(Tuesday, January 19) They both finished 2009 with perfect records. The three-year-old filly perfect in eight starts including three wins over males. The mare was perfect in five starts, including winning the biggest race of the year against males.

They were both honored at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California at the Eclipse Awards with hardware, but by a 130-99 vote Rachel Alexandra took home the coveted Horse of the Year honors.

Rachel Alexandra became the first three-year-old filly to win Horse of the Year honors in over sixty years, while Zenyatta had to settle for the Eclipse Award for Older Female.

As the announcement for Horse of the Year approached, the buzz at the Beverly Wilshire felt much like the moments before a big race.

However, when Rachel Alexandra was named the winner, the electricity in the room seemed to wane as the mostly west coast crowd gave owner Jess Jackson a polite ovation.

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss gave each other a peck on the lips, but looked clearly disappointed in the results.

Had Zenyatta been given the award, I had a feeling the ovation would have rivaled the scene at the Breeders' Cup Classic as she returned to the winner circle.

Call it a west coast bias in the room.

While Zenyatta fans are disappointed, they were treated to good news over the weekend, as Moss announced that Zenyatta would return to the track in 2010, and while neither the connections of Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra would commit to a schedule for 2010, they left little doubt the two would have a showdown this year.

The first logical place for the two to meet would be at Oaklawn Park for the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap in April. Both have won over the surface.

Rachel Alexandra took home the Eclipse for top Three Year Old Filly in a unanimous vote.

Zenyatta came within one vote of a sweep in her category. One voter cast their ballot for Icon Project.

Lost in the shuffle of the hoopla surrounding the super females was Gio Ponti, who took home Older Male and Turf Male honors, the first horse to accomplish the feat since John Henry in 1981.

The Christophe Clement trainee won the Older Male division despite not racing on traditional dirt in 2009.

The colt won four Grade 1 races on turf, and was an outstanding second in the Breeders' Cup Classic behind Zenyatta over the Pro Ride surface at Santa Anita.

Goldikova parlayed her Breeders' Cup Mile win over males to win the Eclipse for Turf Female. The brilliant filly become just the 11th horse to win more than one Breeders' Cup race, and is trained by Freddy Head, who rode Miesque to a pair of Mile wins in 1987 and 1988.

Summer Bird won for top Three Year Old Male. The Tim Ice trained son of Birdstone won four of nine starts in 2009 including the Belmont Stakes, Travers, and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

The colt was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic, beaten three lengths for the top spot.

Despite losing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile to European invader Vale of York, Lookin At Lucky was an easy winner in the Two Year Old Male division.

The colt won his first four starts, including Grade 1 wins in the Del Mar Futurity and Norfolk, and got the worst of it in the post position draw for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, stuck with the 13 post.

The colt came flying late to come up a head short, but voters made him a 209 to 17 victor over Vale of York at the ballot box.

She Be Wild was nearly perfect in her two year old campaign, rebounding from her first loss in the Alcibades at Keeneland by winning the Breeders' Cup Fillies, locking up the Eclipse Award for top Two Year Old Filly.

Kodiak Kowboy won the Male Sprinter award despite skipping the Breeders' Cup Sprint. The colt won four of his eight starts, finishing off the year with a victory in the Cigar Mile.

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Informed Decision was an easy winner in the Female Sprint category. The Jonathan Sheppard trainee won six of seven starts on the year, three of her wins coming in Grade 1 company.

Mixed Up was the top Steeplechase Horse, winning four of eight starts in 2009. The ten year old finished off the year with a win in the Grade 1 Colonial Cup.

Steve Asmussen won the Eclipse Award for top trainer for the second year in a row. Asmussen set a record by saddling 650 winners in 2009, breaking the record his set in 2008 when he had 623 wins.

Julien Leparoux won the Eclipse for apprentice rider in 2006, and his three wins at last year's Breeders' Cup helped him won for top jockey in 2009 over Garrett Gomez and Ramon Dominguez.

He became just the fourth jockey to win as an apprentice and a journeyman jockey, with the other three, Chris McCarron, Steve Cauthen and Kent Desormeaux, each members of the hall of fame.

This year's Eclipse for top apprentice went to Christian Santiago Reyes, who made an impact in Southern California, winning 93 races with purse earnings of $2.4 million.

In the closest voting of the night, Godolphin Racing edged Mr. & Mrs. Jerome Moss for top owner by a 61-56 margin.

Among Godolphin's stakes winners this year were Vale of York, Flashing, Gayego, Music Note, Vineyard Haven, Seventh Street, Regal Ransom and Sara Louise.

Juddmonte Farm won its fifth Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder. Juddmonte bred a record nine starters in last year's Breeders' Cup,

The winners of the 2009 Eclipse Awards:

Horse of the Year: Rachel Alexandra
Two-Year-Old Male: Lookin At Lucky
Two-Year-Old Filly: She Be Wild
Three-Year-Old Male: Summer Bird
Three-Year-Old Filly: Rachel Alexandra
Older Male: Gio Ponti
Older Female: Zenyatta
Female Sprinter: Informed Decision
Male Sprinter: Kodiak Kowboy
Male Turf Horse: Gio Ponti
Female Turf Horse: Goldikova
Steeplechase Horse: Mixed Up
Owner: Godolphin Racing
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms
Jockey: Julien Leparoux
Apprentice Jockey: Christian Santiago Reyes
Trainer: Steve Asmussen

For voting totals see TURFblog