2014 Eclipse Awards Winners

January 17th, 2015

California Chrome (above) was named champion 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)

The 44th annual Eclipse Awards on Jan. 17 at Gulfstream Park was a celebration of the exploits of the biggest stars in U.S. racing with Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern, Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome and Breeders' Cup Turf victor Main Sequence finalists for the big price, the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year.

The night belonged to California Chrome, who became the second California-bred to win Horse of the Year and also captured the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male.

2014 Horse of the Year

California Chrome

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome was named Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male after a season that also included victories in the Grade 1Hollywood Derby and Santa Anita Derby and a close third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The flashy chestnut colt caught the attention of the nation while bankrolling $4,007,800, and fans can look forward to seeing him on the track in 2015.

Finalists for Horse of the Year: Bayern, California Chrome, Main Sequence

Horse of the Year voting: California Chrome, 143; Main Sequence, 53; Bayern, 36; Shared Belief, 12; Untapable, 11; Wise Dan, 6; Adelaide (IRE), 1; Take Charge Brandi, 1. Voter Abstentions, 2.

2014 champion two-year-old male

American Pharoah

Though an injury forced American Pharoah to be scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, his season was dominant enough to earn champion 2-year-old male honors. The Bob Bafferttrainee captured a pair of Grade 1 races from three starts, winning the Del Mar Futurity and the FrontRunner Stakes, both by open lengths. American Pharoah is back in training on the 2015 Kentucky Derby trail.

BENOIT photo

Finalists for two-year-old male: American Pharoah, Hootenanny, Texas Red

Two-Year-Old Male voting: American Pharoah, 126; Texas Red, 111; Hootenanny, 16; Carpe Diem, 7; Dortmund, 3; Ocho Ocho Ocho, 2.

2014 champion two-year-old filly

Take Charge Brandi

Take Charge Brandi was a force in the 2-year-old filly division during the final two months of the season. She strung together victories in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess Stakes and Grade 1 Starlet Stakes to close the year. She got off to a bit of a slow start with four unsuccessful attempts in graded stakes for owner Willis Horton and Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, but Take Charge Brandi turned her season around with a breakthrough, front-running win at 61.70-to-1 odds in the Juvenile Fillies.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for two-year-old filly: Condo Commando, Lady Eli, Take Charge Brandi

Two-Year-Old Filly voting: Take Charge Brandi, 236; Lady Eli, 23; Condo Commando, 3; Sunset Glow, 3.

2014 champion three-year-old male

California Chrome

In a year that featured a slew of talented 3-year-olds, Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome captured champion 3-year-old male honors and also took home the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year. The colt went 6-for-9 and tallied Grade 1 victories on dirt and turf, becoming a fan favorite for owners-breeders Steve Coburn and Perry Martin and trainer Art Sherman.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for three-year-old male: Bayern, California Chrome, Shared Belief

Three-Year-Old Male voting: California Chrome, 193; Bayern, 56; Shared Belief, 15. Voter Abstentions, 1.

2014 champion three-year-old filly

Untapable

Untapable was nearly flawless in 2014. In fact, her only defeat came when she faced males in the Haskell Invitational Stakes in July and was bumped at the start. Untapable opened the season with a four-race winning streak that included back-to-back wins in the Grade 1Kentucky Oaks and the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes. She closed a championship season for owner Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen with victories in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes and the Grade 1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Untapable was a unanimous selection as champion 3-year-old filly.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for three-year-old filly: Stopchargingmaria, Sweet Reason, Untapable

Three-Year-Old Filly voting: Untapable, 265.

2014 champion older male

Main Sequence

For the third year in a row, the champion turf male also was crowned champion older male as Main Sequence took home the hardware in both categories after Wise Dan accomplished the same feat in 2012 and 2013. Main Sequence went 4-for-4 and earned $2,610,000 for owner-breeder Flaxman Holdings and trainer Graham Motion, capped by a signature victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for older male: Main Sequence, Palace Malice, Wise Dan

Older Male Voting: Main Sequence, 127; Palace Malice, 103; Wise Dan, 25; Goldencents, 9; Game On Dude, 1.

2014 champion older female

Close Hatches

Close Hatches was named champion older female after scoring four graded stakes victories from six starts in 2014 and earning $1,340,000. A finalist for 3-year-old filly honors in 2013, the bay filly finally asserted her dominance over Beholder and Princess of Sylmar when winning the Ogden Phipps Stakes in June in her second of three Grade 1 wins of the year.

Photo by NYRA

Finalists for older female: Close Hatches, Dayatthespa, Don’t Tell Sophia

Older Female voting: Close Hatches, 155; Dayatthespa, 64; Don’t Tell Sophia, 19; Judy the Beauty, 15; Iotapa, 7; Beholder, 5.

2014 champion turf male

Main Sequence

Main Sequence was named champion turf male following an unbeaten season that was capped by a half-length win in the Breeders' Cup Turf for trainer Graham Motion and owner Flaxman Holdings. Also the winner in the older male division and a finalist for Horse of the Year, Main Sequence also won the United Nations Stakes, Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes among four Grade 1 victories.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for turf male: Karakontie, Main Sequence, Wise Dan

Turf Male voting: Main Sequence, 243; Wise Dan, 18; California Chrome, 2; Karakontie (JPN), 1; Adelaide (IRE), 1.

2014 champion turf female

Dayatthespa

Dayatthespa earned the Eclipse award as champion turf female with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf that capped off a near-perfect season. The New York-bred mare didn’t get her year started until August but captured 3 of 4 starts and amassed $1,450,000 in purse earnings for trainer Chad Brown.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for turf female: Crown Queen, Dayatthespa, Stephanie’s Kitten

Turf Female Voting: Dayatthespa, 260; Crown Queen, 2; Coffee Clique, 1; Room Service, 1. Voter Abstentions, 1.

