Eclipse Awards: Knicks Go is champ; see the 17 winners
Knicks Go, a five-time Grade 1 winner who capped his year by winning the Breeders' Cup Classic, was named Thursday as the 2021 Horse of the Year, the climactic honor at the 51st Eclipse Awards presented at Santa Anita.
“What a special night for the Korea Racing Authority," said representative Jun Park. "It has been an incredible journey. ... It’s an extreme honor to receive an award like this in the industry."
It was a landslide for Knicks Go, who received 97 percent of the votes from media, executives and track racing offices. Last month the now 6-year-old Knicks Go was honored as the World’s Best Racehorse in a Paris-based vote of international handicappers.
Comment: Defending rogue voter who protested with his ballot.
Sixteen other trophies were presented, including one other to the recently retired champion, his jockey Joel Rosario, his trainer Brad Cox and stablemate Essential Quality.
Male Turf Horse
Winner: Yibir
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Owner: Godolphin
2021 record: 8: 4-1-1, $2,878,083
3-Year-Old Male
Winner: Essential Quality
Trainer: Brad Cox
Owner: Godolphin
2021 record: 7: 5-0-1, $3,420,000
Michael Banahan, Godolphin director of bloodstock. “He showed up every day. He was never late for work and never disappointed anybody…He just wanted to please and to win.”
Male Sprinter
Winner: Jackie’s Warrior
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Owner: Kirk and Judy Robison
2021 record: 7: 4-1-1, $1,051,400
Kirk Robison, co-owner: “Not much of a speech because the horse said it all on the racetrack…just a hell of an animal.”
2-Year-Old Male
Winner: Corniche
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owner: Speedway Stables
2021 record: 3: 3-0-0, $1,262,000
Peter Fleur, Speedway Stables: “How sweet it is. Seven years ago, K.C. (Weiner) and I were in our conference room in Houston and we thought about getting into the race business. K.C. said, ‘let’s do it and let’s have some fun.’
Older Dirt Male
Winner: Knicks Go
Trainer: Brad Cox
Owner: Korea Racing Authority
2021 record: 7: 5-0-0, $7,324,140
Trainer
Winner: Brad Cox
Cox: “Just an incredible year. I’m blessed with great owners and great horses. That’s what it comes down to…Anyone that has as many horses as we do, you live a crazy lifestyle…I hope my mother is watching back in Kentucky. Hi mom.”
Owner
Winner: Godolphin
Dan Pride, Godolphin COO: “It’s 30 years this year that Godolphin was founded. The simple goal was to run and win the biggest races of the year.”
Breeder
Winner: Godolphin
Jockey
Winner: Joel Rosario
Rosario: “I never thought in my life, coming from the Dominican Republic, I would be an Eclipse Award-winning jockey.”
Female Sprinter
Winner: CeCe
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Owner: Bo Hirsch
2021 record: 6: 4-0-1, $888,000
Bo Hirsch, owner-breeder: “I want to thank this business. I love it. I know there are a lot of you out there that love it too. For my money this is the greatest sport in the world. God love you all.”
Female Turf Horse
Winner: Loves Only You
Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi
Owner: DMM Dream Club Co.
2021 record: 6: 4-1-1, $6,424,772
Takumi Hamamoto, racing director: "Thank you for this award. Today is a historic day for Japanese racing.”
3-Year-Old Filly
Winner: Malathaat
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Shadwell Stable
2021 record: 5: 3-1-1, $1,563,000
Gregory Clark, farm manager of Shadwell Stable: “Winning the Ashland at home was really good. Winning the Kentucky Oaks was tremendous. And winning the Alabama was the icing on the cake.”
Older Dirt Female
Winner: Letruska
Trainer: Fausto Gutierrez
Owner: St. George Stable
2021 record: 8: 6-1-0, $1,945,540
Fausto Gutierrez, trainer of Letruska: “Thank you to the American industry. These dreams can be possible.”
