`The Rock` Nomination Criticised

Rock Of Gibraltar has been nominated as a finalist for the Horse Of The Year award in the USA but has been criticised by leading US trainer Bob Baffert.

The record-breaking miler is also nominated for an Eclipse Award as champion male turf performer despite a single run in the States in 2002, and that in defeat.

Baffert had attacked the Eclipse Awards system as flawed and reserved special rebuke for supporters of `The Rock`.

'There should be a certain criteria for a horse to be eligible, such as having at least one Grade 1 win or be competitive in graded events or something,' Baffert told bloodhorse.com.

'A guy shouldn`t be allowed to write a horse`s name in the blank because he lives next door to the owner, or something crazy like that.

'Rock Of Gibraltar as Horse of the Year? Whoever voted like that should have their vote taken away after selecting a horse who never even won in this country. It was like that whole French figure skating thing. Everyone knew who the best was, but they didn`t win.'

Baffert, who trained the Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem but wasn`t named as a finalist for an Eclipse Award, said he was dismayed at the way the awards were handed out.

'Let me just say that I think Bobby Frankel deserves the award, hands down,' Baffert said of the Trainer of the Year vote.

'The voters are sending me a message and that`s that they don`t want me to win. I actually laughed when I saw the list (of nominees). Basically I think the whole system needs to be overhauled.

'The awards ceremony is so dull. I also think all the secrecy is odd. I mean, everyone knows who`s going to win before they even go.

'If it weren`t for my owners, I probably wouldn`t go at all. That`s how bad I think they`ve become.'

The winners will be announced at the 32nd annual Eclipse Awards Dinner, in Los Angeles on January 27. Winners are selected by a vote of members of the National Turf Writers Association, Daily Racing Form and racing secretaries of member tracks of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Rock Of Gibraltar was an unlucky runner-up in the Breeders` Cup Mile on his one US start.

Stiff opposition awaits for the title of Horse of the Year from Azeri, impressive when landing the Breeders` Cup Distaff, Whitney Handicap winner Left Bank and Kentucky Derby victor War Emblem.

In the Male Turf Horse category his rivals are stablemate High Chaparral and local hope With Anticipation.