Trainer of the Year
 

I know that it's only August 3, but we were having a discussion about the Eclipse awards yesterday during which the following question was posed: who should win the Eclipse for trainer if the racing season were to end today?

I advocated for Jonathan Sheppard. If the season were to end today, he'd likely be the trainer of two champions, Forever Together and Informed Decision, and has done excellent work with Just As Well. He's winning at a better than 20% clip, and given the size of his outfit, what he has accomplished so far this year is remarkable.

It seems to me that the way the media has voted this award in recent years, you need to have a huge stable to be capable of winning the award. There are only about 5 or 6 stables large enough and with enough quality horses to even have a chance (i.e., Asmussen, Pletcher, Frankel, McLaughlin, Mott, Baffert). Any thoughts?

Assmussen, McLaughlin and Pletcher are really the only contenders anymore.

Isn't that the problem? Pletcher and Asmussen both have medication positives hanging over their heads, and neither Pletcher nor McLaughlin has exactly set the world on fire this year, given the stock they have. Don't we need to start thinking a little bit "outside the box"?

Sure but the people who vote on these things arent exactly out of the box types. Just having the most horses doesnt seem to be a fantastic achievement but who can compete numberswise? Just like Adena Springs or Farnsworth winning the breeders eclipse because of sheer volume. I agree that JS is having a fantastic year and should be a serious contender especially if those horses continue to run as well as they have.

Sheppard was 0-for-29 at Gulfstream this year.

He's 1-for-25 at Colonial and 1-for-15 at Delaware.


Forever Together is a defending champion .. and Informed Decision has been great in two synthetic starts this year - and in one start on dirt, was ok in winning an eyesore slow Grade 1 race by less than a length over the complete bum Temple Street.

Grass female and female sprinter aren't the most glamerous divisions either.

He'd be a hard sell.

When I saw your post, I thought for sure you were making a case for Marty Wolfson

I've always viewed him as "training" his horses down there, but watch out when he comes north (similar to Nafzger and Allen Jerkens, for example). It actually makes the 20% winning clip all the more impressive.

he's a great trainer, don't get me wrong. But, i think it would be really hard for ANYONE who has such few stock to compete with Ass, Pletcher, and them boys of the game, power in numbers.

they're fishing with dynamite when it comes to this award


-bt-

I've been a big advocate for the Golden Syringe award to decide trainer of the year.

It should go to the trainer with the highest win percentage - who has a minimum of 100 starts on the year.

Doug Shanyfelt is the current runaway leader this year. He has 59 wins and at 37.6% - he holds a lead of more than 4% over anyone else.

He looks like he should defend his championship this year... as he won last years title with 38.3%.

None of us make nearly enough money to be involved in making a decision like trainer of the year.

i like that award!!