Never before had the top two Eclipse Award vote getters in the
3-year-old male division been so much like the proverbial apples and
oranges comparison, which made voting in 2011 so unique and difficult.
That is how different the two protagonists, Animal Kingdom and Caleb’s
Posse, were from each other. Voters had to decide between a Kentucky
Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner and Preakness (gr. I)
runner-up who didn’t race after June 11 and a one-turn specialist who
was just another of the nondescript 3-year-olds on the Derby trail until
he had a big breakthrough after being shortened up to one turn.
In the end the voters went classic as Animal Kingdom was honored Jan. 16
with an Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male. He edged Caleb’s
Posse by a first-place vote tally of 114 to 111. Shackleford, the
Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner, received 12 first-place votes, followed
by Ruler On Ice (5), Stay Thirsty (4), and Uncle Mo (1). There was one
abstention in this category.
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