Eclipse Awards: Contrary & not, media votes are revealed

The lone vote for Practical Move for horse of the year and 7 of 8 that were not for Idiomatic to be the older-dirt female champion of 2023 came from outside the media association that revealed its Eclipse Awards ballots this week.

After releasing a spreadsheet to members Wednesday, the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters posted it on social media Saturday with its participants’ names and their first-place votes in all 17 categories of the annual awards that were handed out Jan. 25 in Palm Beach, Fla.

Of the 219 voters who cast ballots, 135 were from NTWAB members who are journalists and media members, some of whom are paid to do publicity for racetracks and other organizations. The other 84 that account for 38 percent of the total were from Daily Racing Form and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, neither of which traditionally reveals its votes or who casts them. DRF staff who are also in the NTWAB may not vote twice and must choose one avenue or the other. The NTRA ballots are cast from within its organization and the staff and management of its member racetracks.

Cody’s Wish was named horse of the year with 134 votes, 89 of which were from the NTWAB. Idiomatic came in second followed by Up to the Mark, Arcangelo, Auguste Rodin, Elite Power and, with a single vote, Practical Move. That one contrary opinion in favor of the Grade 1 winner who died at the end of a pre-Breeders’ Cup workout was roundly criticized on both conventional and social media.

Idiomatic, who got 211 votes in her division, came closest to getting unanimous approval. Of the eight first-place marks against her, only one came from the NTWAB. Lenny Shulman of BloodHorse opted for Goodnight Olive, who also was named on three DRF and/or NTRA ballots. Three non-NTWAB votes went to Echo Zulu and one to Adare Manor.

Fierceness received 205 votes in winning the 2-year-old male championship. Big Evs finished second with four, including one from NTWAB member Megan Connolly of the National Steeplechase Association. Muth got three from free-lance writer Melissa Bauer-Herzog, retired Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Pohla Smith and Ken Snyder of Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. Nutella Fella’s two came from free-lance correspondent Brad Telias and a non-NTWAB voter. One ballot for Timberlake was cast by Natalie Voss of the Paulick Report.

Just F Y I won the 2-year-old fillies title with 202 votes followed Hard to Justify, whose got five of her nine from within the NTWAB. Candied’s three came from DRF and/or the NTRA. One of Tamara’s two votes was cast by Thoroughbred Daily News contributor Robert Fierro. One vote each went to Brightwork from author Jennifer Kelly, Jody’s Pride via TV producer Bruce Casella and She Feels Pretty from Horse Racing Radio Network’s Jude Feld.

Click here for the Eclipse Awards spreadsheet posted on social media Saturday by the NTWAB.