January 13,
2012
Contact: Eric Wing (212) 521-5316
Racing Fans Make Havre de Grace Their Choice in Eclipse Horse of the Year Fan Vote Sweepstakes
Rapid Redux Second in Fan Balloting; Results in 14 Other Categories Also Announced
Daily Racing Form (DRF) and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today the results of the 2011 Eclipse Horse of the Year Fan Vote Sweepstakes. The free-to-enter sweepstakes required fans to select the horse they felt deserved to win the 2011 Horse of the Year Award, which will be announced Monday, January 16, in Beverly Hills, Calif., at the 41st annual Eclipse Awards Presented by Daily Racing Form, The Stronach Group and the Breeders’ Cup. Fans were also encouraged to cast their votes in 14 other Eclipse Award categories.
In the Horse of the Year category, fans made the multiple Grade I winner Havre de Grace their top pick with 4,249 votes. Rapid Redux, who will receive a Special Eclipse Award on Monday night after going a perfect 19-for-19 in 2011, received 2,213 votes. Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer checked in third with a vote count of 1,236. Measured by percentage, the closest race in the voting was in the category of Male Sprinter, with Caleb’s Posse (652 votes) prevailing over Amazombie (640) and non-Eclipse Award finalist Smiling Tiger (566).
More than 12,000 votes were received in balloting conducted between December 16 and January 3 at www.drf.com/eclipse. Fans could also cast their votes in 14 categories other than Horse of the Year, though they were not required to do so. As part of the Sweepstakes. voter Megan Tracy of College Station, Texas, was selected at random as the winner of a trip for two—including airfare, hotel accommodations, ground transportation and event tickets—to next Monday’s Eclipse Award ceremony. The prize includes box seats and VIP access for a day of racing at nearby Santa Anita Park.
Results of the fan balloting were:
Horse of the Year
Havre de Grace – 4,249
Rapid Redux – 2,213
Drosselmeyer – 1,236
2-Year-Old Colt or Gelding:
Hansen – 1,082
Union Rags – 718
O’Prado Again – 82
2-Year-Old Filly
My Miss Aurelia – 1,269
On Fire Baby 708
Stephanie’s Kitten – 194
3-Year-Old Colt or Gelding
Animal Kingdom – 1,119
Caleb’s Posse – 717
Shackleford – 453
3-Year-Old Filly
Royal Delta – 1,166
Plum Pretty – 188
Awesome Feather – 179
Female Sprinter
Hilda’s Passion – 992
Turbulent Descent – 459
Musical Romance – 351
Female Turf Horse
Stacelita – 479
Winter Memories – 316
Perfect Shirl – 193
Male Sprinter
Caleb’s Posse – 652
Amazombie – 640
Smiling Tiger – 566
Male Turf Horse
Cape Blanco – 668
Gio Ponti – 367
Acclamation – 282
Older Filly or Mare
Havre de Grace – 1,507
Blind Luck – 328
R Betty Graybull – 57
Older Male
Drosselmeyer – 560
Tizway – 513
Game On Dude – 438
Steeplechase
Black Jack Blues – 456
Mabou – 343
Tax Ruling 297
Jockey
Ramon A. Dominguez – 214
John Velazquez – 127
Javier Castellano – 55
Trainer
William I. Mott – 110
H. Graham Motion – 96
Todd A. Pletcher – 86
Owner
Ramsey, Kenneth L & Sarah K – 84
WinStar Farm LLC – 77
Midwest Thoroughbreds – 53
"From the enthusiastic response to our fan poll, it's clear there's a ton of excitement building for Monday night," said John Hartig, CEO, Daily Racing Form. “For 118 years, DRF has been the voice of the fan, and now more than ever we need to be fan-centric if we're to stimulate growth in Thoroughbred racing. We look forward to hosting Megan and her guest for what will assuredly be a memorable weekend.”
Daily Racing Form, "America's Turf Authority since 1894" for Thoroughbred racing horseplayers and professionals throughout North America, is the Thoroughbred industry's dominant multi-channel media company. Launched in Chicago on November 17, 1894, Daily Racing Form is the only daily newspaper in the U.S. dedicated solely to the coverage of a single sport, publishing up to 2,000 unique pages of statistical and editorial copy every day, in as many as 30 daily editions, 364 days a year (with the exception of Christmas Day). Its companion website, www.drf.com, is the most heavily trafficked horseracing destination, providing players with interactive past performances, exclusive handicapping tools and access to its online wagering platform, DRF Bets.
The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading Thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.