Division rankings: My equine Eclipse Awards ballot

After meticulously monitoring horses across all divisions throughout the season, we've reached the pinnacle, applying the insights gathered during the season to pinpoint the equine contenders most deserving of the prestigious year-end Eclipse Awards. The nominees for the 2023 Eclipse Awards will be revealed in early January, with finalists selected in each category based on the top three choices of voters, using a point system of 10-5-1. The winners will be determined by the number of first-place votes they receive. I approach my role as an Eclipse Award voter very seriously. I carefully track each division for the entire season, evaluating the achievements of every contender. Here are my reflections on each equine division and the votes I've cast. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section about my choices. I aim for complete transparency, even if it means enduring some of my detailed explanations. Thank you to everyone who has contributed in the comment section throughout the season. I do take into consideration what each of you feels about the horses. Happy New Year.
2-year-old filly

1st, Just F Y I; 2nd, Candied; 3rd, Hard to Justify

Pretty easy choice here. Just FYI was a dual Grade 1 winner and beat most of the best in this division in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Now the question is, can she mature into a solid 3-year-old?

Candied had a similar resume, having won the Alcibiades (G1) prior to the Breeders' Cup. She came close in the Breeders' Cup but finished third, losing by less than a length with a troubled trip.

Hard to Justify was unbeaten in all three of her starts on the grass as she capped her season off with a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf win at 9-1.

2-year-old male

1st, Fierceness; 2nd, Muth; 3rd, Locked

Fierceness will win this award based off of his one stakes win, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. To be fair, this division was void of a horse who stood out. Because of that, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile matters even more this season. Muth was runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but he did win the American Pharoah (G1) prior and placed in the Best Pal (G3). Locked won the Breeders' Futurity (G1) and finished just behind Muth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in third.
3-year-old male

1st, Arcangelo; 2nd, Geaux Rocket Ride; 3rd, Forte

Similar to the situation in the 2-year-old male category, the 3-year-old male division lacked a clear standout in 2023. Arcangelo has my vote and is poised to win the Eclipse, thanks to his wins in the Belmont Stakes and Travers (G1). A few contenders had late-season opportunities to surpass Arcangelo, but none were able to capitalize on the chance.

Geaux Rocket Ride might have been the best in this division. He won the Haskell (G1) and narrowly missed catching Arabian Knight in the Pacific Classic (G1) trying to overcome a slow pace.

I probably will get knocked for this choice, but if you take Forte's season as a whole it stacks up well against all others in this division. His Florida Derby (G1) was in March, but it matters just as much as a Grade 1 win in August. He also won the Jim Dandy (G2) in July, beating a strong field. Runner-up to Arcangelo in the Belmont after a long layoff was a solid effort too. He finished his season with a fourth-place finish in the Travers.

Note: Only two horses held the top spot this season, Arcangelo and Forte.

3-year-old filly

1st, Pretty Mischievous; 2nd, Randomized ; 3rd, Wet Paint

This division is a slam dunk. Pretty Mischievous has led this division for most of the season and was never really threatened. She was a dual Grade 1 winner and was awarded another in the Test (G1) after the winning Maple Leaf Mel tragically broke down at the finish line.

Randomized came on in the second half of the season to win the Alabama (G1) and Beldame (G2). The latter was over older horses. Randomized then ran well in the Breeders' Cup Distaff to finish a close runner-up to the older Idiomatic.

Wet Paint won three graded stakes, including the CCA Oaks (G1). She was also runner-up to Randomized in the Alabama.

Note: Four horses held the top spot in this division this season, Wonder Wheel, Faiza, Wet Paint and Pretty Mischievous.

Older dirt male

1st; White Abarrio; 2nd, Cody's Wish ; 3rd, West Will Power

This proved to be my most challenging choice. How does one approach this division? What criteria should be applied? Typically, I keep sprinters within their designated divisions. But can an exceptional sprinter, such as Elite Power, find a place here? There are no set guidelines. If there ever was a season for crossover, this would be it.

No conventional older dirt male, conventional meaning defined by success in two-turn races, dominated this division in 2023. White Abarrio concluded the season with two impressive wins, signaling a remarkable form turnaround. But the question remains. Should he be the Eclipse Award winner? After much deliberation, I chose to place White Abarrio at the top of my ballot in this category, opting to keep Elite Power in his division with its distinct category. I'm uncertain, and I might be making a mistake. Do I believe Elite Power was the best on the dirt this season? Yes. But he remains a sprinter with his own designated category.

Cody's Wish lands at No. 2 on my ballot. He had a nice season for sure, but his only quality win was the Met Mile (G1), where he defeated a good field that included White Abarrio. He failed to stretch out to nine panels in White Abarrio's Whitney and was defeated by 10 lengths. His Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile win came at the expense of a historically weak field that was 1-for-16 in Grade 1 races, 11 of which resulted in off-the-board finishes. Of course, most voters will vote for Cody's Wish without diving into the facts because of the human side, which should play no part in deciding equine Eclipse awards.

No other in this division really deserves to be on this ballot, but I am required to add a third. I went with West Will Power, who won the Stephen Foster (G1) in June and the New Orleans Classic (G2) in March, where he defeated the Pegasus (G1) winner, Art Collector. His season ended after the Stephen Foster but that first half of the season matters to me and isn't forgotten.

