The Eclipse Awards, horse racing's version of the Oscars, will be handed out Thursday night at Florida's Gulfstream Park, and as Horse Capital Reporter Samantha Lederman explains, there's a local contender for Horse of the Year honors.
Arrogate retired to stud at Prince Khalid Bin Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farm here in Lexington in November. This time last year Arrogate set the racing world alight winning the Pegasus Grade 1 and breaking the track record, and then going on to rally from last to win the Dubai Classic. Despite this, Juddmonte Stallions Nomination Manager Leif Aaron does not consider him a shoe-in to take the Horse of the Year title this year.
Although Arrogate trained out of the West Coast with Bob Baffert, he is essentially returning home to Kentucky, after being bred here by Clearsky Farms and bought out of the Keeneland September Sales.
Regardless of whether he wins the Eclipse Horse of the Year Title on Thursday, Aaron says Arrogate will always be the big horse at home.
Gun Runner is the favourite to win Horse of the Year, and Always Dreaming, the locally bred Kentucky Derby winner is nominated for 2017 Three Year Old Male Category. 17 awards will be given out to horses, jockeys and trainers, as well as the Eclipse Award of Merit to Frank Stronach, and the Horse Player of the Year Award to Ray Arsenault.
