Personal Ensign and Alysheba Top List of Eclipse Award Winners

Alysheba, the richest race horse in history, and Personal Ensign, the first major North American race horse to finish unbeaten in 80 years, won Eclipse Awards today.

Alysheba, who closed out his racing career by winning the $3-million Breeders Cup Classic, was named best older male, and Personal Ensign, who won all 13 of her starts before being retired, was named best older filly or mare.

These two are the main contenders for Horse of the Year, which will be announced Jan. 28.

Alysheba won $6,679,242 to pass John Henry as thoroughbred racing’s all-time money winner.

Other winners were: Easy Goer, 2-year-old colt; Open Mind, 2-year-old filly; Risen Star, 3-year-old colt; Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors, 3-year-old filly; Sunshine Forever, male turf; Miesque, female turf; Gulch, sprinter, and Jimmy Lorenzo, steeplechase.

Human winners were Shug McGaughey, trainer; Jose Santos, jockey; Steve Capanas, apprentice jockey, and Ogden Phipps, owner and breeder.

Voting was done by members of the National Turf Writers Assn. and Daily Racing Form, and racing secretaries for Thoroughbred Racing Assn. member tracks.