Remainder of Eclipse Ballot, From Favorite Trick to Industry Favorite

Having recently stated the case for Favorite Trick as horse of the year, here are one man’s selections for the rest of the Eclipse awards:

* 2-year-old--Favorite Trick. The son of Phone Trick did everything asked of him in 1997, winning all eight of his starts at four tracks. And the way he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, at 1 1/16 miles, suggests he will be able to cope with longer races.

* 2-year-old filly--Countess Diana. For the second time in four years, both 2-year-old champions are from the same barn. Wayne Lukas had Timber Country and Flanders in 1994 and Pat Byrne has Favorite Trick and Countess Diana. This Deerhound filly wobbled home in the Alcibiades at Keeneland last month, leading many to believe she could be vulnerable in the Breeders’ Cup. Instead, she crushed her opposition for her fifth win in six starts.

* 3-year-old--Silver Charm. Touch Gold definitely had his moments, but faded at the end of the year and Deputy Commander finished strong. But Silver Charm deserves the honor with victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and his quest for the Triple Crown had people who never talk about racing talking about racing.

* 3-year-old filly--Blushing K.D. Her year--and career--were cut short by injury, but she finished with six wins in eight starts, her stakes victories includied the Fantasy at Oaklawn Park and the Kentucky Oaks. She handled Sharp Cat in the ‘Oaks and trounced Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Ajina in the Fantasy.

* Older male--Gentlemen. Illness knocked him out of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but, when he was right, he was the best handicap horse in the nation. He beat Skip Away in the Pimlico Special, finished ahead of Formal Gold in the Santa Anita Handicap and won the Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic. His three Grade I victories were one more than Skip Away had. Gentlemen won twice as many as he lost, whereas Skip Away was beaten in seven of his 11 races.

* Older female--Hidden Lake. This choice is made with extreme reluctance, but no other runner in the division stood out. This 4-year-old Quiet American filly was a one-turn specialist who excelled in New York but bombed in the Breeders’ Cup. Still, she did win three Grade I races.

* Male turf horse--Marlin. An injury in the Oak Tree Turf Championship ended his career prematurely, but he was consistent throughout the year for Lukas, with graded wins at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park and his biggest in the Arlington Million.

* Female turf horse--Ryafan or Memories Of Silver. Ryafan is two for two since coming to America, having won the Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland in early October, then the Yellow Ribbon at Oak Tree a month later. The Beverly D is included among Memories Of Silver’s victories and she had a brutal trip before finishing third in the Yellow Ribbon. These two will meet again in the $700,000 Matriarch on Sunday at Hollywood Park. A win in the Matriarch cemented the Eclipse for Wandesta a year ago.

* Sprinter--Elmhurst. In a lackluster division, the 7-year-old son of Wild Again is the selection based on his season-ending victories in the Ancient Title at Santa Anita and his 16-1 surprise in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

* Jockey--Gary Stevens. He is second in the national standings in money won, took two-thirds of the Triple Crown with Silver Charm, won the Arlington Million with Marlin, the Gold Cup and Pacific Classic with Gentlemen and had numerous other important victories, even though surgery sidelined him for part of the year.

* Trainer--Bob Baffert. Cases can be made for several others, among them Byrne, who has two champions; Bill Mott, who proved there is life after Cigar; Lukas, again the national money leader at last glance, and Richard Mandella, whose achievements earlier in the year shouldn’t be forgotten. Baffert has won at a high percentage all year, however, and did great work with Silver Charm. He was also a great spokesman for the sport.