Brown, Pletcher Sharing Rarified Air

Although this has been the year of American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) and trainer Bob Baffert has to be the leading contender to win the Eclipse Award, two other trainers– Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown–are completing outstanding, noteworthy seasons.

History shows us that a Triple Crown does not necessarily guarantee an Eclipse. Two Triple Crown–winning trainers, Lucien Laurin in 1973 and Billy Turner in 1977, did not receive the Eclipse Award after orchestrating the Kentucky Derby-Preakness-Belmont S. sweep. Laurin tied with Charles Whittingham for the most Grade I wins that year with six, but the Eclipse went to Allen Jerkens. In 1977, Laz Barrera won the second of his four straight Eclipse Awards. He had the most Grade I wins that year, also six

Eclipse voters will receive their ballots soon, the finalists in all categories will be announced on Jan. 5 and the winners will be honored at the annual Eclipse Awards Dinner on Jan. 16 at Gulfstream Park.

Sometime this week, possibly Wednesday at Aqueduct, Brown will reach the $20 million earnings plateau for the first time in his relatively short career. According to Equibase, through Tuesday his 752 starters in 2015 have earned $19,990,489.

When he cracks $20 million, Brown will join Pletcher and Steve Asmussen in this exclusive club. Pletcher was the first to reach $20 million in 2005 and this will be his eighth season and fourth in a row at that level. Asmussen earned more than $20 million in three consecutive years, 2007-2009. In 2007, both Pletcher and Asmussen surpassed $20 million; 2015 will be the second time in history that two trainers have been there in the same year.

Through Tuesday, Pletcher was his usual position at the top of the earnings standings with $26,309,656, which includes purses won in Dubai. His North American earnings, which tops Equibase's list of 5,885 trainers, is $25,709,656. This will be the 10th time and sixth year in a row that Pletcher has led the nation in earnings. He was second to the late Bobby Frankel in 2003 and second in the two years Asmussen was the earnings leader, 2008 and 2009. He has the single-season record of $28.1 million set in 2007 and has been first or second for 13 consecutive years on his way to the career earnings lead of $304.1 million.

Baffert, 62, won three straight Eclipse Awards, 1997-99, and has been among the leaders in Grad I wins and earnings most seasons since then. He has a career-high $17 million in earnings, including Dubai, this year, is third nationally with $15.8 million and has eight Grade I wins.

Pletcher, 48, has won the last two years and is the career leader with seven Eclipse Awards as outstanding trainer. While the leading money-winning trainer usually wins the Eclipse Award, three times in the past 15 years voters chose someone other than the money leader. Frankel was third behind D. Wayne Lukas and Baffert in earnings in 2000, but was selected for the first of four straight championship trophies when he was the dominant trainer in the sport. Bill Mott in 2011 and Dale Romans in 2012 were voted the Eclipse Awards when each had brilliant performances and ended up fourth on the earnings list.

Baffert and American Pharoah completed the first possible so-called “Grand Slam” of the Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015. Neither Pletcher nor Brown were significant players in those major races. Brown had no Triple Crown or Classic starters and Pletcher's best finishes were sixths in the Derby and Belmont.

Pletcher and Brown found success elsewhere. Each won a pair of Breeders' Cup races: Pletcher the GI Distaff with Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) and the GI Dirt Mile with Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song); and Brown the GI Filly and Mare Sprint with Wavell Avenue (Harlington) and the GI Filly and Mare Turf with Stephanie's Kitten (Kitten's Joy). Pletcher has 15 Grade I wins this season–two shy of his career high of 17 that he accomplished in both 2006 and 2007. His wins at the highest level this season came with 12 different horses.

Brown, who turns 37 on Friday, has had a remarkably fast start to his career, which began in Nov. 2007 with 10 horses. In eight full calendar years, the former Frankel assistant has built a reputation as a gifted horseman, especially on turf, where he is again the earnings leader. He won three Breeders' Cup races in 2014, finished second in the earnings standings for the first time and was an Eclipse finalist. In 2010, he won 67 races and earned $3 million. He climbed to $11 million in 2012 and $15.4 million in 2014. This season, he has a career-best 198 wins, a career-high nine G rade I victories and is less than $10,000 from $20 million in earnings.

Brown's mentor, Frankel, set the single-season record for Grade I wins in a season with 25 in 2003. Lukas with 22 in 1987 is second on the list. Lukas was the leading Grade I winner a record 12 times, five more than his former assistant, Pletcher. Baffert has led the way or tied for the top spot six times.

This season, during his historic campaign, American Pharoah earned a single-season record of $8,288,800. He eclipsed Smarty Jones, who earned $7,563,535 in 2004. Hall of Famer and two-time Horse of the Year Curlin earned $5,102,800.

Second on Equibase's earnings list this year was GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Tepin (Bernstein) at $2,092,520.

With his six Grade I victories this season, American Pharoah joined a group of 14 horses–all Hall of Famers–who have reached that mark in a single season. Lady's Secret set the standard with eight Grade I wins in 1986, a record Cigar matched in 1995. Bayakoa won seven in 1989.

Winners of six in a year prior to this season: Exceller (1978); Affirmed (1979); Spectacular Bid (1979); Bold 'n Determined (1980), Theatrical (1987); Personal Ensign (1988); Alysheba (1988); Easy Goer (1989); Go for Wand (1990); Paseana (1992); Serena's Song (1995). It's been 20 years since a horse won six Grade I races in a season.

Lady's Secret won a record 10 graded stakes in 1986. American Pharoah totaled seven this year.

While a Triple Crown sweep has not been a guarantee of an Eclipse Award for the trainer, all three of the Triple Crown winners of the 1970s were voted Horse of the Year.