Here are my picks for the 2008 Eclipse Awards. I've included my reasoning where I thought the choices were difficult.
Two-year-old male: Midshipman
Two-year-old filly: Stardom Bound
Three-year-old male: Big Brown
Three-year-old filly: Proud Spell
Older horse: Curlin
Older female: Zenyatta
Male sprinter: Benny the Bull
Female sprinter: Ventura (changed to Indian Blessing after the La Brea)
Male turf horse: Conduit (Ire)
Female turf horse: Forever Together
Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr.
Jockey: Garrett Gomez
Apprentice Jockey: Pascacio Lopez
Owner: IEAH Stables
Breeder: Stonerside Stable
Horse of the Year: Curlin
Zenyatta was perfect, but she raced in races restriced to fillies & mares all year. If Zenyatta was the best horse in the country, she belonged in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The race was on her home track and she already had proven herself as the best filly or mare in America. Let's hope she makes it to the Classic in top form next year.
Horses that won the races Big Brown won, in the way he won them, have been voted Horse of the Year in the past. But his lack of competition vs. older Grade 1 horses leaves a hole in his profile, and his inexplicably bad effort in the Belmont Stakes (G1) left a bad taste in racing fans' mouths. He will not receive nearly the amount of votes he deserves.
Unlike Zenyatta, Curlin's record was not perfect. He finished second to 2006 Breeders Cup Turf (G1) winner Red Rocks in the Man O War Stakes (G1) at 1 3/8 miles on the turf. And he was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. When the Classic was held on dirt, it was the most important race of the year in terms of Horse of the Year voting. It lost some of its impact in 2008 with the move to a synthetic track.
Curlin's win in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) was a memorable performance, and in his return to America, he won the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill while spotting the field 10-15 pounds. Curlin beat Einstein by four lengths that day, while spotting him 10 pounds, and Einstein came back and beat Grade 1 winner Commentator in the Clark Handicap (G2). Two Grade 1 wins in New York followed, and Curlin passed Cigar as the leading earner in North American history. Curlin was undefeated on dirt, still the heart and soul of American racing, through an ambitious campaign.
In the race for two-year-old honors, Vineyard Haven is a reasonable alternative since all of Midshipman's races were on synthetic tracks, and Vineyard Haven's powerful victory in the Champagne Stakes (G1) was so impressive. But I think Midshipman is a horse of quality, and his win in the BC Juvenile tipped the scales for me. I would not fault those who go the other way.
Proud Spell won the two most important races for three-year-old fillies -- the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and the Alabama Stakes (G1), when she defeated Music Note in an epic stretch duel. Eight Belles was arguably the best three-year-old filly in America this year, but her career was cut short by fatal injury.
A perfect four-for-four including the Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1), Benny the Bull showed great versatility winning on four different tracks -- Gulfstream, Nad al Sheba, Belmont, and Calder. Midnight Lute's win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint(G1) was amazing, but a two-race campaign (a 10th and a win) is not champion material is it?
Although Ventura did not have a typical sprinter's campaign, her convincing four-length victory over Indian Blessing in the year's most important sprint race for fillies and mares put her over the top for me. She also showed great form in one-turn miles on the turf, winning the Grade 1 Just a Game (G1) at Belmont Park and finishing second in open company in the Woodbine Mile (G1). Three-year-old Indian Blessing did not have a Grade 1 win against older horses.
By the way, why is the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) a seven-furlong race instead of six like the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1)? Given the typical fractions, it's going to take a monster effort for a front-runner to win the F&M Sprint! The extra furlong adds an element of stamina to the division. Anyone else find it unusual that we're asking the females to go further than the males?
Conduit's win in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) was a big performance from a serious stayer. The horse who finished second -- Eagle Mountain -- came back to win the $2,580,000 Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1). This was a down year for male turf horses in America.
In one of the toughest choices this year, I give Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) winner Forever Together a slight nod over Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Goldikova (Ire). As eye-catching as Goldikova's victory was, Forever Together won three Grade 1s in America and she ran her final quarter in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in a smokin' :22.80 if the chart is correct. Both are excellent choices.
