Kotashaan Runs on the Lead : Eclipse Awards: After beating Lure for best male on grass, 5-year-old is shoo-in for horse of the year.

The horse-of-the-year vote for 1993 won’t be revealed until Feb. 4, but Kotashaan was guaranteed the title Thursday when it was announced that he had beaten Lure in a close Eclipse Awards election for best male grass horse.

With last year’s dirt horses unable to establish any consistency, Kotashaan will become the first grass horse to win horse-of-the-year honors since John Henry in 1984.

In the voting for best male on grass, Kotashaan defeated Lure, 150-107, as 276 turf writers, track racing secretaries and Daily Racing Form staffers cast ballots. To win, a horse must receive a plurality from at least two of the three voting blocs, and Kotashaan was ahead on all three ballots.

Kotashaan and Lure never raced against one another, both horses winning stakes on Breeders’ Cup day at Santa Anita. Kotashaan made one more start, finishing second three weeks later in the Japan Cup in Tokyo when jockey Kent Desormeaux stood up before the finish line.

With six victories and three seconds in 10 starts, Kotashaan led the country in earnings with $2.6 million. The 5-year-old French-bred finished fourth in his first start on New Year’s Day, then was first or second in all his other races. His major victories were the San Luis Rey and the San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita last winter, the Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar and the Oak Tree Invitational and the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita in the fall.

All but one of Kotashaan’s triumphs were at 1 1/2 miles or farther. Shorter distances were Lure’s forte. His victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile closed out his year with six victories in eight starts.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Kotashaan raced for his breeders, Jacques and Gerard Werthheimer, brothers in the French family that makes Chanel perfume. Kotashaan, a son of Darshaan and Haute Autorite, an Elocutionist mare, has been retired from racing and was sold for an estimated $4.5 million to a syndicate that will stand him at stud in Japan.

Mandella trained another 1993 Eclipse Award winner, Phone Chatter, who was voted best 2-year-old filly.

In other Eclipse results announced Thursday, Dehere edged out Brocco for best 2-year-old male in a contest that was decided by one vote. Dehere won the turf writers’ vote, 71-57. Brocco was the 52-39 leader on the Racing Form ballots, and the racing secretaries broke the tie in favor of Dehere, 15-14.

Two mares repeated as Eclipse winners, Paseana winning in the division for older distaffers on dirt and Flawlessly taking the female grass title. Other winners were Prairie Bayou, 3-year-old colt; Hollywood Wildcat, 3-year-old filly; Bertrando, older males on dirt; Cardmania, sprinter; and Lonesome Glory, best steeplechaser for the second consecutive year. Prairie Bayou, winner of the Preakness Stakes, broke down in the Belmont and was destroyed.

Bobby Frankel, whose barn led the money list with almost $9 million, was voted outstanding trainer. Mike Smith, whose horses earned $14 million, giving him a record 62 stakes victories, won the jockey award, and Juan Umana was voted best apprentice rider. John Franks won the Eclipse for outstanding owner for the third time, and Allen Paulson was voted best breeder.

(COVER) ECLIPSE WINNERS

2-YEAR-OLD COLT OR GELDING * Dehere

2-YEAR-OLD FILLY * Phone Chatter

3-YEAR-OLD COLT OR GELDING * Prairie Bayou

3-YEAR-OLD FILLY * Hollywood Wildcat

OLDER MALE * Bertrando

OLDER FILLY-MARE * Paseana

MALE TURF * Kotashaan

FEMALE TURF * Flawlessly

SPRINTER * Cardmania

STEEPLECHASE * Lonesome Glory

TRAINER * Bobby Frankel

JOCKEY * Mike Smith

APPRENTICE JOCKEY * Juan Umana

OWNER * John Franks

BREEDER * Allen Paulson