Older dirt female

1st, Idiomatic; 2nd, Clairiere; 3rd, Adare Manor

Idiomatic had a spectacular and somewhat under-the-radar season in 2023. She was 8-for-9 and a winner of five graded stakes. Her last three wins of the season were in Grade 1 events. She capped off her season with a gutsy win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. She should be a unanimous choice here.

Clairiere came close again. She sat atop this division for much of 2023 but as in 2022, she again fell short. She won the Apple Blossom (G1) and Ogden Phipps (G1) in the first half of the season and appeared on her way to an Eclipse. But she ran a poor race when off the board behind Idiomatic in the Personal Ensign (G1) and then fell just short in the Breeders' Cup Distaff to lose by less than a length for the second year in a row.

Adare Manor had no equal in her home state of California until the Breeders' Cup. She swept four graded stakes leading up the the Breeders' Cup Distaff to put her in position for the Eclipse, but she finished seventh, beaten three lengths in the Distaff and ending all hopes for that award. Still, she did enough to merit being a finalist.

Note: Three horses held the top spot here this season, Clairiere, Secret Oath and Idiomatic.

Male sprinter

1st, Elite Power; 2nd, Gunite; 3rd, Cody's Wish

Elite Power was the only horse to hold down the No. 1 spot in a division every week of the season. He travelled overseas to win in Saudi Arabia and then came back to win three graded stakes in the U.S.  He capped off his season with a repeat win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) in what might have been the best performance by any horse in any division in 2023. Elite Power was the first U.S.-based horse to win a Breeders' Cup race after winning a race overseas in the same season.

Gunite was clearly second best in this division. He handed Elite Power his only loss of the season in the Forego (G1) at Saratoga and was runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. With eight starts on the season, Gunite was never off the board.

Cody's Wish did sprint two times, winning both. In May he won the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1), and in October he won the Vosburgh (G2). The problem is, he never faced the best in this division.

Female sprinter

1st, Echo Zulu; 2nd, Goodnight Olive; 3rd, Maple Leaf Mel

For me, this vote was rather easy. Echo Zulu was clearly the most dominant female sprinter who stepped foot on the race track in 2023. I would argue she was likely the best we have seen run over the past couple of decades. The problem is, she was injured and missed the Breeders' Cup. But the caveat here is that she faced her main rival for this award, Goodnight Olive, one race before the Breeders' Cup, the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga. Echo Zulu soundly defeated her rival. She was 3-for-3 on the season, all in graded stakes, and left no doubt who the best female sprinter was.

Goodnight Olive had a terrific season. She was 3-for-5 and won the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. But she can't be voted the Eclipse winner because, well, she wasn't the best in her division.

Maple Lead Mel lands on my ballot because she deserves it. She was the clear winner of the Test (G1) before she broke down at the wire, and she won her other three starts in 2023. She was easily the best 3-year-old filly sprinter and likely could have given the top two a run for their money in future races. Very sad ending, but she will never be forgotten by this voter.

Male turf horse

1st, Up to the Mark; 2nd, Master of the Seas; 3rd, Casa Creed

We finally have a U.S.-based horse who should run away with the Eclipse vote in this division. Up to the Mark won three Grade 1 events on the season and narrowly missed winning the Breeders' Cup Turf, finishing runner-up by 3/4 of a length. He had, by far, the best resume of any contender for this award.

Master of the Seas started three times in North America and nearly won all three Grade 1 events. He scored in the Woodbine Mile in September, lost the Turf Mile at Keeneland by a nose to Up to the Mark but then came right back and won the Breeders' Cup Mile. A clear second choice on the ballot for me here.

Casa Creed ran his heart out in the Breeders' Cup Mile, finishing a close third. He won two graded stakes on the season, including the Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga.

Female turf horse

1st, In Italian; 2nd, War Like Goddess; 3rd - Fev Rover

In Italian did enough this season warrant the top spot here, and it really wasn't close for me. Her two Grade 1 wins in the Jenny Wiley and Just a Game in April and June count just as much as Grade 1 wins in October and November. She came up short by a nose and a neck in two other Grade 1 events, the Diana at Saratoga and the First Lady at Keeneland in the summer and fall. Did a couple of others have a shot to unseat her on Breeders' Cup day? Yes, but they couldn't get the job done. Her final race of the season was an odd choice, running her in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf over a distance not to her liking. She was off the board. Voters need to stop ignoring the first nine months of the season and reward horses for their entire resume.

War Like Goddess again lands on my ballot. Last year I had her No. 2, and in 2021 she was No. 1. This season I was generous in placing her No. 2. War Like Goddess had a subpar season by her standards. She was only 2-for-5, but one of those wins was against males in the Joe Hirsch (G1). Let's be honest, the group she defeated in that Joe Hirsch was nothing to write home about. Sandwiched between the Joe Hirsch and her only other win of the season, the Bewitch (G3) at Keeneland, were a sixth in the New York (G1) at Belmont and a runner-up in the Glens Falls (G2) at Saratoga. She ended her career with an off-the-board finish in the Breeders' cup Turf against males.

The third spot on my ballot could have gone to several, but in the end I chose Fev Rover for a few reasons. She did had Grade 1 wins, although one, the Beverly D, was Grade 1 in name only. Overall she won three graded stakes but was off the board in two others. She also defeated a few major players in this division, including Gina Romantica and Moira.

Horse of the Year

1st, Elite Power; 2nd, White Abarrio; 3rd, Idiomatic