Horse of the Year watch – by Brock Sheridan

Sept. 21, 2011 - The golden Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year is presented each January which may make it seem like a topic far away. But when thought of in terms of races left for an individual horse, the number two adds significant immediacy. Suddenly it’s right around the corner.

What is interesting about this class of 2011 Thoroughbreds is the vast number of races in October that may still have an impact on their championship. Some may attribute that to mediocrity – others to competitiveness; but that is for another column.

Of significance regarding this group, is that three of the leaders for the Horse of the Year award this year are female in Havre de Grace, Blind Luck and European legend Goldikova. Should one be given the golden Eclipse, it would be an unprecedented third consecutive year a female is named North American Horse of the Year.

In 2009 Rachel Alexandra was named Horse of the Year and last year Zenyatta took home the prize. The only other two females to capture Horse of the Year in consecutive years were Twilight Tear in 1944 and Busher in 1945.

Of the three, Goldikova is a bit of a long shot, but only because of her lack of races in North America. Although she will again make only one start in the new country this year, it will potentially be monumental if Goldikova could win her fourth consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. 1). Goldikova is the only horse to win a Breeders’ Cup race in three consecutive years having done so in the last three Miles.

Trainer Freddie Head is expected to send Goldikova to the group 1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp for her final start before the Breeders’ Cup.

Currently Blind Luck is on the West coast awaiting her next start. Havre de Grace is in Delaware doing the same. The question is: Will it be the same race?

There is an outside chance that Blind Luck will ship to New York to meet Havre de Grace in the Oct. 2 Beldame (gr. 1) at Belmont Park but more likely, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer will keep the Pollard’s Vision filly in Southern California. There Blind Luck will be the heavy favorite for the Lady’s Secret (gr. 1) at Santa Anita. Interestingly, Blind Luck has been second in her only two starts at Santa Anita this year. Earlier this year, Always A Princess defeated Blind Luck by just over three lengths in both the El Encino (gr. 2) in January and the La Canada (gr. 2) in February.

Once the three fillies and mare reach the Breeders’ Cup, they again may be in three different races. Goldikova will be in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile (gr. 1T). Trainer Larry Jones has indicated that the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (gr. 1) is on the schedule of Havre de Grace. And Blind Luck may try the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Trainer Larry Jones and Havre de Grace owner Rick Porter have acknowledged that Horse of the Year is their goal with the Saint Liam filly, much like the connections of Blind Luck have said. Havre de Grace may have a current edge over Blind Luck having a win over grade 1 colts and geldings in the $750,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Sept. 9. That may push Blind Luck into the Breeders’ Cup Classic against males.

Hollendorfer had considered running Blind Luck against the boys in the Pacific Classic (gr. 1), but was unsatisfied with the filly’s work over the Del Mar surface prior to the race. That would have provided the “victory over the boys” feather in the cap of Blind Luck that belongs to Havre de Grace.

That is as many as six races to watch to cover only the females that are in the Horse of the Year chase.

The Horse of the Year watch on the male side has even more variables.

The Horse of the Year colts and horses contending are more widely represented this year compared to most years. Usually at this time, the race for the golden Eclipse may be down to two or three candidates. Not this year.

The current “top” contenders on the East coast are Travers Stakes (gr. 1) winner Stay Thirsty and Whitney Handicap (gr. 1) victor Tiznow. Both will likely face each other in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. 1) at Belmont Park Oct. 2 where they will again face the likes of Belmont Stakes (gr. 1) winner Ruler On Ice, Preakness (gr. 1) winner Shackleford and Suburban Handicap (gr. 2) winner and Woodward runner-up Flat Out. All mentioned – by the way – have a chance at Horse of the Year with a big win in their last two races, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

If the Horse of the Year is to come from the male representation out West, Acclamation is the current favorite of those stabled in Southern California.


Acclamation recently won the grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar for his third consecutive grade 1 win. Trained by longtime Southern California mainstay Don Warren, the California-bred Acclamation also won the grade 1 Eddie Read and Charlie Whittingham, both on turf at Del Mar and Hollywood Park respectively. In a year when few older horses have won two grade 1 races around two turns, Acclamation has three consecutive plus an allowance win prior to the Whittingham to bring his winning streak to four.

One might expect Warren to take a traditional route to seasons end and send Acclamation to the grade 1 Goodwood at Santa Anita Oct. 2 to prepare for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. However, the son of Unusual Heat might skip both races and end the year in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. 1).

The Breeders’ Cup Turf is also likely to attract Arlington Million (gr. 1T) winner Cape Blanco, another with a grade 1 winning streak having also taken the Man O’War at Belmont Park in July. Trained by Aidan O’Brien in Europe, Cape Blanco will return from overseas again to attempt his third straight grade 1 turf victory in the United States this year.

With Acclamation potentially out of the Goodwood, can another horse emerge from the 1-1/8 race with Horse of the Year chances?

Game On Dude can certainly step in the championship picture with a win in the Goodwood. But it only put him in the discussion. His victory in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. 1) was solid, but the Bob Baffert trainee also suffered a mid-season slump with losses at Lone Star Park in Texas and Charles Town in West Virginia then a flat fourth in the Pacific Classic. It will likely take a win in the Classic and maybe even some help from the “what have you done for me lately” gods to influence voters to give Game On Dude the title.

Twirling Candy, with his two grade 2 wins in the Californian and Strub, also has a chance to get in the discussion. Remember, divisional leader Stay Thirsty is in the “only one grade 1 win” club this year. Tizway has two grade 1 wins, but one is in the Metropolitan Handicap at only a mile.

Twirling Candy was second in the Pacific Classic, third in the Hollywood Gold Cup, and fifth in the Santa Anita Handicap, so he has danced in each of the West coast marquee races for older horses. He has wins in the Strub (gr. 2) and Californian (gr. 2), butneeds to have some grade 1 wins to get consideration from Horse of the Year voters.

And then there is Frankel. Like Goldikova, Frankel has raced exclusively in Europe but is undefeated in eight career starts, four of which have been this year.

Named for the Hall of Fame trainer, the late Bobby Frankel, who trained for Juddmonte Farms for decades in North America, Frankel has won three consecutive group 1 races in his most recent starts in Great Britian. He started the year by taking the gr. 3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury before dominating the English 2000 Guiness at Newmarket, the St. Jame’s Palace Stakes at Ascot and the Sussex at Goodwood Race Course. Following the Sussex, Frankel’s Time Form rating was 135 (tied with Australian sensation Black Caviar), making him the best horse in the world according to some.

He will start one more time in the Queen Elizabeth II stakes and trainer Henry Cecil is undecided on a trip to America for the Galileo colt. Obviously, he’ll need that start and will have to win a Breeders’ Cup Turf or Classic convincingly to be considered for a North American championship.

There are others who could spring from relative obscurity now to Horse of the Year in a few races. Comebacker kids Uncle Mo and The Factor come to mind. But they are fighting time and the real possibility that they maybe best suited at the mile distance instead of the more classic 1-1/4 mile distance generally associated with a Horse of the Year.

It is a wide open field in the race for North American Horse of the Year for 2011. There are three females, plenty of domestic colts and horses and even two candidates from Europe. Eclipse Award voters who represent the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and national turf writers; usually are looking at the Goodwood, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders’ Cup Classic for their Horse of the Year vote. At times the golden Eclipse has even been won at this time – say in a year of a Triple Crown winner. This year, however, there are still seven races in October and as many as three Breeders’ Cup races that may have an impact on Horse of the Year.

That’s a little more work for the voters, and a disappointment for those that prefer the dominant star, but it equates to a lot more fun for the fans during these last few months of racing.

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