Mott, Hansen win at Eclipse Awards

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - Bill Mott won trainer honors at the Eclipse Awards on Monday night, capping a year in which he swept the top two races at the Breeders' Cup.

Mott earned his third career Eclipse over fellow Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher, who led the nation's trainers in purse earnings with $16.8 million.

Mott saddled Royal Delta to victory in the BC Ladies' Classic in November and the next day his Drosselmeyer pulled an upset in the BC Classic. Last year, the East Coast-based Mott won 15 graded stakes races, including six in November. Mott had purse earnings of more than $10.5 million.

"The competition was pretty deep and this is a real honor,'' Mott said in thanking his assistant trainers, his horses and his family.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Hansen won the trophy for 2-year-old male at the 41st annual awards honoring the top horses and humans of 2011.

Hansen beat out Union Rags, winner of the Saratoga Special and Champagne and runner-up in the Juvenile.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey were chosen owner of the year. Their horses earned more than $4.8 million, fourth-best in the nation.

Adena Springs Farms, based in Kentucky and Canada and run by Frank Stronach, was chosen breeder of the year for the fourth time.

Ireland-bred Cape Blanco earned male turf honors. He flew to the U.S. and won the Man o' War, Arlington Million and Turf Classic Invitational for trainer Aidan O'Brien. France-bred Stacelita took the female turf award.

In the sprinting categories, Amazombie won male honors and Musical Romance took the female trophy. Amazombie, who was never worse than third in nine starts last year, capped 2011 with a win in the BC Sprint. Musical Romance won the BC Filly & Mare Sprint.

Havre de Grace (HA'-vur-duh-grays), who took on the boys with mixed results last year, won older female. She won the Woodward against male horses, then challenged them again and finished fourth in the BC Classic for owner Rick Porter and trainer Larry Jones.

"She did everything Larry and I asked of her and then some,'' Porter said. "She's an owner's dream come true. She's made racing for me and many others so thrilling. She is the best.''

California-based Acclamation received older male honors, winning five of his seven starts last year, including the Pacific Classic.

"Wow, after only 55 years in the business, I think that's pretty great,'' co-owner Bud Johnston said.

My Miss Aurelia, who won all four of her races, including the BC Juvenile Fillies, received 2-year-old filly honors. She is co-owned by Stonestreet Stables, the racing operation of Jess Jackson, who named the filly before he died of cancer last year.

Black Jack Blues of Ireland was chosen top steeplechase horse.