Voting Now Open for Secretariat ‘Vox Populi’ Award
Image:
Description:
American Pharoah, above winning the Belmont Stakes, is a finalist for the Secretariat Vox Populi Award. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
Edited Press Release
Online voting has opened for the sixth annual Secretariat Vox Populi Award. Created by Secretariat's owner Penny Chenery, the Vox Populi, or “Voice of the People,” Award recognizes the racehorse whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the public and gained recognition for the sport during the past year.
Three nominees were selected by the Vox Populi committee, and voters again have the option to write in a racehorse of their choice.
This year’s nominees are: American Pharoah, the 12th Triple Crown winnin in the history of U.S. Thoroughbred racing and winner of the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic who recently retired with nine wins in 11 starts; Beholder, the two-time Eclipse Award-winning racemare whose undefeated 2015 campaign included a dominant victory over males in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic, which was the first ever win in that race for a female; and Rachel’s Valentina, a 2-year-old daughter of racing royalty Rachel Alexandra whose fairytale backstory and much-anticipated racing debut was enhanced by an impressive win in the Spinaway Stakes that catapulted her to stardom.
BARBARA BANKE OF STONESTREET STABLES LEADS RACHEL'S VALENTINA TO SPINAWAY WINNER'S CIRCLE
Photo by Susie Raisher/NYRA
The list of previous Vox Populi winners reads as a “who’s who” among the sport’s contemporary superstars and fan favorites: California Chrome (2014), Mucho Macho Man (2013), Paynter (2012), Rapid Redux (2011), and 2010 inaugural winner Zenyatta.
“The sport of Thoroughbred racing obviously has had much to celebrate this year,” Chenery said. “We hope the Vox Populi Award continues to be the perfect opportunity for fans to show their affection and toast the noble efforts of all the equine athletes who have captured our hearts during the racing season.”
The winner will be selected on the equally weighted basis of the public online poll as well as input from Mrs. Chenery and the Vox Populi committee, a group of several distinguished personalities from within and outside the racing industry who all share a keen interest and affection for the sport. Voting in the online poll, which can be found at Secretariat.com, ends Dec. 6, with the public presentation to the 2015 winner scheduled for Jan. 9, 2016, at Santa Anita Park.
For more information about the Secretariat Vox Populi Award, visit Secretariat.com, the official website for the legendary Thoroughbred champion. Celebrating racing's past to enrich its future, Secretariat.com is a comprehensive online source for historical information, photography, merchandise, and memorabilia chronicling the enduring legacy of the 1973 Triple Crown winner.