2-Year-Old Female
Winner: Echo Zulu
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Owner: L and N Racing, Winchell Thoroughbreds
2021 record: 4: 4-0-0, $1,480,000
Ron Winchell, co-owner: “Anytime you find yourself up here at the end of a racing year you’ve had an exceptional year.”
Apprentice jockey
Winner: Jessica Pyfer
Pyfer: “This was a dream I had at the beginning of the year, not thinking I would achieve it at all…I am so thankful I decided to quit law school and follow my dream.”
Steeplechase Horse
Winner: The Mean Queen
Of 245 possible votes from racetrack offices, the NTRA, Daily Racing Form and racing media, 235 (96 percent) were tabulated.
These were the announced results of the voting:
Horse of the Year
Knicks Go, 228; Letruska, 2; Loves Only You (JPN), 2; Essential Quality, 1; Lil Latigo, 1; Medina Spirit, 1.
2-Year-Old Male
Corniche, 214; Jack Christopher, 12; Modern Games (IRE), 2; Tiz the Bomb, 2; Frosty Storm, 1; Gunite, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.
2-Year-Old Fillies
Echo Zulu, 233; Baytown Valleygirl, 1; Twilight Gleaming (IRE), 1.
3-Year-Old Male
Essential Quality, 131; Medina Spirit, 84; Life Is Good, 18; Hurricane Nation, 1; Hot Rod Charlie, 1.
3-Year-Old Filly
Malathaat, 227; Going Global (IRE), 3; Shantisara (IRE), 2, Bella Sofia, 1; Eida’s Storm, 1; Santa Barbara (IRE), 1.
Older Dirt Male
Knicks Go, 232; Maxfield, 2; Lil Latigo, 1.
Older Dirt Female
Letruska, 221; Marche Lorraine (JPN), 11; Damisela, 1; Gamine, 1; Monomoy Girl, 1.
Male Sprinter
Jackie’s Warrior, 110; Aloha West, 50; Flightline, 33; Golden Pal, 19; Dr. Schivel, 18; Extravagant Kid, 1; Life Is Good, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.
Female Sprinter
Ce Ce, 136; Gamine, 97; Bella Sofia, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.
Male Turf Horse
Yibir (GB), 135; Domestic Spending (GB), 33; Space Blues (IRE), 33; Golden Pal, 14; Colonel Liam; 11; Smooth Like Strait, 6; Town Cruise, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2.
Female Turf Horse
Loves Only You (JPN), 136; War Like Goddess, 70; Santa Barbara (IRE), 10; Going Global (IRE) 6; Althiqa (GB), 5; Shantisara (IRE), 2; Con Lima, 1; My Sister Nat (FR), 1; Regal Glory, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.
Steeplechase Horse
The Mean Queen (IRE), 210; Snap Decision, 2; Voter Abstentions, 23.
Owner
Godolphin LLC, 216; Klaravich Stables LLC, 7; End Zone Athletics Inc, 2; Korea Racing Authority, 2; Gary Barber, 1; Calumet Farm, 1; LNJ Foxwoods, 1; St. George Stable LLC, 1; Voter Abstentions, 4.
Breeder
Godolphin LLC, 205; Calumet Farm, 8; Angie Moore, 7; Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, 6; Gail Rice, 3; Nick Alexander, 1; Fred W. Hertrich III and John Fielding, 1; Spendthrift Farm LLC, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.
Trainer
Brad Cox, 189; Steve Asmussen, 33; Charlie Appleby, 3; Bob Baffert, 2; Chad Brown, 2; Karl Broberg, 1; Michael McCarthy, 1; Todd Pletcher, 1. Voter Abstentions, 3.
Jockey
Joel Rosario, 213; Irad Ortiz Jr., 17; Paco Lopez, 1; Flavien Prat, 1; Luis Saez, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2.
Apprentice Jockey
Jessica Pyfer, 156; John Hiraldo, 46; Charlie Marquez, 12; Voter Abstentions, 21.