2014 champion male sprinter

Work All Week

Work All Week won five of six starts in 2014, capped by a half-length victory in the $1.5-million Xpressbet Breeders’ Cup Sprint. His four stakes wins in 2014 also included a victory in the Grade 3 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes for trainer Roger Brueggemann and owner Midwest Thoroughbreds, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as outstanding owner.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for male sprinter: Goldencents, Private Zone, Work All Week

Male Sprinter voting: Work All Week, 184; Goldencents, 52; Palace, 12; Private Zone, 11; Bobby’s Kitten, 2; Bayern, 1; Big Macher, 1; Secret Circle, 1; Shared Belief, 1.

2014 champion female sprinter

Judy the Beauty

Judy the Beauty captured the female sprinter title in a year that saw her bring home four wins in five starts, including the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. The Wesley Ward-owned and -trained mare also won the Grade 1 Madison Stakes while earning $896,365.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for female sprinter: Artemis Agrotera, Judy the Beauty, Sweet Reason

Female Sprinter voting: Judy the Beauty, 261; Midnight Lucky, 1; Living The Live (IRE), 1; La Verdad, 1; Awesome Baby, 1.

2014 outstanding trainer

Todd Pletcher

Todd Pletcher picked up his seventh career Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer, more than any other trainer in Eclipse Awards history. It also was the second straight Eclipse Award for Pletcher, who led all trainers by North American purse earnings ($22,476,736), graded stakes wins (40) and stakes wins (62). He trained eight different horses who won nine Grade 1 races, including multiple Grade 1 winner and Eclipse Award finalist (3-year-old filly division) Stopchargingmaria.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for outstanding trainer: Bob Baffert, Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher

Outstanding Trainer voting: Todd Pletcher, 100; Chad Brown, 64; Art Sherman, 45; Bob Baffert, 20; Graham Motion, 13; Jerry Hollendorfer, 11; Steve Asmussen, 6; D. Wayne Lukas, 3; Karl Broberg, 1; Edward Graham, 1; Mike Maker, 1.

2014 outstanding jockey

Javier Castellano

Javier Castellano was named outstanding jockey for the second year in a row, capping a season that saw him rank first in purse earnings with $25,056,464 and record 315 wins. Thirty of those wins came in graded stakes, including victories in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf aboard Dayatthespa, the Coaching Club American Oaks on Stopchargingmaria and the Florida Derby with Constitution.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for outstanding jockey: Javier Castellano, Joel Rosario, John Velazquez

Outstanding Jockey voting: Javier Castellano, 203; John Velazquez, 34; Mike Smith, 8; Joel Rosario, 8; Rosie Napravnik, 5; Victor Espinoza, 4; Irad Ortiz, Jr., 2; Alexis Batista, 1.

2014 outstanding breeder

Ken and Sarah Ramsey

Ken and Sarah Ramsey led all breeders in 2014 by purse earnings in North America with $10,412,411. The foundation of the Ramseys’ breeding operation is stallion Kitten’s Joy, the 2004 champion turf male who ranked third on the North American sire list in 2014, led by the Ramseys’ homebred Bobby’s Kitten, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Ken and Sarah Ramsey earned their first Eclipse Award as outstanding breeder in 2013 and secured a repeat win in the category in 2014.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for outstanding breeder: Adena Springs, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Winchell Thoroughbreds

Outstanding Breeder voting: Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 129; Adena Spring, 43; Winchell Thoroughbreds, 43; Flaxman Holdings, LLC, 29; Steven Coburn and Perry Martin, 6; Helen Alexander 3; WinStar Farm, 3; Darley, 1; Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc., 1. Voter Abstentions, 7.

2014 outstanding owner

Ken and Sarah Ramsey

Ken and Sarah Ramsey picked up their fourth Eclipse Award as outstanding owner in 2014 after leading all owners by purse earning with $10,544,148, nearly double the amount of the next leading owner, Kaleem Shah, who finished with $5,977,978. The Ramseys, who also were named outstanding owner in 2004, 2011 and 2013, also led all owners by graded stakes wins with 10 and by stakes wins with 29.

Finalists for outstanding owner: Kaleem Shah, Midwest Thoroughbreds, Ken and Sarah Ramsey

Outstanding Owner voting: Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 179; Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc., 21; Kaleem Shah, Inc., 20; Flaxman Holdings, Ltd., 18; Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, 12; Steven Coburn and Perry Martin, 6; Maggi Moss, 2; John Oxley, 1; Robert Evans, 1. Voter Abstentions, 5.

2014 outstanding apprentice jockey

Drayden Van Dyke

Drayden Van Dyke emerged as a top, young rider on the Southern California circuit in 2014 and amassed 192 victories, including three stakes wins, during his championship campaign. Van Dyke earned a signature win in the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes in September at Arlington Park aboard Sistas Stroll.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Finalists for outstanding apprentice jockey: Angel Cruz, Taylor Rice, Drayden Van Dyke

Outstanding Apprentice Jockey voting: Drayden Van Dyke, 225; Juan Saez, 11; Trevor McCarthy, 6; Taylor Rice, 6. Voter Abstentions, 17.

2014 champion steeplechaser

Demonstrative

Demonstrative won three of six starts in 2014, including three victories in races classified as Grade 1s by the National Steeplechase Association. The Elusive Quality gelding won the New York Turf Writers Cup Stakes, the Lonesome Glory Handicap and the Grand National Hurdle during his 2014 championship season.