Mucho Macho Man, the tenacious 5-year-old winner of the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic, has been selected to receive the 2013 Secretariat Vox Populi Award.

Meaning "Voice of the People," the award recognizes the horse whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the American public and gained recognition for Thoroughbred racing.

Mucho Macho Man was the unanimous favorite among the three deciding bodies: fans in the online vote, the Vox Populi Committee, and Penny Chenery, Secretariat’s owner who established the award in 2010. Fan interest was at record levels this year with thousands voting in the online poll and some submitting noteworthy write-in votes through the Dec. 21 voting deadline.

Earlier in the year, Mucho Macho Man, who carries the colors of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, was sidelined for five months as he fought both bacterial and viral infections. Still, the strapping bay son of Macho Uno earned nearly $3 million from only five starts in 2013, and his impressive wins in the Awesome Again Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic propelled him into the limelight