The 2010 Turk-clipse Awards

Here we are, another year come and gone and another year for one of the most stale award shows on the planet, the Eclipse Awards.

The Turk isn't a big fan of Award Shows or for that matter, Hall Of Fame's. I know, I'm being a stick in the mud but I'm entitled to my opinion and all six of my readers are entitled to ignore it.

Athletes compete in the arena, or at a race track, and their efforts are timeless, locked in a moment, forever remembered for what they were, defined on their own merits, not by how journalists vote or wish to interpret the importance. The subjective comparisons marginalize some and overly praise others.

Ask Joe Race fan who the Horse of the Year 2010 was and many will tell you Zenyatta. She made people care like they haven't since Big Brown was on the verge of a Triple Crown, Barbaro valiantly fought for his life, or Rachael Alexandra's campaign for the ages. Ask the intelligista though and you'll get clinical analysis about Blame, a darn fine horse that may be deserving of a fancy trophy but lacking as the type of animal that stirs passion like Zenyatta.

OK, I bitched and whined about the award show, but I'm also a hypocrite because I watch every year, usually enjoying the Paulick Report live blogging at the same time. I'll never be confused as a journalist or an important new media voice, or worse, old media intelligista, but I watch racing closely and I'm using my blog to cast my own votes.

Here we go players!


Horse of the Year: Blame, Goldikova (IRE), Zenyatta

Two-Year-Old Male: Boys at Tosconova, To Honor and Serve, Uncle Mo

Two-Year-Old Filly: Awesome Feather, R Heat Lightning, Turbulent Descent

Three-Year-Old Male: Eskendereya, Lookin At Lucky, Paddy O'Prado

Three-Year-Old Filly: Blind Luck, Evening Jewel, Havre de Grace

Older Male: Blame, Quality Road, Richard's Kid

Older Female: Life at Ten, Unrivaled Belle, Zenyatta

Male Sprinter: Big Drama, Majesticperfection, Smiling Tiger

Female Sprinter: Champagne d’Oro, Dubai Majesty, Rightly So

Male Turf Horse: Dangerous Midge, Gio Ponti, Winchester

Female Turf Horse: Goldikova (IRE), Proviso (GB), Tuscan Evening

Trainer: Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher, John Shirreffs

Jockey: Ramon Dominguez, Garrett Gomez, John Velazquez