There are still a few days left before Eclipse Award ballots are due, but it's time to push the button and send along this year's selections.

Actually, everything became official Friday after Shared Belief raced in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita. Perhaps if he had won by a pole or at least half-a-pole, it might have been a cause to re-evaluate the Horse of the Year and 3-year-old male pictures. Instead, in winning by a neck over a 72-1 shot, Shared Belief showed the kind of class, talent and determination that will make him a very serious HOY candidate in 2015 and set the stage for some highly anticipated showdowns in the coming months.

But for 2014, it was California Chrome who had the brightest shine.

As much as Main Sequence was a perfect 4-for-4, all in Grade 1 stakes, and defeated a formidable European rival at the Breeders' Cup in Arc runner-up Flintshire, an honor such as Horse of the Year is not the American League batting title race. Main Sequence may not have lost but he was not tested to the degree of California Chrome, a 3-year-old who endured the most grueling test in American racing: the road to the Triple Crown and all three legs of the series itself. California Chrome won three preps, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, and then reeled off wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before losing by just 1 ¾ lengths in the Belmont Stakes while bidding to become the first Triple Crown winner 36 years.

He flopped in the Pennsylvania Derby in first race in more than three months then lost by a nose and a neck while finishing third in the dramatic Breeders' Cup Classic and ended the year by displaying a new dimension as he captured the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on turf.

It was a long and impressive body of work that extended from January to November and eclipsed the campaigns of Shared Belief, whose only loss was a troubled trip in the Breeders' Cup Classic but had two yawners in a limited six-race campaign (an allowance race and the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Derby) and wasn't truly tested until the Grade 1 Pacific Classic in late August, and Bayern, who had stinkers in the Travers and Preakness and just two Grade 1 wins.

Regardless of who gets the crown, there's certain to be some debate -- with some good news attached to that. At this point California Chrome, Shared Belief and Bayern are all expected to race at four, and with some luck all three could meet in the Santa Anita Handicap in March (if the lure of the Dubai World Cup does not pry one or two of them away).

With fireworks like that in the mix, 2015 could be an explosive year with numerous showdowns that can take much of the debate out of the post-season awards, and isn't that reason enough to ponder a very happy New Year.

As for the rest of the 2014 champions?

3-year-old filly: No debate here. Untapable should be a unanimous choice - with a special award for the best reality television moment thanks to the startling announcement after a victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff that her jockey, Rosie Napravnik, was pregnant.

2-year-old male: Can't diminish American Pharoah's season due to an injury that prevented him from racing in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. His pair of decisive Grade 1 wins in the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner was a stellar body of work and it gives him an edge over Texas Red, who had the year's most impressive win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile but just one stakes win.

2-year-old filly: It was laughable to consider Take Charge Brandi as a potential champion heading into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, but after winning that showdown at 61-1 odds and following it up with wins in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess and Grade 1 Starlet, she won the title going away.

4-year-old-and-up male: Another easy choice, the undefeated Main Sequence.

4-year-old-and-up female: There's a lot of options, but with a 3-year-old filly winning the BC Distaff, Close Hatches hangs on with four straight wins - three of them in Grade 1's - before two year-end clunkers.

Male sprinter: Work All Week won the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Match that with four wins in five previous starts and that's enough be called a champion.

Female sprinter: Judy the Beauty had a gorgeous year with four wins in five starts and a triumph in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint as the capper that sealed her Eclipse Award bid.

Male Turf: You need to ask? Main Sequence. Sorry, Wise Dan.

Female Turf: Dayatthespa arose from the obscurity of the New York State-bred ranks to become a force on the national scene -- and a champion -- with year-end wins in the Grade 1 First Lady and the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.