As everyone knows, the Eclipse awards ceremony is rapidly approaching. Very soon we shall all know the answer to the question that racing fans have been asking since the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup Classic ---- who shall be Horse of the Year?
Although I do not have a vote, below are the names of the horses that I would vote for if I did. I have put much time and thought into making these selections, and I hope that you enjoy them.
Here they are: my top three picks in each category. I shall talk about my top three selections in the horse categories, but my top pick in the human divisions.
CHAMPION TRAINER
1st - Todd Pletcher
2nd - John Shirreffs
3rd - Bob Baffert
After losing the last to Eclipse awards to Steve Asmussen, Todd Pletcher is once again back in the spotlight; a shoe-in for the Eclipse award. He did everything. He won the Kentucky Derby; three Breeders' Cup races; trained Uncle Mo, Super Saver, Eskendereya, Discreetly Mine, Pluck, More Than Real, Life at Ten, and others; and oh yes, he led the leading earners list by just shy of $7,000,000. Not bad!
CHAMPION JOCKEY
1st - Garrett Gomez
2nd - Ramon Dominguez
3rd - Joel Rosario
Although he finished fourth on the leading earners list, Garrett Gomez had a spectacular year that culminated with three Breeders' Cup victories, including the Classic on Blame. He amazingly finished only about $500,000 behind leading earner Ramon Dominguez despite riding in 674 less races than the latter.
CHAMPION OWNER
1st - WinStar Farm
2nd - Mr. and Mrs. Jerome S. Moss
3rd - Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider
WinStar farms had a banner year in 2010, winning both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, as well as a host of other good races. Super Saver, Drosselmeyer, Rule, and Endorsement, are among the stakes winners they campaigned, and they topped the leading owners by earnings chart with over $5,100,000.
CHAMPION BREEDER
1st - Adena Springs
2nd - Brereton C. Jones
3rd - Edward P. Evans
For the eighth consecutive year, Adena Springs led the list of leading breeders by earnings, a remarkable achievement which definitely earns them the Eclipse award. They led the earnings list by almost $6,000,000.
CHAMPION APPRENTICE JOCKEY
1nd - Forest Boyce
2nd - Angel Serpa
3rd - Omar Moreno
Forest Boyce had a truly incredible year, winning 119 races from 702 mounts. Her mounts have finished in the top three in 337 races. Her total earnings have amounted to a solid $1,887,564.
CHAMPION STEEPLECHASE HORSE
1st - Arcadius
2nd - Slip Away
3rd - Percussionist
In a year where no standout steeplechaser emerged, I believe that Arcadius was the best of 2010. He never finished worse than third and finished ahead of Slip Away in three of the four occasions where they met. His victory in the Helen Haskell Sampson Hurdle Stakes was excellent. Slip Away had a very good year too, with a 25 3/4 length victory Colonial Cup Hurdle Stakes the crowning moment. Percussionist only made two starts in the United States, winning the Grand National Hurdle Stakes by seven lengths over Slip Away before finishing sixth, beaten 92 1/2 lengths by the latter in the Colonial Cup.
CHAMPION FEMALE SPRINTER
1st - Dubai Majesty
2nd - Switch
3rd - Champagne d'Oro
This division was filled with confusion throughout the year, as there was no true standout. But Dubai Majesty changed all that when she held off Switch to win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, capping a year which saw her win on dirt, synthetic, and turf tracks; finish worse than third only once; and beat all of the leading contenders save Rightly So. Her year was far from a typical championship campaign, as she lost more races than she won, but she proved herself best over the course of the year.
Switch, although she only won one sprint race, turned into a true monster filly toward the end of the year. As the conclusion to a season which saw her beat Blind Luck and finish second to Zenyatta, she ran a strong second to Dubai Majesty in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and turned in a dominating performance in the seven-furlong La Brea Stakes (gr. I) on December 26th. In the latter race, she beat Champagne d'Oro, meaning that she finished ahead of the latter both times in which they met.
As for Champagne d'Oro, she had a very good year with victories in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) and Test Stakes (gr. I) but simply did not run well enough often enough to earn the championship.
