American Horse of the Year

The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding.

Official voting for Horse of the Year honors did not begin until 1936 when the American Daily Racing Form (DRF) began choosing a Horse of the Year. In 1950, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America (TRA) inaugurated its own Horse of the Year award. These voting procedures meant there were co-champions in 1949, 1952, 1957, 1965, and 1970.

In 1971, the DRF and TRA got together with the National Turf Writers Association and created one set of awards called the Eclipse Awards. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association replaced the TRA as a sponsor in 1998.

In a rare occurrence, two two-year-olds topped the balloting for 1972 American Horse of the Year honors with Secretariat edging out the filly, La Prevoyante. Secretariat received the votes of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America and the Daily Racing Form, while La Prevoyante was chosen by the National Turf Writers Association.[1]

Kelso, who placed 4th in the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, won Horse of the Year honors five consecutive years. Omaha is the only Triple Crown winner not to be voted Horse of the Year.

Records

Most wins:

5 - Kelso (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964)

Most wins by a trainer:

8 - James G. Rowe, Sr. (1896, 1900, 1901, 1905, 1907, 1908, 1913, 1915)

Most wins by an owner:

6 - Calumet Farm (1941, 1942, 1944, 1947, 1948, 1949)

Honorees

Year	Horse	Trainer	Owner	Age	Gender
2009	Rachel Alexandra	Hal Wiggins, Steve Asmussen	Stonestreet Stables	3	F
2008	Curlin	Steve Asmussen	Stonestreet Farm et al.	4	C
2007	Curlin	Steve Asmussen	Stonestreet Farm et al.	3	C
2006	Invasor	Kiaran McLaughlin	Shadwell Racing	4	C
2005	Saint Liam	Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.	M/M William K. Warren, Jr.	5	C
2004	Ghostzapper	Robert J. Frankel	Frank Stronach	4	C
2003	Mineshaft	Neil J. Howard	Farish / Webber / Elkins	4	C
2002	Azeri	Laura de Seroux	Michael Paulson	4	F
2001	Point Given	Bob Baffert	The Thoroughbred Corp.	3	C
2000	Tiznow	Jay M. Robbins	M. Cooper & C.S. Rubens	3	C
1999	Charismatic	D. Wayne Lukas	Bob and Beverly Lewis	3	C
1998	Skip Away	Sonny Hine	Carolyn Hine	5	C
1997	Favorite Trick	Patrick B. Byrne	Joseph LaCombe	2	C
1996	Cigar	William I. Mott	Allen E. Paulson	6	C
1995	Cigar	William I. Mott	Allen E. Paulson	5	C
1994	Holy Bull	Warren A. Croll, Jr.	Warren A. Croll, Jr.	3	C
1993	Kotashaan	Richard Mandella	La Presle Farm	5	C
1992	A.P. Indy	Neil D. Drysdale	Tomonori Tsurumaki	3	C
1991	Black Tie Affair	Ernie T. Poulos	Jeffrey Sullivan	5	C
1990	Criminal Type	D. Wayne Lukas	Calumet & Jurgen K. Arnemann	5	C
1989	Sunday Silence	Charlie Whittingham	H-G-W Partners	3	C
1988	Alysheba	Jack Van Berg	Dorothy & Pamela Scharbauer	4	C
