Acclamation's trainer disappointed with Eclipse Award

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Arcadia, CA (Sports Network) - It may seem funny, but trainer Don Warren doesn't appear all that enthused with winning a 2011 Eclipse Award. His charge, Acclamation, was voted 2011 champion Older Male thoroughbred.

What's not to like?

"I thought Acclamation had the best chance of winning the Older Male, but I would rather have seen him win the Turf," Warren said. "Older Male's kind of a funny category, because actually the Older Male should be the Horse of the Year. It seems like they go together, but I guess in that case you wouldn't be able to vote for a filly for Horse of the Year, so I guess it's all right."

Havre de Grace was rewarded for her four-year-old season in 2011 with Horse of the Year and Older Female. She became the third straight female to be voted Horse of the Year succeeding Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.

Owned by Bud Johnston, Acclamation was being considered for last year's Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs in either the Classic or the Turf. His last start of the year was a victory in the Clement L Hirsch Turf Championship at Santa Anita on October 2.

The award-winning horse was turned out at the owner's farm near Fresno, to get ready for a 2012 campaign leading to the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.

"This is by far the best achievement and the best year we've had," Warren continued, "and especially since Acclamation is a Cal-bred. Acclamation is with me at Santa Anita and he's going to the track every morning, just jogging though. It will be a long, slow process (until he resumes racing). I don't think you'll see him at Santa Anita this meet."

Acclamation won the Pacific Classic along with the Hirsch Turf Championship last year. He also won the Jim Murray, Charlie Whittingham and Eddie Read on the turf. The versatile runner has earned better than $1.6 million in 28 career starts with nine victories.