Flightline and friends: See the 2022 Eclipse Award finalists
Presumptive horse of the year winner Flightline was announced Saturday as one of three finalists for champion of the older dirt male category, highlighting the reveal of Eclipse Award finalists.
The winners of the Eclipse Awards are voted on by members of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and National Turf Writers and Broadcasters. Ballots for the 2022 season were due Tuesday.
Eight HRN staff members or contributors voted for the 2022 Eclipse Awards. Find out who all eight picked in each category and read their explanations for their horse of the year and 3-year-old male selections.
Flightline is the clear favorite to take home horse of the year honors. He tallied Grade 1 triumphs in all three of his 2022 starts – the Metropolitan Handicap, Pacific Classic, and Breeders’ Cup Classic – and earned Beyer Speed Figures from DRF of 112, 126 and 121 in those races, respectively.
The 3-year-old male category could be contentious.
No winners of the three Triple Crown races won any other Grade 1 events, nor did Travers Stakes (G1) hero Epicenter. But that one’s strong campaign that included runner-up finishes in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes have him as a candidate alongside other rivals Modern Games and Taiba.
Here are the 2022 Eclipse Award finalists:
2-year-old male
Cave Rock, Forte, Victoria Road
2-year-old filly
Leave No Trace, Meditate, Wonder Wheel
3-year-old male
Epicenter, Modern Games, Taiba
3-year-old filly
Nest, Secret Oath, Tuesday
Older dirt male
Flightline, Life Is Good, Olympiad
Older dirt female
Clairiere, Goodnight Olive, Malathaat
Male sprinter
Cody's Wish, Elite Power, Jackie's Warrior
Female sprinter
Caravel, Echo Zulu, Goodnight Olive
Male turf horse
Modern Games, Nations Pride, Rebel's Romance
Female turf horse
In Italian, Regal Glory, War Like Goddess
Steeplechase horse
Down Royal, Hewick, Snap Decision
Owner
Peter Brant, Godolphin, Klaravich Stables
Breeder
Godolphin, Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Summer Wind Equine
Jockey
Irad Ortiz Jr., Flavien Prat, Joel Rosario
Apprentice jockey
Jeiron Barbosa, Vicente Del-Cid, Jose Antonio Gomez
Trainer
Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher
Winners of the 2022 Eclipse Awards will be unveiled in a ceremony on Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. EST. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2022 Horse of the Year.
Of the 258 eligible voters represented, 246 (95.3 percent) took part in the voting. Finalists were determined in each category by voters’ top three selections, using a 10-5-1 point basis. Eclipse Award winners are determined solely by first-place votes.