1987	Ferdinand	Charlie Whittingham	Elizabeth A. Keck	4	C
1986	Lady's Secret	D. Wayne Lukas	Eugene V. Klein	4	F
1985	Spend A Buck	Cam Gambolati	Hunter Farm	3	C
1984	John Henry	Ron McAnally	Dotsam Stable	9	G
1983	All Along	Patrick Biancone	Daniel Wildenstein	4	F
1982	Conquistador Cielo	Woody Stephens	Henryk de Kwiatkowski	3	C
1981	John Henry	Ron McAnally	Dotsam Stable	6	G
1980	Spectacular Bid	Bud Delp	Hawksworth Farm	4	C
1979	Affirmed	Laz Barrera	Harbor View Farm	4	C
1978	Affirmed	Laz Barrera	Harbor View Farm	3	C
1977	Seattle Slew	William H. Turner, Jr.	Karen & Mickey Taylor	3	C
1976	Forego	Frank Y. Whiteley, Jr.	Lazy F. Ranch	6	G
1975	Forego	Sherrill W. Ward	Lazy F. Ranch	5	G
1974	Forego	Sherrill W. Ward	Lazy F. Ranch	4	G
1973	Secretariat	Lucien Laurin	Meadow Stable	3	C
1972	Secretariat	Lucien Laurin	Meadow Stable	2	C
1971	Ack Ack	Charlie Whittingham	Buddy Fogelson	5	C
1970	Fort Marcy	J. Elliott Burch	Rokeby Stables	6	G
1970	Personality	John W. Jacobs	Ethel D. Jacobs	3	C
1969	Arts and Letters	J. Elliott Burch	Rokeby Stables	3	G
1968	Dr. Fager	John A. Nerud	Tartan Stable	4	C
1967	Damascus	Frank Y. Whiteley, Jr.	Edith W. Bancroft	3	C
1966	Buckpasser	Edward A. Neloy	Ogden Phipps	3	C
1965	Roman Brother	Burley Parke	Harbor View Farm	4	G
1965	Moccasin	Harry Trotsek	Claiborne Farm	2	F
1964	Kelso	Carl Hanford	Bohemia Stable	7
1963	Kelso	Carl Hanford	Bohemia Stable	6	G
1962	Kelso	Carl Hanford	Bohemia Stable	5	G
1961	Kelso	Carl Hanford	Bohemia Stable	4	G
1960	Kelso	Carl Hanford	Bohemia Stable	3	G
1959	Sword Dancer	J. Elliott Burch	Brookmeade Stable	3	C
1958	Round Table	William Molter	Kerr Stable	4	C
1957	Dedicate	G. Carey Winfrey	Jan Winfrey Burke	5	C
1957	Bold Ruler	Jim Fitzsimmons	Wheatley Stable	3	C
1956	Swaps	Mesh Tenney	Rex C. Ellsworth	4	C
1955	Nashua	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	3	C
1954	Native Dancer	William C. Winfrey	Alfred G. Vanderbilt II	4	C
1953	Tom Fool	John M. Gaver, Sr.	Greentree Stable	4	C
1952	Native Dancer	William C. Winfrey	Alfred G. Vanderbilt II	2	C
1952	One Count	Oscar White	Sarah Jeffords	3	C
1951	Counterpoint	Sylvester Veitch	C. V. Whitney	3	C
1950	Hill Prince	Casey Hayes	Christopher Chenery	3	C
1949	Capot	John M. Gaver, Sr.	Greentree Stable	3	C
1949	Coaltown	Horace A. Jones	Calumet Farm	4	C
1948	Citation	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	3	C
1947	Armed	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	6	G
1946	Assault	Max Hirsch	King Ranch	3	C
1945	Busher	George M. Odom	Louis B. Mayer	3	F
1944	Twilight Tear	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	3	F
1943	Count Fleet	Don Cameron	Fannie Hertz	3	C
1942	Whirlaway	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	4	C
1941	Whirlaway	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	3	C
1940	Challedon	Louis J. Schaefer	Branncastle Farm	4	C
1939	Challedon	Louis J. Schaefer	Branncastle Farm	3	C
