American Champion Steeplechase Horse

Last updated

The American Champion Steeplechase Horse is an American horse racing honor awarded as part of the Eclipse Award program since its inception in 1971. It is awarded annually to the top horse in steeplechase racing.

Contents

Flatterer is the only horse to win the award four times in a row, his last coming at age 7 in 1986. Lonesome Glory has won the Award five times, more than any other horse, and was the oldest ever when he won it for the final time at age 11.

Honorees

Year
Horse
AgeTrainer
Owner
2022Hewick7John Joseph HanlonTJ McDonald
2021The Mean Queen (IRE)6Keri BrionButtonwood Farm
2020Moscato9Jack FisherBruton Street
2019Winston C5Jonathan E. SheppardHudson River Farms
2018Zanjabeel5Richard J. HendriksRosbrian Farm and Meadow Run Farm
2017Scorpiancer8Jack FisherBruton Street-US
2016Rawnaq9Cyril MurphyIrvin S. Naylor
2015Dawalan5Cyril MurphyIrvin S. Naylor
2014Demonstrative7Richard ValentineJacqueline Ohrstrom
2013 Divine Fortune 10 Jonathan E. Sheppard William L. Pape & Jonathan E. Sheppard
2012 Pierrot Lunaire 8Bruce MillerMrs. Calvin Houghland
2011 Black Jack Blues 8Joseph W. Delozier IIIIrvin S. Naylor
2010 Slip Away 7 Thomas H. Voss Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey
2009 Mixed Up 10 Jonathan E. Sheppard William L. Pape
2008 Good Night Shirt 7Jack FisherHarold A. Via, Jr.
2007 Good Night Shirt 6Jack FisherHarold A. Via, Jr.
2006 McDynamo 9 Sanna Hendriks Michael J. Moran
2005 McDynamo 8Sanna HendriksMichael J. Moran
2004 Hirapour 8P. Douglas FoutEldon Farm Racing Stable
2003 McDynamo 6Sanna HendriksMichael J. Moran
2002 Flat Top 9Janet ElliotNancy Gerry
2001 Pompeyo 7 Sanna Hendriks Augustin Stable
2000 All Gong 6Bruce MillerCalvin Houghland
1999 Lonesome Glory 11Bruce MillerKay Jeffords
1998 Flat Top 5Janet ElliotNancy Gerry
1997 Lonesome Glory 9Bruce MillerKay Jeffords
1996 Correggio 5Charles O'Brien William C. Lickle
1995 Lonesome Glory 7Bruce MillerKay Jeffords
1994 Warm Spell 4John K. GriggsJohn K. Griggs
1993 Lonesome Glory 5Bruce MillerKay Jeffords
1992 Lonesome Glory 4Bruce MillerKay Jeffords
1991 Morley Street 7 Toby Balding Michael Jackson Bloodstock
1990 Morley Street 6 Toby Balding Michael Jackson Bloodstock
1989 Highland Bud 4 Jonathan E. Sheppard Jesse M. Henley Jr.
1988 Jimmy Lorenzo 6 Jonathan E. Sheppard Bertram R. Firestone
1987 Inlander 6Charles Fenwick Jr. Dogwood Stable
1986 Flatterer 7 Jonathan E. Sheppard William L. Pape
1985 Flatterer 6 Jonathan E. Sheppard William L. Pape
1984 Flatterer 5 Jonathan E. Sheppard William L. Pape
1983 Flatterer 4 Jonathan E. Sheppard William L. Pape
1982 Zaccio 6 W. Burling Cocks Bunny Murdock
1981 Zaccio 5 W. Burling Cocks Bunny Murdock
1980 Zaccio 4 W. Burling Cocks Bunny Murdock
1979 Martie's Anger 4 Jonathan E. Sheppard William L. Pape
1978 Cafe Prince 8 Jonathan E. Sheppard Augustin Stable
1977 Cafe Prince 7 Jonathan E. Sheppard Augustin Stable
1976 Straight and True 6 Michael Smithwick Sr. Lillian Bostwick Phipps
1975 Life's Illusion 4 Paul R. Fout Virginia Guest
1974 Gran Kan 8Clarence Furr Florence L. Clark
1973 Athenian Idol 5 Jonathan E. Sheppard William L. Pape
1972 Soothsayer 5Peter M. Howe Marion duPont Scott
1971Shadow Brook7 Sidney Watters Jr. Stephen C. Clark Jr.

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

YearHorseAgeTrainerOwner
1970Top Bid6D.M SmithwickMrs Ogden Phipps
1969L'Escargot6Dan Moore Raymond R. Guest
1968Bon Nouvel8D.M SmithwickMrs. Theodora A. Randolph
1967Quick Pitch7E.B RyanF.P Ryan
1966Mako (DRF)6D.M SmithwickMrs Ogden Phipps
1966 Tuscalee (TRA)6Joe Aitcheson, Sr.Alfred H. Smith
1965Bon Nouvel5D.M SmithwickMrs. Theodora A. Randolph
1964Bon Nouvel4D.M SmithwickMrs. Theodora A. Randolph
1963Amber Driver6S. Watters JrMrs. S.C Clark Jr
1962Barnabys Bluff4G.H BostwickG.H Bostwick
1961Peal5C.V.B Cushman JrH.A Love
1960Benguala6R.G WoolfMontpelier
1959Ancestor10D.M SmithwickMrs Ogden Phipps
1958 Neji 8D.M Smithwick Lillian Bostwick Phipps
1957 Neji 7D.M Smithwick Lillian Bostwick Phipps
1956Shipboard6R.G WoolfMontpelier
1955 Neji 5 Pete Bostwick Lillian Bostwick Phipps
1954King Commander5E.E WeymouthMrs L.R Troiano
1953The Mast6J.E RyanMrs. J.R.H Thouron
1952Jam (DRF)5M.H Dixon Jr.J.F McHugh
1952 Oedipus (TRA)6 James E. Fitzsimmons Lillian Bostwick Phipps
1951 Oedipus 5 James E. Fitzsimmons Lillian Bostwick Phipps
1950 Oedipus 4 James E. Fitzsimmons Lillian Bostwick Phipps

Daily Racing Form and Turf & Sport Digest Awards

YearHorseAgeTrainerOwner
1949Trough Hill7J.T SkinnerMrs. S.C Clark Jr
1948American Way6J.T SkinnerRockeby Stable
1947War Battle6K.MillerK.Miller
1946Elkridge8Thomas HitchcockKent Miller
1945Mercator6W.G JonesW.H Lipscomb
1944Rouge Dragon6W.G JonesM.A Cushman
1943Brother Jones7W.R MillerH.E Talbott
1942Elkridge4Thomas HitchcockKent Miller
1941Speculate5W. PassmoreBayard Sharp
1937Jungle King7V. PowersGreentree Stable
1936 Bushranger 6J. Howard LewisJoeseph Widener

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. Wayne Lukas</span> American horse trainer

Darrell Wayne Lukas is an American horse trainer and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. He has won twenty Breeders' Cup races, received five Eclipse Awards for his accomplishments, and his horses have won 25 year-end Eclipse Awards. He was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2007.

Greentree Stable, in Red Bank, New Jersey, was a major American thoroughbred horse racing stable and breeding farm established in 1914 by Payne Whitney of the Whitney family of New York City. Payne Whitney operated a horse farm and stable at Saratoga Springs, New York with his brother Harry Payne Whitney, who also had a large stable of horses. Greentree Stable had a training base at Aiken, South Carolina, while Greentree Farm in Lexington, Kentucky was established in 1925 as its breeding arm.

The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse.

The American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971.

The title of American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, 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 Male 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogden Phipps</span> American businessman

Ogden Phipps was an American stockbroker, court tennis champion and Hall of Fame member, thoroughbred horse racing executive and owner/breeder, and an art collector and philanthropist. In 2001, he was inducted into the International Court Tennis Hall of Fame.

