Animal Kingdom leads Eclipse Award finalists
January 5, 2012BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Caleb's Posse and Preakness winner Shackleford are finalists for 3-year-old champion male honors at the Eclipse Awards.
The finalists for Horse of the Year will be announced on Jan. 16, when the awards are handed out at the Beverly Wilshire hotel.
Creative Cause, Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Hansen and BC Juvenile runner-up Union Rags are contenders for 2-year-old male. Pacific Classic winner Acclamation, Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up Game On Dude and Tizway are finalists for older male.
Awesome Maria, Blind Luck and Havre de Grace are up for older female honors.
Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and Bill Mott, along with Todd Pletcher, are vying for trainer of the year honors.