The Alternative Eclipse Awards
None of these are actually Eclipse Award categories, but maybe they should be...
Champion Two-year-old Turf Male: Outstrip - Despite only running once in America, his victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf was simply too good to ignore.
Champion Two-year-old Turf Filly: Chriselliam - See Outsrip.
Champion Three-year-old Turf Male: Up With the Birds - He split time in the States and his native Canada, but his three races here, including the Grade 1 Jamaica, were all on turf, and all topnotch.
Champion Three-year-old Turf Filly: Discreet Marq - She quietly put together an excellent beginning to end season that we all want to see from our stars.
Champion Dirt Miler Male: Flat Out - Goldencents won the biggest race of the division, but this seven-year-old's huge runs in the Westchester and Cigar Mile were enough to get the job done.
Champion Dirt Miler Female: Beholder - The two-time Breeders' Cup winner is also a perfect two-for-two at the flat-mile distance, including an impressive score in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes.
Champion Turf Miler Male: Wise Dan - Any questions?
Champion Turf Miler Female: Stephanie's Kitten - She may have missed the last several months due to injury, but back-to-back wins in the Distaff Mile, and the Grade 1 Just a Game were narrowly enough to carry the division.
Champion Male Turf Sprinter: Ben's Cat - Who needs the Breeders' Cup when you are as consistent as this Maryland mainstay?
Champion Female Turf Sprinter: Mizdirection - Two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint champ wins this division in a runaway.
Champion Male Stayer: Calidoscopio - The 10y.o. star from Argentina may never have never run another race, but his Brooklyn victory was spectacular, and enough to secure a rather thin division here in the U.S.
Champion Female Stayer: Tannery - The Irish import was only 2-of-7 this year, but they were both important stakes, and she was competitive against the boys running long more than once.
Champion ROI Jockey: Paco Lopez - This young rider is the definition of underrated. If you did nothing but bet horses ridden by Lopez this year, you did quite well for yourself.
Champion Turf Trainer: Chad Brown - A budding superstar in the training game, Brown's list of talented turf horses is huge.