 84th annual New York Turf Writers Awards Dinner on August 20 at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer