OPINON | Cogburn was robbed at the Eclipse Awards

America’s best sprinter and turf horse of 2024 went home without any hardware from the Eclipse Awards on Jan. 23. He should’ve gone home with two mini bronze ponies for his windowsill at Winstar Farm.

Cogburn’s robbery at the Eclipse awards is due to three factors: over reliance on the Breeders’ Cup, a national preference for routers over sprinters and as well as the preference for dirt over turf. So, why does Cogburn deserve an award (or two)?

Cogburn (Not This Time) ran four races in 2024, all in grade 2 or higher company. A light campaign, but he hit all the major turf sprints in the United States. In his win column are a track-record setting romp in the GI Jaipur, and cruising efforts in the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint and GII Ainsworth Turf Sprint. He beat X individual graded stakes winners in his three victories.

Now to address factor one, his loss in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Cogburn went too fast and got caught at Del Mar. He finished fifth after blazing the first quarter in 21.59 and the half mile in 43.72. That is what cost him the Eclipse Awards.

But you know what other Eclipse winners got beat at the Breeders’ Cup and were crowned at the Eclipse Awards? 2021 champion Male Sprinter Jackie’s Warrior. 2023 Male Turf champion Up to the Mark. 2020 Male Turf champion Channel Maker.

Does this loss, where he still showed up and ran his race albeit a bit too hard too fast, really make him lesser than Straight No Chaser and Rebel’s Romance (IRE)?

Straight No Chaser won two of three races. The GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint and GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship. The dirt sprint division had no leaders in 2024. They took turns beating each other. Quite honestly, it was boring. But sure, let’s default this award to the dirt Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner.

Rebel’s Romance (IRE) had a truly incredible 2024. He traveled the world winning five of six starts from February to November. He won four GI races. However, he made just one start in the United States. It’s my opinion that the Eclipse Awards should honor North American campaigns. If I had a vote, Rebel’s Romance (IRE) single North American start would not qualify him for an Eclipse Award.

The reliance on the Breeders’ Cup as a voting guide awarded a subpar campaign and an invader awards, rather than recognizing the most dominant American racehorse of the year, only behind the properly awarded Thorpedo Anna.

The voters got it right that Cogburn was one of the top three sprinters of either surface in the United States. What frustrates me is that Cogburn was not even among the top three vote earners for Male Turf horse. The top three were Rebel’s Romance (IRE) (89), Johannes (81) and Carl Spackler (IRE) (15). Cogburn only received 6 votes. Again, Rebel’s Romance should not have been an Eclipse nominee in any category.

Californian miler Johannes should absolutely be a nominee, but he did not have a better year than Cogburn. It’s a widely accepted fact that Californian turf horses aren’t as good as East Coast turf horses and Johannes never left California.

Dual GI winning East Coast miler Carl Spackler (IRE) should also be a nominee. Had he been top three in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, he probably would’ve won the Eclipse.

Again, Cogburn set a track record in a GI in the first of his division’s two GIs, and won two GIIs. How was he not the choice for Turf Male?

To wrap this opinion up, I’d like to remind you all of a bay gelding sprinter from 2018, Stormy Liberal. Stormy Liberal was named the champion Male Turf horse for his 2018 campaign where he won two graded stakes: the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and GIII Eddie D. If we hypothetically put the best of Stormy Liberal and the best of Cogburn over a five and half furlong grass match race at Churchill Downs, my money would be on Cogburn.

Pictured: Cogburn at Winstar Farm on Jan. 12.