Unbeaten on the racetrack last year, Rachel Alexandra won again Monday night, defeating her rival Zenyatta to take horse racing's top prize, the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year. Rachel Alexandra received 130 votes to 99 for Zenyatta. Two voters abstained, and one ballot was voided. Perhaps no other Horse of the Year announcement has been as anticipated, and never had the outcome been as much in doubt. There was little to separate the two horses, both females and both victors over males last year. Neither lost a race in 2009, and both recorded historic feats. With the two having never raced against one another, it was left to voters to decide who was better, or at least more deserving of the sport's highest honor. Members of the National Turf Writers Association, employees of The Daily Racing Form and racing secretaries representing tracks that are members of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association make up the electorate. The voters might have ultimately leaned toward Rachel Alexandra because she had the longer campaign, winning more races (eight, to five for Zenyatta) and defeating males three times, as opposed to once for Zenyatta. Rachel Alexandra beat top colts in the Preakness and the Haskell and defeated older horses in the Woodward. She was the first filly since 1924 to win the Preakness, the middle leg of the Triple Crown, and the only filly to win the Woodward. Zenyatta did everything she could to wrest the title from Rachel Alexandra, who once appeared to have an insurmountable lead in the Horse of the Year race. After winning her first four starts of the year, all in California and in races restricted to fillies and mares, Zenyatta ended her season with a thrilling victory over males in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. It was the first win for a female horse in that race. Rachel Alexandra did not compete in the Breeders' Cup because her owner, Jess Jackson, does not like synthetic racing surfaces. The main track at Santa Anita has an artificial surface known as Pro-Ride. Jackson's critics and many Zenyatta supporters contended that Zenyatta deserved Horse of the Year because she showed up on one of the sport's biggest days and won a race considered pivotal for deciding year-end championships. The Horse of the Year announcement came a day after it was reported that Zenyatta was coming out of retirement to race this year as a 6-year-old. That has led to speculation that Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta would finally meet. The trainer John Shirreffs told The Daily Racing Form that Zenyatta might make her 2010 debut March 13 in the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita and could race after that April 3 in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn. Because the Apple Blossom will be run on a dirt track and Rachel Alexandra is 2 for 2 at Oaklawn, the race could also be on her schedule. She is preparing at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans for her 4-year-old debut. Jackson has yet to decide where she will make her 2010 debut. Rachel Alexandra was a unanimous selection as the champion 3-year-old. Zenyatta received all but one of the votes cast for older filly or mare champion. Among the other honorees were Lookin At Lucky (2-year-old male), She Be Wild (2-year-old filly), Summer Bird (3-year-old male), Gio Ponti (turf male and older male), Informed Decision (female sprinter), Kodiak Kowboy (male sprinter), Goldikova (female turf horse) and Mixed Up (steeplechase horse). Godolphin Racing was chosen as the leading owner, Juddmonte Farms as the outstanding breeder, Julien Leparoux as the top jockey, Christian Santiago Reyes as the best apprentice jockey and Steve Asmussen as the outstanding trainer. 