Saint Liam Bags Eclipse Award

2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park

The 2008 Breeders' Cup, thoroughbred racing's most prestigious event, consisting of 14 Breeders' Cup races and $25.5 million in purses, will be held on October 24-25, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

But before that, Belmont Stakes winner Da'Tara is going to race in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course while Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown will be racing in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

Posted on Wednesday, January 25th, 2006

2005 Breeders’ Cup Classic champ, Saint Liam, outshines Afleet Alex as he takes the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year on Monday.

Saint Liam received 194 first-place votes to 56 for Afleet Alex in Horse of the Year balloting.

The colt won four of six races in 2005 — all Grade 1 stakes. He defeated Flower Alley by one length in the BC Classic at Belmont Park in October before retiring with earnings of $4,456,995 for owners William and Suzanne Warren.

Saint Liam also won the Eclipse for older male in balloting by the Daily Racing Form, National Turf Writers Association and National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Meanwhile Afleet Alex, who won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes after finishing third in the Kentucky Derby, was voted top 3-year-old colt beating Flower Alley and Derby winner Giacomo.

Stevie Wonderboy, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, was chosen top 2-year-old colt. Trained by Doug O’Neill and owned by hotel and television magnate Merv Griffin, Stevie Wonderboy an early favorite for the 132nd Kentucky Derby.

On the human side, Todd Pletcher won his second straight Eclipse as trainer of the year. His stable, which includes Flower Alley and Ashado, earned a record of nearly $21 million last year. He beat out Steve Asmussen and Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel.

John Velazquez was chosen jockey of the year for the second time in a row. His mounts earned more than $24 million, a single-season record. And Emma-Jayne Wilson, a 24-year-old who rides in Canada, became the second woman to win apprentice jockey honors. Thefirst was Rosemary Homeister Jr. in 1992.

The Eclipse Award of Merit was given to Penny Chenery, who owned 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat.

The Eclipse Awards are named after the 18th century horse Eclipse, who was undefeated in 18 career starts and sired winners of more than 300 races, including three Epsom Derbies.

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"Saint Liam Bags Eclipse Award" was posted on Wednesday, January 25th, 2006 at 10:36 am and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Jockeys, Owners & Breeders, Trainers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.