2022 Eclipse Award Ballot

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by cj

I think you typo-ed 13th.

Funny, I thought winning the KY DERBY was really good.

[cj]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Funny, I thought winning the KY DERBY was really good.

Lighten up Francis, it was a joke.

That said, no way in hell is he 3rd imo. Maybe top 7 or 8.

[Onesome]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Funny, I thought winning the KY DERBY was really good.

Not when at 200-1 in the style of Steven Bradbury

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

What are you going to do? NOT vote for him?

Be serious.

was joking, think CJ knew that.

Its a results orientated business. You can't penalize people for doing what the officials allow them to do.

It would be like taking away championships from the 90's Pistons for being too physical.

[CheckMark]

I'm never good at this voting thing so FWIW here are my picks for the 2022 Eclipse Awards

Two-Year-Old Male: Forte over Cave Rock and Victoria Road

Two-Year-Old Filly: Wonder Wheel over Leave No Trace and Meditate

Three-Year-Old Male: Epicenter over Modern Games and Tabia

Three-Year-Old Filly: Nest over Secret Oath and Tuesday

Older Dirt Male: Flightline over Life Is Good and Olympiad

Older Dirt Female: Malathaat over Goodnight Olive and Clairiere

Male Sprinter: Cody's Wish over Elite Power and Jackie's Warrior

Female Sprinter: Goodnight Olive over Caravel and Echo Zulu

Male Turf Horse: Modern Games over Rebel's Romance and Nations Pride

Female Turf Horse: In Italian over War Like Goddess and Regal Glory

Steeplechase Horse: Snap Decision over Hewick and Down Royal

Owner: Godolphin LLC over Klaravich Stables Inc and Peter Brant

Breeder: Godolphin over Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and Summer Wind Equine

Trainer: Todd Pletcher over Steve Asmussen and Chad Brown

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr over Flavien Prat and Joel Rosario

Apprentice Jockey: Jose Antonio Gomez over Jeiron Barbosa and Vicente Del-Cid

Good luck!

[CheckMark]

Originally Posted by CheckMark

I'm never good at this voting thing so FWIW here are my picks for the 2022 Eclipse Awards

Two-Year-Old Male: Forte ✅

Two-Year-Old Filly: Wonder Wheel ✅

Three-Year-Old Male: Epicenter ✅

Three-Year-Old Filly: Nest ✅

Older Dirt Male: Flightline ✅

Older Dirt Female: Malathaat ✅

Male Sprinter: Cody's Wish ��

Female Sprinter: Goodnight Olive ✅

Male Turf Horse: Modern Games ✅

Female Turf Horse: In Italian ��

Steeplechase Horse: Snap Decision ��

Owner: Godolphin LLC ✅

Breeder: Godolphin ✅

Trainer: Todd Pletcher ✅

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr ✅

Apprentice Jockey: Jose Antonio Gomez ✅

Good luck!

Only got 3 wrong. Pretty good picks but not surprising since it was a logical year of horses winning.

[Red Knave]

Originally Posted by CheckMark

Only got 3 wrong. Pretty good picks but not surprising since it was a logical year of horses winning.

I think the other voters got 3 wrong.

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

It seems that recently people look for why a crop was subpar rather than good.

I think EPICENTER and TAIBA are both very good horses.

Putting Modern Games in this discussion is ridiculous.

ZERO chance our industry is going to crown a turf horse who ran one time in the U S.

As for rating the candidates and the strength of the fields they beat. I think that's completely irrelevant. Would they be better horses if they beat tougher fields? Of course. But there are only a handful of races that get used to decide.

They only run one Santa Anita Derby and Malibu each year. They are Grade 1's and used to compare and contrast.

EPICENTER running 2nd in two legs of the Triple Crown is a terrific achievement and winning the Travers a fabulous win.

But is it enough to defeat a horse that won three Grade 1's and was third to FLIGHTLINE in the BC Classic.

I read where someone said had he finished 2nd that would change his opinion. Two ways to look at that. Undoubtedly, he had more trouble than any horse in the race. So, is the 3rd an accomplishment or a failure?

I don't have a vote, wish I did. HOF yes, Eclipse no.

If I did my ballot would be...

1) TAIBA
2) EPICENTER
3) CYBERKNIFE

I agree with everything you said but the order . I would put Epicenter first over Taiba based on the derby . Epicenter ran his guts out to place in the biggest 3 yo race . And Taiba had no shot in that race . Even though he placed , he probably ran harder and stronger, longer than anyone in that race . It was a great losing performance if one really looks at how that race played out . It really was unfortunate he got hurt because it just looked like he was getting better late in the season . He made a mockery of Cyberknife in the Travers .

[cj]

Originally Posted by CheckMark

Only got 3 wrong. Pretty good picks but not surprising since it was a logical year of horses winning.

Missed on one, had In Italian over Regal Glory. And I think I made the better choice on this one.

[CheckMark]

Originally Posted by cj

Missed on one, had In Italian over Regal Glory. And I think I made the better choice on this one.

Indeed you did

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by cj

Missed on one, had In Italian over Regal Glory. And I think I made the better choice on this one.

I agree.