By Bloodhorse.com
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 7, 2015) — Finalists for the 44th annual Eclipse Awards were announced Jan. 7 on HRTV by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.
Of the 280 eligible voters, 265 sent in their ballots, nearly 95%.
The awards will be presented Jan. 17 at Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla. The event begins at 6 p.m. Jeannine Edwards, sports broadcaster for ESPN and ABC, will host for the fourth time.
Here are the three finalists in each category, listed alphabetically:
Horse of the Year: Bayern, California Chrome, Main Sequence
2-year-old Male: American Pharoah, Hootenanny, Texas Red
2-year-old Filly: Condo Commando, Lady Eli, Take Charge Brandi
3-year-old Male: Bayern, California Chrome, Shared Belief
3-year-old Filly: Stopchargingmaria, Sweet Reason, Untapable
Older Male: Main Sequence, Palace Malice, Wise Dan
Older Female: Close Hatches, Dayatthespa, Don’t Tell Sophia
Turf Male: Karakontie, Main Sequence, Wise Dan
Turf Female: Crown Queen, Dayatthespa, Stephanie’s Kitten
Sprint Male: Goldencents , Private Zone, Work All Week
Sprint Female: Artemis Agrotera, Judy the Beauty, Sweet Reason
Steeplechase: Demonstrative, Divine Fortune, Makari
Breeder: Adena Springs, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Winchell Thoroughbreds
Owner: Kaleem Shah, Midwest Thoroughbreds, Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Trainer: Bob Baffert, Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Javier Castellano, Joel Rosario, John Velazquez
Apprentice Jockey: Angel Cruz, Taylor Rice, Drayden Van Dyke
Eclipse Awards voting was conducted by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, NTRA, and Daily Racing Form. The Eclipse Awards ceremony is produced by the NTRA. The Eclipse Awards are presented by the Daily Racing Form, the Breeders’ Cup, and The Stronach Group.
To purchase seats to the Eclipse Awards dinner, ceremony, and after-party please return the registration form to Michele Ravencraft at mravencraft@ntra.com or fax to 859.296.5257. This purchase also includes the Friday night VIP event, supporting the Thoroughbred Aftercare Program.