Curlin named US Horse of the Year for second year running
Racehorse Curlin has been named North American Horse of the Year at the Eclipse Awards for the second year running.
The winners were announced in Miami on Monday night (26 January). The 5-year-old became the first horse since Cigar in 1995 and 96 to win the title in consecutive years.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Curlin fought off competition from Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown and Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic winner Zenyatta to take the title.
Out of 16 races Curlin won 11 times — including the Dubai World Cup and Breeders’ Cup Classic. And last year he set a North American record by winning $10.25m (£5.68m) before retiring last November aged 4.
Big Brown might not have been awarded the top accolade of the night but he was named 3-year-old male of the year, beating Santa Anita Derby winner Colonel John and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass. The Rick Dutrow-trained racehorse was retired to stud last October after sustaining a hoof injury.
Top older filly went to Zenyatta, while Proud Spell was named 3-year-old filly of the year.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.