NEWS
Rachel Alexandra wins Horse of the Year
Posted: Monday, January 18, 2010 10:26 PM
RACHEL ALEXANDRA
Jessica Denver/Equi-Photo
by Jeff Lowe
Eclipse Award voters capped Rachel Alexandra’s brilliant three-year-old season in gold with her election as Horse of the Year for 2009 by a 31-vote margin over Zenyatta.
The Medaglia d’Oro filly joined All Along (Fr) (1983), Lady’s Secret ('86), and Azeri (2002) as the only females to garner the gold statuette for Horse of the Year since the inception of the Eclipse Awards in '71.
The Horse of the Year debate added a dramatic flare to the buildup and atmosphere of Monday night’s Eclipse Awards ceremony at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Of the 232 voters who cast ballots, 130 picked Rachel Alexandra (56%). Zenyatta received 99 votes (42.7%), and three voters abstained from the catagory.
Rachel Alexandra’s co-owner, Jess Jackson, will take home the Horse of the Year title for the third year in a row. He raced Curlin, the back-to-back Horse of the Year in 2007 and ’08.
Rachel Alexandra and Curlin also shared the same trainer, Steve Asmussen, following her sale to Jackson and Harold McCormick for a reported $10-million after her dominant 20 ¼-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Rachel Alexandra emulated Curlin in winning the BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (G1). She was the first female to win the classic since 1924.
With her distinctive white blaze, Rachel Alexandra also made history in joining Serena’s Song as the only fillies to win the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1). She closed the year with a victory over older males in the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, becoming the first female winner in the race’s 56-year history.
Jackson saluted Zenyatta and her owners, Jerry and Ann Moss, in accepting the award Monday.
“Together Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta won nine Grade I races," he said. "Together they conquered four of the best groups of males that were running last year. If you think about their achievements individually or collectively, there has never been another year like this for fillies. I want to thank Jerry and Ann for being so gracious all through the year, and we supported each other. You wouldn’t know that but occasionally we talked and we sent congratulations to each other, and I really appreciated the grace and charm and ability of the Zenyatta team, and particularly Jerry and Ann Moss. It couldn’t be arranged that they would meet last year. We’re hoping that each horse, taking its course, may win their way to an ultimate match, and maybe we can work toward that.”
Rachel Alexandra was a unanimous selection for champion three-year-old filly, receiving all 232 first-place votes.
All but one first-place vote for champion older female went to Zenyatta. Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) winner Icon Project garnered one of the 232 votes. (Note: The vote was later changed to Zenyatta. For more, click here.)
The closest race was for outstanding owner. Godolphin Racing edged the Mosses, by five votes at 61 to 56.
Most of the vote totals were lopsided.
Asmussen was an easy winner of outstanding trainer for the second straight year with 130 votes. Zenyatta’s trainer, John Shirreffs, finished second with 57 first-place votes.
Julien Leparoux ended Garrett Gomez’s reign as outstanding jockey at two seasons. Leparoux, who received 122 first-place votes, was the outstanding apprentice jockey in 2006.
Among the other dominant winners were Lookin At Lucky for champion two-year-old male (209 first-place votes), Gio Ponti for champion turf male (206 votes) and champion older male (184 votes), Informed Decision for champion female sprinter (222 votes), and Summer Bird for champion three-year-old male (225 votes).
For all 2009 Eclipse Award winners, click here.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
