Eclipse Awards...

[joanied]

Since tonight is THE night...thought a new thread on the Eclipse Awards makes sense.
I am excited and can't wait:jump: ...maybe kinda dumb, but I don't care:) .

I have been watching the Paulick Polls, especially HoY...and for the last couple of weeks, the votes have been bouncing between the two mares, each taking the lead at different times...I find it very interesting that this morning the votes came out in a dead heat...50% each.

I also read that 37 voters did not vote at all...which really sucks...I read those voters may have the priveledge taken away from them for future Eclipse voting (good idea)...Steve Haskins voted every catagory except HoY, he said he couldn't get himself to vote against one...understandable.

I still cannot choose one above the other either...gonna be a loooong 3 hours from the start of the awards show until HoY is announced....
may the best horse win...oh, wait, the best horse...OK...it's a tie:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

[andymays]

The difference will be that Rachel raced and won against grade 1 competition in more than one state.

Zenyatta stayed in one state.

The Zenyatta tribute and the over the top nature of it along with the never ending promotion by TVG and HRTV hurt Zenyatta more than it helped. It didn't necessarily hurt public opinion in fact it probably helped but among the people who really vote the promotions will hurt Zenyatta and help Rachel.


Rachel wins by a neck!

[joanied]

You may be right, andymays... about their records for the year...but we all know winning the Classic goes a long way...
for me it's been all about changing my mind every day...I just cannot choose one over the other, despite the fact that RA's campaign really was more impressive...
but, I disagree about the promotion stuff...I really don't think it hurt Zenyatta...and the folks at HRTV/TVG all admit there is a east/west bias.

The envelope please.....

[andymays]

You may be right, andymays... about their records for the year...but we all know winning the Classic goes a long way...
for me it's been all about changing my mind every day...I just cannot choose one over the other, despite the fact that RA's campaign really was more impressive...
but, I disagree about the promotion stuff...I really don't think it hurt Zenyatta...and the folks at HRTV/TVG all admit there is a east/west bias.

The envelope please.....


If they had made it a dead heat like they probably should have then 2010 could have been billed as a tiebreaker or playoff. They are both outstanding and both champions in my mind.

[joanied]

If they had made it a dead heat like they probably should have then 2010 could have been billed as a tiebreaker or playoff. They are both outstanding and both champions in my mind.

Indeed...and come to think of it, when Haskin's was on HRTV yesterday, he said one of the reasons he didn't vote for the HoY catagory (I had forgotten this) was the fact they were not allowed to vote for a tie...he was royally pissed off about it.
Racing blew it big time when they decided on a no tie vote...once again, they show just how really stupid they can be.

[tucker6]

I honestly don't believe the two years that Z and RA had was that close when compared, and the hand wringing over it by media types seems political/business/promotional related. If the Eclipse is an award for a year of work, then the answer was easy. Any other conclusion seems emotional at best. Just my two cents, and I do understand emotion can be a big part of these things.


Tom

[joanied]

I honestly don't believe the two years that Z and RA had was that close when compared, and the hand wringing over it by media types seems political/business/promotional related. If the Eclipse is an award for a year of work, then the answer was easy. Any other conclusion seems emotional at best. Just my two cents, and I do understand emotion can be a big part of these things.


Tom

Emotion is fine for the fans that vote in polls, or on forumsa like this one...but emotion has no place with the actual voters (the writters ect. that have a vote)...for those guys, they MUST consider the entire year's campaign in every catagory...and in light of that, I do beleive Rachel gets the nod tonight.

Talk about emotion...you know how I am...so tonight is going to have me in a very precarious position...extremely sad for one, extremely glad for the other.
:faint: :bang: :faint:

[joanied]

Another catagory...trainer of the year...who do you guys think should win that?

Assmussen seems a 'lock'...I think going by the numbers might not be the way to go for trainer of the year...90% of trainers can't match the number of starts (and so, wins) that trainers like Assmussen and Pletcher have...it should be about training feats, like Baffert getting Midnight Lute to win his 2nd Sprint off of one race all year...or...like Sherriff's having TWO CLASSIC winners on the same BC event...

my vote: Sherriff's for Trainer of the Year:)

[atlasaxis]

What was the reason that there can't be a dead heat in the voting for HOY? If it was because of an even number of total possible votes, isn't it possible with 37 abstaining from voting that there could possibly be a tie? :confused:

[andymays]

What was the reason that there can't be a dead heat in the voting for HOY? If it was because of an even number of total possible votes, isn't it possible with 37 abstaining from voting that there could possibly be a tie? :confused:


It boils down to tradition.

[joanied]

What was the reason that there can't be a dead heat in the voting for HOY? If it was because of an even number of total possible votes, isn't it possible with 37 abstaining from voting that there could possibly be a tie? :confused:

I tried finding exactly how many voters there were this time...so we know if it was an odd or even number...but can't find the info...
anyone here know for sure just how many voters we had? Man, if it's an even number...maaaaaaybe we will get that dead heat HoY:)