American Champion Older Dirt Female Horse
The Eclipse Award for Champion Older Dirt Female Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a filly or mare, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part of the Eclipse Awards program as the award for Champion Older Female Horse.
In 1936 both the Turf & Sports Digest magazine and Daily Racing Form (DRF) began naming an annual champion. Starting in 1950, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) began naming its own champion. The following list provides the name of the horses chosen by both of these organizations. Whenever there were different champions named, the horses are listed side-by-side with the one chosen as champion by the Daily Racing Form noted with the letters (DRF), the one chosen by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations by the letters (TRA) and the one chosen by Turf and Sports Digest by the letters (TSD).
Prior to 1971 this award was referred to as "Champion Female Handicap Horse" or "Champion Handicap Mare". The Daily Racing Form version was open to any female horse, and was given to some Champions at the age of three, such as Tosmah, Twilight Tear and Busher.
Champions prior to 1936 were selected retrospectively by a panel of experts as published by The Blood-Horse magazine.
In 2015, the Daily Racing Form, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, and the National Turf Writers Association decided that the award would be renamed and awarded to older female horses proficient in dirt and main track races.[1]
Honorees
Eclipse Award for Champion Older Dirt Female
Daily Racing Form, Turf & Sport Digest and Thoroughbred Racing Association Awards
| Year |
Horse |
Age | Trainer |
Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Shuvee | 4 | Willard C. Freeman | Anne Minor Stone |
| 1969 | Gallant Bloom (DRF) | 3 | William J. Hirsch | Robert J. Kelberg, Jr. |
| 1969 | Gamely (TRA) | 5 | James W. Maloney | William Haggin Perry |
| 1968 | Gamely | 4 | James W. Maloney | William Haggin Perry |
| 1967 | Straight Deal II | 5 | Hirsch Jacobs | Ethel D. Jacobs |
| 1966 | Open Fire (DRF)[2] | 5 | Virgil W. Raines | Brandywine Stable |
| 1966 | Summer Scandal (TRA) | 4 | Woods Garth | Harborvale Stable |
| 1965 | Old Hat | 6 | Charles C. Norman | Stanley Conrad |
| 1964 | Tosmah (DRF) | 3 | Joseph W. Mergler | Briardale Farm |
| 1964 | Old Hat (TRA)[3] | 5 | Charles C. Norman | Stanley Conrad |
| 1963 | Cicada | 4 | Casey Hayes | Christopher Chenery |
| 1962 | Primonetta | 4 | James P. Conway | Darby Dan Farm |
| 1961 | Airmans Guide | 4 | Burton Williams | Hugh A. Grant, Sr. |
| 1960 | Royal Native | 4 | Peter F. Gacicia | William B. MacDonald |
| 1959 | Tempted | 4 | Henry S. Clark | Mooring Stable |
| 1958 | Bornastar | 5 | W. Graves Sparks | J. Graham Brown |
| 1957 | Pucker Up | 4 | James P. Conway | Ada L. Rice |
| 1956 | Blue Sparkler | 4 | Howard Wells | Amory L. Haskell |
| 1955 | Misty Morn (DRF) | 3 | James E. Fitzsimmons | Wheatley Stable |
| 1955 | Parlo (TRA) | 4 | Richard E. Handlen | William du Pont, Jr. |
| 1954 | Parlo (DRF)[4] | 3 | Richard E. Handlen | William du Pont, Jr. |
| 1954 | Lavender Hill (TRA) | 5 | Tommy Kelley | Mrs. Charles Silvers |
| 1953 | Sickle's Image | 5 | Clarence W. Hartwick | Clarence W. Hartwick |
| 1952 | Real Delight (DRF) | 3 | Horace A. Jones | Calumet Farm |
| 1952 | Next Move (TRA)[5] | 5 | William C. Winfrey | Alfred G. Vanderbilt II |
| 1951 | Bed o' Roses | 4 | William C. Winfrey | Alfred G. Vanderbilt II |
| 1950 | Two Lea | 4 | Horace A. Jones | Calumet Farm |
Daily Racing Form and Turf & Sport Digest Awards
| Year |
Horse |
Age | Trainer |
Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Bewitch | 4 | Ben A. Jones | Calumet Farm |
| 1948 | Conniver | 4 | William Post | Harry La Montagne |
| 1947 | But Why Not | 3 | Max Hirsch | King Ranch |
| 1946 | Gallorette | 4 | Edward A. Christmas | William L. Brann |
| 1945 | Busher | 3 | George M. Odom | Louis B. Mayer |
| 1944 | Twilight Tear | 3 | Ben A. Jones | Calumet Farm |
| 1943 | Mar-Kell | 4 | Ben A. Jones | Calumet Farm |
| 1942 | Vagrancy | 3 | James E. Fitzsimmons | Belair Stud |
| 1941 | Fairy Chant | 4 | Richard E. Handlen | William du Pont, Jr. |
| 1940 | War Plumage | 4 | Howard Oots | James Cox Brady, Jr. |
| 1939 | Lady Maryland | 5 | not found | Gustav Ring |
| 1938 | Esposa | 6 | Matthew P. Brady | William Ziegler, Jr. |
| 1938 | Marica | 5 | Howard Wells | Thomas D. Taggart |
| 1937 | Esposa | 5 | Matthew P. Brady | William Ziegler, Jr. |
| 1936 | Myrtlewood | 4 | Ray Kindred | Brownell Combs |
Informal and retrospective awards
| Year |
Horse |
Age | Trainer |
Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Late Date | 6 | R. E. Mahoney | Brentwood Stable |
| 1935 | Some Pomp | 4 | Bert B. Williams | Calumet Farm |
| 1934 | Advising Anna | 4 | Jack Howard | Mrs. Anna Howard |
| 1933 | Rambour | 5 | Preston M. Burch | Preston M. Burch |
| 1932 | Tred Avon | 4 | William Irvine | Sylvester W. Labrot |
| 1931 | Valenciennes | 4 | Willie Knapp | Fannie Hertz |
| 1930 | Lady Broadcast | 4 | not found | Roger Caldwell |
| 1929 | Bateau | 4 | Scott P. Harlan | Walter M. Jeffords |
| 1928 | Black Maria | 5 | William H. Karrick | William R. Coe |
| 1927 | Black Maria | 4 | William H. Karrick | William R. Coe |
| 1926 | Princess Doreen | 5 | Kay Spence | Audley Farm Stable |
| 1925 | Princess Doreen | 4 | Kay Spence | Audley Farm Stable |
| 1924 | Chacolet | 6 | Will Buford | Hal Price Headley |
| 1923 | Chacolet | 5 | Will Buford | Hal Price Headley |
| 1922 | Careful | 4 | Eugene Wayland | Walter J. Salmon, Sr. |
| 1921 | My Dear | 4 | Fred Musante | Fred Musante |
| 1920 | Milkmaid | 4 | H. Guy Bedwell | J. K. L. Ross |
References
- ↑ Hegarty, Matt (February 19, 2015). "Eclipse Awards: Turfers no longer eligible in older-male, older-female categories". drf.com. Daily Racing Form. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ↑ "Unitas won't pass buck". Altus Times-Democrat. November 23, 1966. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
- ↑ "Minute sports page". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 27, 1964. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
- ↑ "Native Dancer Horse-of-Year". Times-News. November 27, 1954. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
- ↑ "Horse Champion list completed". Tuscaloosa News. December 4, 1952. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
- The Eclipse Awards at the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of America, Inc.
- The Bloodhorse.com Champion's history charts
- American Champion Older Female Horse at Thoroughbred Heritage