CHAMPION MALE SPRINTER
1st - Majesticperfection
2nd - Big Drama
3rd - Smiling Tiger
This is one of the trickier categories. Big Drama won the Breeders' Cup Sprint and had a very solid year, but Majesticperfection beat him easily and fairly in the grade I Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap. Majesticperfection also proved victorious in the Iowa Sprint Handicap, where he ran six furlongs in a scorching 1:07 1/5. I firmly believe that he was the best sprinter of 2010 and deserves the Eclipse award despite his abbreviated campaign.
As for Smiling Tiger, I liked the fact that he beat his elders twice in grade I competition (in the Bing Crosby and Ancient Title Stakes) and finished a decent third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. He defeated very nice horses throughout the year and deserves more respect than he gets.
CHAMPION TURF FEMALE
1st - Proviso
2nd - Goldikova
3rd - Tuscan Evening
This is one of the most debatable catagories of all. If I had a vote, it would go to Proviso. She won four straight grade I victories, including the Frank E. Kilroe Mile against colts, before running seventh in the Breeders' Cup Mile. Goldikova won that Breeders' Cup Mile, and I do believe that she is probably better than Proviso, but I wouldn't vote for her based strictly on the fact that she made only one start in the United States. If not for that fact, I would vote for her. But I feel that Proviso is more deserving of the American Eclipse award.
As for Tuscan Evening, who went 6-for-6 this year, it is impossible to say how good she might have been. Her untimely death was one of the low points of the year and left many heart broken. She won't win the Eclipse award, but I will always wonder if she might have been the best of her division. She will be greatly missed.
CHAMPION TURF MALE
1st - Gio Ponti
2nd - Champ Pegasus
3rd - Chamberlain Bridge
This is a fascinating category, as there were no standouts. Gio Ponti only won two of seven races, but both victories were grade I. Also, he finished worse than second only once, when beaten a length while fourth in the $10,000,000 Dubai World Cup, which is hardly a detriment. Considering that he finished second in three grade I races, including the Breeders' Cup Mile, he would receive my vote.
Champ Pegasus became a superstar by the end of the year despite breaking his maiden in April, winning the Del Mar Handicap (gr. II) and Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship Stakes (gr. I) in impressive fashion. He then ran a terrific second in the Breeders' Cup Turf despite setting the pace.
As for Chamberlain Bridge, the brilliant turf sprinter had a banner year during which he won five stakes races, including the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. His strong performances throughout the year earn him the third spot in my opinion.
CHAMPION 2yo FEMALE
1st - Awesome Feather
2nd - Turbulent Descent
3rd - R Heat Lightning
Awesome Feather had a lot to prove coming in to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies but she passed every test with flying colors, out gaming R Heat Lightning in the stretch to win by slightly more than two lengths. The victory capped off a brilliant campaign during which she went 6-for-6.
Turbulent Descent looked like a potential star when she won the Moccasin Stakes (gr. III) and backed that up by winning the grade I Hollywood Starlet Stakes in brilliant fashion, making her one of the top prospects for next year's Kentucky Oaks but not a contender for the Eclipse award this year.
R Heat Lightning had won the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) and finished second in the Frizette Stakes (gr. I) entering the Breeders' Cup, but lost any chance at earning the championship when she lost her duel with Awesome Feather.
CHAMPION 2yo MALE
1st - Uncle Mo
2nd - Boys at Tosconova
3rd - To Honor and Serve
Uncle Mo is perhaps the best two-year-old colt to run during the past ten or fifteen years. He broke his maiden first time out by over fourteen lengths, then dominated the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) when he turned in a 1:34 2/5 mile. His victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile was nothing short of spectacular, as he galloped home 4 1/4 lengths in front of Boys at Tosconova in a brilliant performance.
As for the latter, he could have been the Champion 2yo Male in any normal year, and his Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) victory was extremely impressive. But when asked to match strides with Mo in the stretch of the Breeders' Cup, he was unable to do so.
To Honor and Serve could end up being the best of the lot, as his stakes victories in the Nashua Stakes (gr. II) and Remsen Stakes (gr. II) were both remarkable. But his failure to win, or even run in, a grade I race leaves him in the third spot.
