NTRA release

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), National Turf Writers Association (NTWA) and Daily Racing Form (DRF) today announced the finalists for the 2008 Eclipse Awards, as voted on and presented by the three organizations, in recognition of excellence in Thoroughbred racing. Winners in all categories will be announced at the 38th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony, to be held Monday evening, January 26, at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in Miami Beach, Fla.

 The Eclipse Awards finalists (in alphabetical order) are:

Two-Year-Old Male: Midshipman, Old Fashioned, Vineyard Haven  
Two-Year-Old Filly:  Dream Empress, Maram, Stardom Bound   
Three-Year-Old Male: Big Brown, Colonel John, Raven’s Pass
Three-Year-Old Filly:  Eight Belles, Music Note, Proud Spell
Older Male: Commentator, Curlin, Einstein (BRZ)
Older Female:  Cocoa Beach (CHI), Ginger Punch, Zenyatta
Male Sprinter:  Benny the Bull, Midnight Lute, Street Boss
Female Sprinter: Indian Blessing, Intangaroo, Ventura
Male Turf Horse: Conduit (IRE), Einstein (BRZ), Grand Couturier (GB)
Female Turf Horse: Cocoa Beach (CHI), Forever Together, Goldikova (IRE)  
Steeplechase Horse: Be Certain, Good Night Shirt, Sovereign Duty  
Owner:  Godolphin Racing, IEAH Stables, Stronach Stables   
Breeder: Adena Springs, Stonerside Stable, WinStar Farm 
Trainer:  Steve Asmussen, Richard Dutrow, Jr., Bobby Frankel 
Jockey:  Robby Albarado, Rafael Bejarano, Garrett Gomez 
Apprentice Jockey:  Inez Karlsson, Pascacio Lopez, Abel Mariano
 
Finalists for Horse of the Year will be announced at the Eclipse Awards ceremony. NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop will present the Horse of the Year trophy to the winning connections at the conclusion of the ceremony.

The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.

The 2008 Eclipse Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, Jan. 26, 2009 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in Miami Beach, Fla.

NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.