Racehorse Paynter’s recovery from life-threatening battles with laminitis and colitis after his victory in the 2012 Haskell Invitational Stakes was voted by fans the 2012 National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Moment of the Year.

Paynter’s connections will be honored with the "NTRA Moment of the Year" award at the Eclipse Awards, presented by Daily Racing Form, The Stronach Group, and Breeders’ Cup Jan. 19 at Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Paynter, a son of Awesome Again owned by Zayat Stables, returned to trainer Bob Baffert in late December 2012 and is currently at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., preparing for a 4-year-old campaign. Previously, Paynter had been recovering in Maryland from surgery carried out Oct. 3 at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center of Veterinary Medicine to remove an abscessed area of his colon. The abscess was discovered after Paynter developed an illness that landed him first in a New Jersey clinic, then at the Upstate Equine Medical Center in New York. During the illness, Paynter developed and recovered from a bout of laminitis, among other medical struggles.

This year’s balloting was conducted at ntra.com and offered voters 12 different images illustrating a wide range of human emotions as well as outstanding displays of equine athleticism. Finishing second was I’ll Have Another’s narrow victory over Bodemeister in the Preakness Stakes