"... the lesson from these big, beautiful, and brilliant performers is that, just as they dominated on the racetrack, the top racemares succeed more often than the norm in their role as mothers to the next generation of racing stars."

"What makes a female Horse of the Year four-peat most intriguing is that it’s entirely possible."

"The search for a US superstar drew another blank this weekend, making it increasingly likely that the American horse of the year award could be set to leave the continent for the first time in 2011.... There may be four months left to run, but with no suitable alternative forthcoming, Goldikova is beginning to look more and more like a horse of destiny."

“We’re going to shoot for the stars and who knows, maybe even give her a chance at Horse of the Year. If that means tackling the boys at some point this summer, that is a possibility too. There are not that many high-dollar filly races out there. She already has her grade I, so if someone offers us money to show up, we have that option. I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, but we have big hopes for her.”

"Judging by the results of the voting, in every horse category this year except Horse of The Year, there was one clear, nearly unanimous, winner. Perhaps in most years this is true also of Horse of The Year. In such instances, voting based on intuitive, inexplicit, and personal criteria may be sufficient, but as the experience of the last two years shows, the overall integrity of the award would be better served if the Eclipse Awards established clear criteria on which voters should decide."

"Ann Moss came to the Eclipse Awards at the Fontainebleau Hotel with a small golden object clutched in the palm of her thin left hand. It was a shiny circular foal tag, the kind placed upon halters to identify young thoroughbreds. Simply, it read, 'Zenyatta.' In the moments before the Horse of the Year announcement was made on Monday, Moss held onto that tag and to the hand of her husband, Jerry Moss, and together they hoped that their 6-year-old mare would not be denied the sport's top honor as she was in 2008 and 2009. Third time's the charm."

"I'm so happy for the fans."

"Yet if the criteria for a Horse of the Year award was based solely on speed, then there would be a much different path to racing’s ultimate prize -- one that mirrors last year’s scenario. In choosing the fastest horse of 2010, Len Friedman, a partner with Ragozin Thoroughbred Data, tossed out both Zenyatta and Blame and crowned the three-year-old filly Blind Luck as the “Sheets” Horse of the Year."

"With the highly anticipated announcement for Horse of the Year just days away, the co-owner of Zenyatta, and the trainer of Blame, both said they would be “disappointed” if their horse was not named Horse of the Year, but the difference in their level of discomfort was stark."

"Those who watched the broadcast of the 2009 Eclipse Awards recall the angst that swept over the faces of Jerry and Ann Moss when Rachel Alexandra’s name was announced as Horse of the Year over Zenyatta. Moss said Thursday he ‘tries not to think about losing’ but admits if Blame’s name is called over his mare’s this time, the disappointment they would be feel would be almost immeasurable."

"Go ahead, racing people -- keep arguing. The arguing, in fact, is about the most solid substance we have when it comes to Horse of the Year. There is only one rule governing what constitutes a potential Horse of the Year -- that the horse has started at least once in North America -- and guidelines have never been more specific than that. Form an opinion and send in your ballot. That is all that is asked of the 250 voters who were polled to determine the 2010 Eclipse Award winners, including Horse of the Year."

"Sixteen foals have been produced by previous matings of animals acclaimed as Horses of the Year, with four of those foals becoming stakes winners and one, Apalachee (Round Table–Moccasin) becoming a champion. That is not a bad strike rate, but the odds are still long against Rachel Alexandra’s first foal living up to its parents’ class."

"For now, suffice it to say it is the opinion here that a vote for Zenyatta is, simply put, a vote for horse racing. To recognize this kind of runner as vital to the sport's survival is common sense, not emotional gibberish as some would choose to believe. The assumption that rational, fact-based voters are those who choose Blame while those who pick Zenyatta are somehow less professional or lack understanding of the game is absurd."

“I’ve been doing this for more than 40 years, and I can tell you that [Zenyatta’s] performance was the greatest that I have ever seen by a horse that did not win the race,” he told the host. “Some people will say that she shouldn’t be named Horse of the Year because she didn’t win. I would argue that her performance in defeat was much better than her winning effort a year earlier and should guarantee that she is named Horse of the Year.”

"Rachel Alexandra, retired from racing this week, was a tremendous filly, but she was no Zenyatta. I touted Rachel Alexandra for 2009 Horse of the Year and she won. But I was wrong. Zenyatta deserved that honor and I hope she'll be voted 2010 Horse of the Year. Zenyatta has never been defeated on the race track, but she was 'defeated' in a poll for Horse of the Year. That was a shame." Unbelievable.

Tale of the Tape. (What a year. Two amazing distaffers; an unprecedented debate. Emotions aside, the honor must go to Rachel Alexandra. She ran more, she won more, she set records.)