Rachel Alexandra 2009 Eclipse Horse of the Year
The incredible Rachel Alexandra wipes out the colts in the $1,250,000 Haskell Invitational including Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird by six lengths in near-record time. Jockey Calvin Borel gives his habitual winning finger. Photo Bill Denver/Equi-Photo.When a typical comment on Rachel Alexandra USA (Megdaglio D'Oro USA) winning the 2009 Eclipse Horse of the Year as well as Three-Year-Old Filly is "Rachel Alexandra did through the ballot box what no horse could do on the racetrack." (Jay Privman, Daily Racing Form), it is obvious something has gone wrong with the Eclipse voting process.
The Daily Racing Form suggested there be a Co-HOY Award, but the two other voting organizations (the National Turf Writers Association and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association) voted against it.
Out of 232 voters, three abstained or did not vote. The DRF voted 31-23 for RA, NTWA 71-51 for RA and NTRA 28-25 for RA totalling 130 for RA and 99 for Zenyatta USA (Street Cry IRE).
Controversy lingers over which female is superior and if the Eclipse Committee made a harmful decision having long-term implications for racing.
Voting has revealed we were correct in assuming that Rachel Alexandra would win no matter how many races Zenyatta could win. East-Coast voting bias triumphed.
Zenyatta's owner Jerry Moss expressed her fans' and his own pained disappointment in a very gracious, but challenging way "Zenyatta has never lost. She's perfect. Nobody beat her on the racetrack. They beat her by proxy."
That sums up how many feel across the world.
Pity that both outstanding females were not celebrated.
In the end, it took away much joy and spoiled what might have been. Also, the controversy detracted from all the other awards.
Rachel's owner Jess Jackson observed that "either horse deserved this award. Together Rachel and Zenyatta won nine Grade 1 races. Together they conquered four of the best groups of males who were running last year. ...there has never been a year like this one for fillies."
Fans also voted Rachel's Grade 1 Woodward Stakes win at Saratoga Racecourse as the New York Racing Association's "Story of the Year".
Zenyatta was voted Older Female and was joined by Gio Ponti as Older Male and Male Turf Horse.
Pity that Europe's Conduit lost Male Turf as he was the best Turf horse with back-to-back Breeders' Cup Turf victories.
As expected, Lookin At Lucky and She Be Wild swept the Two-Year-Old category and Summer Bird and Rachel Alexandra the Three-Year-Old.
Female and Male Sprinters were Informed Decision and Kodiak Kowboy.
France's Goldikova was chosen as Female Turf Horse. She is incomparable.
Mixed Up was the Steeplechase Horse (they should see Kauto Star and Denman).
Godolphin Racing was winning owner, Juddmonte Farms winning breeder.
Jockey Julien Leparoux and Apprentice Jockey Christian Santiago Reyes took their competitive categories.
Rachel's trainer Steve Asmussen was chosen Trainer of the Year (see column below for details of his impressive 2009 record).
The Award of Merit went to owner/breeder William S Farrish of legendary Lane's End Farm. He was Ambassador to the UK under President Ronald Reagan and both he and his wife are close friends of The Queen.
Finally, we at Racing International were very pleased that Monique Koehler, founder of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, was honoured with a Special Award.
TRF is one of the charities RI supports. (http://www.trfinc.org)
Racing International http://www.racingint.com
Posted by susan trevelyan-syke at 1/19/2010 10:26 PM 
Categories: Eclipse 2009
Tags: Informed Decsion Conduit Goldikova Mixed Up Juddmonte Farms Eclipse Horse of the Year Julien Leparoux She Be Wild Ronald Reagan The Queen Christian Santiago Reyes Rachel Alexandra Steve Asmussen Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation William S Farrish Godolphin Racing Racing International Jerry Moss Monique Koehler Zenyatta Jess Jackson Kodiak Kowboy Gio Ponti Summer Bird Lookin At Lucky Lanes End Farm
Categories: Eclipse 2009
Tags: Informed Decsion Conduit Goldikova Mixed Up Juddmonte Farms Eclipse Horse of the Year Julien Leparoux She Be Wild Ronald Reagan The Queen Christian Santiago Reyes Rachel Alexandra Steve Asmussen Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation William S Farrish Godolphin Racing Racing International Jerry Moss Monique Koehler Zenyatta Jess Jackson Kodiak Kowboy Gio Ponti Summer Bird Lookin At Lucky Lanes End Farm
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