George Herbert "Pete" Bostwick was an American court tennis player, a steeplechase jockey and horse trainer, and an eight-goal polo player.

Rokeby Stables was an American thoroughbred racehorse breeding farm in Upperville, Virginia, involved with both steeplechase and flat racing. The operation was established in the late 1940s by Paul Mellon (1907–1999) who won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder in 1971 and again in 1986. Under Mellon the stable had more than 1,000 stakes race winners with total earnings in excess of US$30 million.

Green Dancer was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion. A son of the British Tiple Crown winner Nijinsky, he won the French 2000 Guineas in 1975.

George W. Strawbridge Jr. is an American educator, historian, investor, sportsman and philanthropist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cafe Prince</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Cafe Prince was an American Thoroughbred Champion steeplechase racehorse. A descendant through his dam and his sire of the great runner and sire, Nearco, he was bred by "Donut King" Verne Winchell and purchased as a yearling at the Saratoga Yearling sales by George W. Strawbridge, Jr. who raced him throughout his career under his Augustin Stable colors.

McDynamo was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a five-time winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Grand National Steeplechase at the Far Hills Races and a three-time honoree with the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Steeplechase horse. McDynamo was sired by Dynaformer.

Jonathan E. Sheppard was an English Hall of Fame trainer in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He holds the record for the most wins in American steeplechase racing history with 1,242 victories, and led with the most U.S. steeplechase wins per year a record 26 times between 1972 and his retirement in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eclipse Award Trophy</span>

The Eclipse Award Trophy is presented annually to recognize those horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements have earned them the title of Champion in their respective categories. Presently there are twenty categories that include American Horse of the Year, eleven Division Champions, five connection Champions and three miscellaneous awards.

Dogwood Stable was an American Thoroughbred racehorse partnership. Founded by W. Cothran "Cot" Campbell in 1969, Dogwood was widely viewed to have introduced the concept of group thoroughbred ownership in the United States by offering shares in a racehorse to multiple individuals. Campbell estimated that more than 1,200 individuals had taken part as members of the stable.

Olympia (1946–1974) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won top races at age two through four then became a foundation sire for Florida breeder, Fred W. Hooper. Bred by Hall of Fame jockey turned trainer, Ivan H. Parke, he was sired by Champion sire Heliopolis and out of the mare, Miss Dolphin.

Lonesome Glory (1988–2002) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a specialist steeplechaser who won the title of American Champion Steeplechase Horse on a record five occasions. In a racing career which lasted from 1991 through 1999, he ran forty-two times and won twenty-three races including many of America's most important steeplechases including the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase, the Colonial Cup and the Carolina Cup (twice). Lonesome Glory also became one of the few American-trained horses to compete successfully in the United Kingdom, winning races in 1992 and 1995. Lonesome Glory was the first American steeplechaser to win more than $1 million in prize money.

Morley Street (1984-–2009) was an Irish racehorse. He was a specialist hurdler but also won steeplechases and races on the flat. In a racing career which lasted from November 1988 until December 1995, he ran forty-five times and won twenty races including the Champion Hurdle in 1991 and the Aintree Hurdle on four successive occasions. He won the title of American Champion Steeplechase Horse on two occasions, as a result of back-to-back wins in the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase.

Flatterer (1979–2014) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a specialist steeplechaser who was the first to win the title of American Champion Steeplechase Horse on a record four occasions. In a racing career which lasted from 1982 through 1988 when he turned 8, he ran fifty-one times and won twenty-four races including many of America's most important steeplechases including the Colonial Cup. Flatterer also became one of the few American-trained horses to compete successfully in the United Kingdom, placing second in the Champion Hurdle in 1987 and also in France, placing second in the French Champion Hurdle1986. Flatterer was the first American steeplechaser to live to the age of 35.

References