1938	Seabiscuit	Tom Smith	Charles S. Howard	5	C
1937	War Admiral	George Conway	Glen Riddle Farm	3	C
1936	Granville	Jim Fitzsimmons	William Woodward, Sr.	3	C
1935	Discovery	J. H. "Bud" Stotler	Alfred G. Vanderbilt II	4	C
1934	Cavalcade	Robert A. Smith	Brookmeade Stable	3	C
1933	Equipoise	Thomas J. Healy	Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney	5	C
1932	Equipoise	Thomas J. Healy	Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney	4	C
1931	Twenty Grand	James G. Rowe, Jr.	Greentree Stable	3	C
1930	Gallant Fox	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	3	C
1929	Blue Larkspur	Herbert J. Thompson	Edward R. Bradley	3	C
1928	Reigh Count	Bert S. Michell	Fannie Hertz	3	C
1927	Chance Play	John I. Smith	Log Cabin Stable	4	C
1926	Crusader	George Conway	Glen Riddle Farm	3	C
1925	Sarazen	Max Hirsch	Virginia Fair Vanderbilt	4	G
1924	Sarazen	Max Hirsch	Virginia Fair Vanderbilt	3	G
1923	Zev	David J. Leary	Rancocas Stable	3	C
1922	Exterminator	Henry McDaniel	Willis Sharpe Kilmer	7	G
1921	Grey Lag	Sam Hildreth	Rancocas Stable	3	C
1920	Man o' War	Louis Feustel	Samuel D. Riddle	3	C
1919	Sir Barton	H. Guy Bedwell	J. K. L. Ross	3	C
1918	Johren	Albert Simons	Harry P. Whitney	3	C
1917	Old Rosebud	Frank D. Weir	Weir & Hamilton Applegate	6	G
1916	Friar Rock	Sam Hildreth	August Belmont, Jr.	3	C
1915	Regret	James G. Rowe, Sr.	Harry P. Whitney	3	F
1914	Roamer	Jack Goldsborough	Andrew Miller	3	G
1913	Whisk Broom II	James G. Rowe, Sr.	Harry P. Whitney	6	C
1912	The Manager	Thomas C. McDowell	Thomas C. McDowell	3	K.A.
1911	Meridian	Albert Ewing	Richard F. Carman	3	C
1910	Fitz Herbert	Sam Hildreth	Charles Kohler	4	C
1909	Fitz Herbert	Sam Hildreth	Sam Hildreth	3	C
1908	Colin	James G. Rowe, Sr.	James R. Keene	3	C
1907	Colin	James G. Rowe, Sr.	James R. Keene	2	C
1906	Burgomaster	John W. Rogers	Harry P. Whitney	3	K.A.
1905	Sysonby	James G. Rowe, Sr.	James R. Keene	3	C
1904	Beldame	John J. Hyland	August Belmont, Jr.	3	F
1903	Hermis	John H. McCormack	H. M. Ziegler	4	C
1902	Hermis	John H. McCormack	H. M. Ziegler	3	C
1901	Commando	James G. Rowe, Sr.	James R. Keene	3	C
1900	Commando	James G. Rowe, Sr.	James R. Keene	2	C
1899	Imp	Charles E. Brossman	Daniel R. Harness	5	F
1898	Hamburg	William Lakeland	Marcus Daly	3	C
1897	Ornament	Charles E. Patterson	Charles E. Patterson	3	K.A.
1896	Requital	James G. Rowe, Sr.	Brookdale Stable	3	K.A.
1895	Henry of Navarre	John J. Hyland	August Belmont, Jr.	4	C
1894	Henry of Navarre	Byron McClelland	Byron McClelland	3	C
1893	Domino	William Lakeland	James & Foxhall Keene	2	C
1892	Tammany	Matthew Byrnes	Marcus Daly	3	C
1891	Longstreet	Hardy Campbell, Jr.	Michael F. Dwyer	5	K.A.
1890	Salvator	Matthew Byrnes	James Ben Ali Haggin	4	C
1889	Salvator	Matthew Byrnes	James Ben Ali Haggin	3	C
1888	Emperor of Norfolk	Robert W. Thomas	E.J. "Lucky" Baldwin	3	C
1887	Hanover	Frank McCabe	Dwyer Brothers Stable	3	H

References