Filly Havre de Grace wins Horse of the Year

[January 17, 2012]  BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- Filly Havre de Grace defeated the boys again, winning Horse of the Year at the Eclipse Awards on Monday night and becoming the third consecutive female to receive the honor in a year that lacked a superstar in thoroughbred racing.

Havre de Grace joins Zenyatta in 2010 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009 -- two horses that captured the general public's interest and imagination -- as one of six females to earn the sport's top award. She received 166 first-place votes and 1,897 total points in balloting by members of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.

"It's some kind of thrill to win this award that I only dreamed of maybe 10, 15 years ago," owner Rick Porter said.

"She's the most deserving horse. She had the most memorable campaign and accounted for the most excitement at the top level of the sport throughout the year."

Acclamation finished second with 26 first-place votes and 552 points. Cape Blanco was third with nine first-place votes and 325 points. Game On Dude wasn't among the three finalists, but earned 10 first-place votes.

Havre de Grace was also honored with the older female trophy. She is trained by Larry Jones and ridden by Ramon Dominguez, who earned jockey of the year. She's in training at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas in preparation for a 4-year-old campaign this year.

"She's a racing star and racing needs stars," Jones said, crediting Porter for keeping her on the track and out of the more lucrative breeding shed. "Having insurance on this horse is going to cost him as much as she'll probably win."

Havre de Grace won the Woodward against male horses last year, then challenged them again and finished fourth in the BC Classic.

"It didn't go our way, but we never looked back and said it was a mistake," Jones said.

Earlier last year, she won the Apple Blossom Handicap and the Beldame, two of her three Grade 1 stakes wins.

"She did everything Larry and I asked of her and then some," Porter said, accepting her first trophy of the night. "She's an owner's dream come true. She's made racing for me and many others so thrilling. She is the best."

Kentucky Derby champion Animal Kingdom earned 3-year-old male honors at the awards honoring the top horses and humans of the year in racing.

Bill Mott won trainer honors, capping a year in which he swept the top two races at the Breeders' Cup.

Mott earned his third career Eclipse over fellow Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher, who led the nation's trainers in purse earnings with $16.8 million.

Mott saddled Royal Delta to victory in the BC Ladies' Classic in November and the next day his Drosselmeyer pulled an upset in the BC Classic. Last year, the East Coast-based Mott won 15 graded stakes races, including six in November. Mott had purse earnings of more than $10.5 million.

"The competition was pretty deep and this is a real honor," Mott said in thanking his assistant trainers, his horses and his family.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Hansen won the trophy for 2-year-old male at the 41st annual awards honoring the top horses and humans of 2011.

Hansen beat out Union Rags, winner of the Saratoga Special and Champagne and runner-up in the Juvenile.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey were chosen owner of the year. Their horses earned more than $4.8 million, fourth-best in the nation.

Adena Springs Farms, based in Kentucky and Canada and run by Frank Stronach, was chosen breeder of the year for the fourth time.

Ireland-bred Cape Blanco earned male turf honors. He flew to the U.S. and won the Man o' War, Arlington Million and Turf Classic Invitational for trainer Aidan O'Brien. France-bred Stacelita took the female turf award.

In the sprinting categories, Amazombie won male honors and Musical Romance took the female trophy. Amazombie, who was never worse than third in nine starts last year, capped 2011 with a win in the BC Sprint. Musical Romance won the BC Filly & Mare Sprint.

California-based Acclamation received older male honors, winning five of his seven starts last year, including the Pacific Classic.

"Wow, after only 55 years in the business, I think that's pretty great," co-owner Bud Johnston said.

My Miss Aurelia, who won all four of her races, including the BC Juvenile Fillies, received 2-year-old filly honors. She is co-owned by Stonestreet Stables, the racing operation of Jess Jackson, who named the filly before he died of cancer last year.

Black Jack Blues of Ireland was chosen top steeplechase horse.

[Associated Press; By BETH HARRIS]

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