CHAMPION 3yo FEMALE
1st - Blind Luck
2nd - Evening Jewel
3rd - Devil May Care
Blind Luck is a truly rare horse; one who can handle a long, tough campaign without flinching. Throughout the year, she made nine starts, won three grade I races, placed in two more, never finished worse than third, and concluded the year with a strong second in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. Her Kentucky Oaks victory was amazing.
Evening Jewel was a brilliant campaigner too, winning grade I races on synthetic and turf while finishing second in the Kentucky Oaks. Her versatility is rare; as is her talent. If she had not been nosed out by Blind Luck in both the Kentucky Oaks and Las Virgenes Stakes, she probably would be voted Champion 3yo filly.
Although sickness cut Devil May Care's year short, she still had time to win the Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks, giving her two grade I victories which, in my opinion, puts her ahead of Havre de Grace for third.
CHAMPION 3yo MALE
1st - Lookin at Lucky
2nd - Eskendereya
3rd - Smiling Tiger
Lookin at Lucky is the only horse in this category to have really established himself as the best, with victories in the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) among his four victories.
Perhaps Eskendereya could have beaten him, but unfortunately he was injured before he could show how good he truly was. Still, his easy triumphs in the Fountain of Youth (gr. II) and Wood Memorial (gr. I) earned him deep respect and he deserved to be on this list.
As I mentioned above, I love the fact that Smiling Tiger won two grade I races against older males, something Lookin at Lucky failed to accomplish.
CHAMPION OLDER MALE
1st - Blame
2nd - Quality Road
3rd - Gio Ponti
There was really no debate here. Blame proved himself to be the best older male in the country by beating everyone, including Zenyatta, in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Although he was soundly beaten in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, he more than made up for that dismal performance.
Quality Road, although he turned in a terrible last-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic, earned my respect through brilliant victories in the Donn Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap, and Woodward Stakes (all grade I).
Gio Ponti, although not as good as he was last year, ran some great races and his second in the Breeders' Cup Mile was a strong performance indeed.
CHAMPION OLDER FEMALE
1st - Zenyatta
2nd - Unrivaled Belle
3rd - Life at Ten
Zenyatta, as she did in 2008 and 2009, proved herself to be heads and shoulders above the rest of the older mares. Five grade I victories against fillies and mares were followed by a tremendous second in the Breeders' Cup Classic where she rallied from impossibly far back to miss by a half-head.
Unrivaled Belle proved herself to be among the leaders of the remaining mares, with victories over Rachel Alexandra in the La Troienne Stakes and Blind Luck in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic earning her the second spot.
Life at Ten beat Unrivaled Belle twice, in the Ogden Phipps (gr. I) and Beldame (gr. I) but never did a bit of running in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic and failed to complete the race.
HORSE OF THE YEAR
1st - Zenyatta
2nd - Blame
3rd - Quality Road
I have always felt that the Horse of the Year award should go to the best horse, not necessarily the horse that had the best campaign. Obviously, the strength of a horse's campaign should play a major part in how you vote. For example, suppose a brilliant two-year-old was to make one start at the end of the year and earn a Beyer Speed Figure of 137. Perhaps he is the best horse in the country, but I would not vote for him based off of a single start. A combination of things must be considered when voting for Horse of the Year.
Zenyatta and Blame both had spectacular campaigns in 2010. Leading up to the Breeders' Cup Classic, Zenyatta had won five grade I races against fillies and mares while Blame had won two grade Is, a grade III, and finished second in a grade I. In the Classic, as everyone knows, Zenyatta rallied furiously from impossibly far back despite a less-than-ideal trip and fell a half-head short of catching Blame. A stride or two past the finish line she had her nose in front. Take nothing away from Blame. He managed to do what no horse before him had done, and that is beat Zenyatta. But despite his brilliant victory, I feel Zenyatta was the better racehorse.
It is also interesting to think of it this way. Suppose Zenyatta had been faced with the task of catching Battle Plan in the Stephen Foster Handicap, or Quality Road in the Whitney. I honestly believe that she could have done so easily. On the other hand, I don't believe that Blame could have caught St. Trinians while giving her nine pounds in the Vanity Handicap.
If I had a vote for Horse of the Year, it would go to Zenyatta, whom I feel proved that she was not only the best horse in 2010, but one of the horses to have ever graced the American turf.
-Keelerman
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