American Champion Male Turf Horse

The American Champion Male Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. The award originated in 1953 when the Daily Racing Form (DRF) named Iceberg II their champion. The Thoroughbred Racing Association (TRA) added the category in 1967. The organisations disagreed only once, in 1968. In 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to a Colt or Gelding, regardless of age, for their performance on grass race courses.

The Daily Racing Form, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, and the National Turf Writers Association all joined forces in 1971 to create the Eclipse Award. From 1953 through 1978 it was awarded to male or female horses although the only female champion was Dahlia in 1974. In 1979 an individual category was created for each of the sexes.

Starting with the 2015 Eclipse Awards it is no longer possible for a Champion Male Turf Horse to also win Champion Older Male Horse, as the latter category is now restricted to horses proficient in dirt or main track races.[1] The last such winner of both awards was Main Sequence in 2014.

Records

edit

Most wins:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Honorees

edit

Eclipse awards

edit
Year
Horse
Age Trainer
Owner
2023 Up to the Mark 4 Todd A. Pletcher Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable
2022 Modern Games (IRE) 3 Charlie Appleby Godolphin
2021 Yibir (GB) 3 Charlie Appleby Godolphin
2020 Channel Maker 6 William Mott Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable, and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing
2019 Bricks and Mortar 5 Chad C. Brown Klaravich Stables & William Lawrence
2018 Stormy Liberal 6 Peter Miller Rockingham Ranch & David A. Bernsen LLC
2017 World Approval 5 Mark E. Casse Live Oak Plantation
2016 Flintshire 7 Chad Brown Juddmonte Farms
2015 Big Blue Kitten 7 Chad Brown Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey
2014 Main Sequence 5 Graham Motion Flaxman Holdings
2013 Wise Dan 6 Charles Lopresti Morton Fink
2012 Wise Dan 5 Charles Lopresti Morton Fink
2011 Cape Blanco 4 Aidan O'Brien Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Fitriani Hay
2010 Gio Ponti 5 Christophe Clement Castleton Lyons
2009 Gio Ponti 4 Christophe Clement Castleton Lyons
2008 Conduit 4 Michael Stoute Ballymacoll Stud
2007 English Channel 5 Todd Pletcher James T. Scatuorchio
2006 Miesque's Approval 7 Martin D. Wolfson Live Oak Plantation Racing
2005 Leroidesanimaux 5 Robert J. Frankel T N T Stud
2004 Kitten's Joy 3 Dale Romans Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey
2003 High Chaparral 4 Aidan O'Brien Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier
2002 High Chaparral 3 Aidan O'Brien Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier
2001 Fantastic Light 5 Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin Racing
2000 Kalanisi 4 Michael Stoute Aga Khan IV
1999 Daylami 5 Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin Racing
1998 Buck's Boy 5 P. Noel Hickey Quarter B Farm
1997 Chief Bearheart 4 Mark Frostad Sam-Son Farm
1996 Singspiel 4 Michael Stoute Sheikh Mohammed
1995 Northern Spur 4 Ron McAnally Charles J. Cella
1994 Paradise Creek 5 William I. Mott Bertram R. Firestone
1993 Kotashaan 5 Richard E. Mandella La Presle Farm
1992 Sky Classic 5 James E. Day Sam-Son Farm
1991 Tight Spot 4 Ron McAnally Anderson, Winchell & Carradini
1990 Itsallgreektome 3 Wallace Dollase Jhayare Stables
1989 Steinlen 6 D. Wayne Lukas Wildenstein Stable
1988 Sunshine Forever 3 John M. Veitch Darby Dan Farm
1987 Theatrical 5 William I. Mott Allen E. Paulson
1986 Manila 3 LeRoy Jolley Bradley M. Shannon
1985 Cozzene 5 Jan H. Nerud John A. Nerud
1984 John Henry 9 Ron McAnally Dotsam Stable
1983 John Henry 8 Ron McAnally Dotsam Stable
1982 Perrault 5 Charles E. Whittingham Serge Fradkoff & Thierry van Zuylen
1981 John Henry 6 Ron McAnally Dotsam Stable
1980 John Henry 5 Ron McAnally Dotsam Stable
1979 Bowl Game 5 John M. Gaver, Jr. Greentree Stable
1978 Mac Diarmida 3 Flint S. Schulhofer Jerome M. Torsney
1977 Johnny D. 3 Michael Kay Dana S. Bray Jr.
1976 Youth 3 Maurice Zilber Nelson Bunker Hunt
1975 Snow Knight 4 MacKenzie Miller Windfields Farm
1974 Dahlia 4 Maurice Zilber Nelson Bunker Hunt
1973 Secretariat 3 Lucien Laurin Penny Chenery
1972 Cougar II 6 Charles E. Whittingham Mary F. Jones
1971 Run the Gantlet 3 J. Elliott Burch Rokeby Stables

Daily Racing Form, Turf & Sport Digest and Thoroughbred Racing Association Awards

edit
Year
Horse
Age Trainer
Owner
1970 Fort Marcy 6 J. Elliott Burch Rokeby Stables
1969 Hawaii 5 MacKenzie Miller Cragwood Stables
1968 Fort Marcy (TRA)[2] 4 J. Elliott Burch Rokeby Stables
1968 Dr. Fager (DRF)[3] 4 John A. Nerud William L. McKnight
1967 Fort Marcy 3 J. Elliott Burch Rokeby Stables
1966 Assagai 3 MacKenzie Miller Cragwood Stables
1965 Parka 7 Warren A. Croll, Jr. Pelican Stable (Rachel Carpenter)
1964 Turbo Jet II 4 Frank A. Bonsal Barclay Stable
1963 Mongo 4 Frank A. Bonsal Marion duPont Scott
1962
1961 T.V. Lark 4 Paul Parker Chase R. McCoy
1960
1959 Round Table 5 William Molter Brookmeade Stable
1958 Round Table 4 William Molter Kerr Stable
1957 Round Table 3 William Molter Brookmeade Stable
1956 Career Boy 3 Sylvester Veitch Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney
1955 St. Vincent 4 Vance Longden George R. Gardiner & Alberta Ranches
1954 Stan 4 Harry Trotsek Hasty House Farm
1953 Iceberg II[4] 5 Horatio Luro W. Arnold Hanger

References

edit
  1. ^ Hegarty, Matt (February 19, 2015). "Eclipse Awards: Turfers no longer eligible in older-male, older-female categories". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  2. ^ "Dr. Fager voted best". Youngstown Vindicator. December 6, 1968. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  3. ^ "D. Fager Named Horse Of The Year". Lewiston Morning Tribune. November 27, 1968. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  4. ^ "Tom Fool catches foe Native Dancer at last". Deseret News. November 13, 1953. Retrieved July 15, 2012.