The trainer category is wide open. I also considered Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, John Shirreffs, and Bobby Frankel, all of whom had outstanding years and would be worthy winners. Dutrow had the best win% (24.5) of all of them, and he trained a champion three-year-old, dual-classic winner, and maybe a sprint champion. Dutrow did a fabulous job getting Benny the Bull to win in Dubai and then come back to America and go 2-for-2. Dutrow had 2,000 less starts than Asmussen but he won seven Grade 1 races to Asmussen's five.
IEAH Stables had an amazing year. Their Grade 1 winners in 2008 were Ariege, Big Brown, Benny the Bull, Court Vision, Kip Deville, Laragh, Pure Clan, and Frost Giant.
In the same year Houston Texans CEO Bob McNair decided he is getting out of racing, his Stonerside Stable bred the winners of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Breeders' Cup Classic, and finished second in earnings with just 96 starters.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
18 comments:
Isn't Kip Deville just as worthy a choice for turf male? He was the top American horse from 8-10 furlongs, and his second to Goldikova would have won the Mile most years. Conduit beat an exceptionally weak field. It seems strange to give Conduit an Eclipse off one race but not the superior Goldikova.
I am a HUGE Kip Deville fan, and I would not have a problem with him as champion turf male. But I could not vote for him with his record of two wins from five starts, and losses in the three most important races he ran. It's too bad he didn't handle the ship to Hong Kong and the right-handed course.
As for Conduit, I think he's a wonderful horse. See Eagle Mountain's victory in Hong Kong for some indication of what Conduit beat in the BC.
What about Peppers Pride?
The award is "Champion". Midnight Lute is the "Champion" Sprinter. Who on earth would you bet on to beat him, with your hard earned cash? Plus, Benny could not get close to Lute the 2 times they met head to head,,,,unreal...
yeah for proud spell..i just love the little filly with the great big heart..eight belles..has done things for the other horses that never would have happened if she didn't give her life at the derby..she was my derby pick..and a great champ
Belles Forever- The Alabama really showed Proud Spell's heart. That was one of the great races of the year.
To the poster who asked about Midnight Lute...
Midnight Lute would be favored, but I don't approach the Eclipse Awards like I'm picking the morning line favorite in a virtual race between the contenders.
I think both horses would be worthy winners.
(Just to clarify, ML and BtB did not face each other in 2008.)
Is Larry Jones getting any buzz for the trainer award?
He nearly pulled off the Kentucky Derby/Oaks double and has one of the early hot juveniles in Old Fashioned.
He may not have the number of G1 or Breeders' Cup wins as the other contenders, but to do everything he did under the scrutiny he had to deal with ought to at least earn him a seat at the table.
Peppers Pride broke the record for races won in a row by 3! A record previously held by other horses of the year, and a triple crown winner, and he is not even in contention? Maybe I am missing something in this whole award thing.
Jones DID earn the Big Sport of Turfdom Award for many of the reason, mibredclaimer, so it's not as though he will be closing out 2008 without taking home at least some hardware.
But you're right. He's legitimately in the mix. I don't think it's likely he'll win, but it will be interesting to see how the voting shakes out.
There should be no question in giving Forever Together an Eclipse Award. For North American earnings, she has more than Curlin!
Peppers Pride is not a contender for an Eclipse Award because she never ventured out of statebred company in New Mexico. A horse has to win a graded stake, and in most cases a Grade 1, to be included in the Eclipse past performances.
You say that Zenyatta needed to race in the Breeders' Cup Classic in order to be seriously considered for HOY, whereas when you talked about Curlin, you downplayed his relatively poor performance in the Classic by saying that the race's impact is lower this year due to its being on a synthetic surface. Either the Classic is really important in determining whether a horse should be HOY, or it isn't. Also, aren't the Eclipse awards supposed to only take into account races run in North America?
I thought the Classic made sense for Zenyatta since it was on her home circuit and she was 7-for-7 on the synthetics. But had she won the Big Cap or the Pacific Classic that would have worked too.
Would the racing world be better off if Zarkava had been kept in races restricted to fillies? Goldikova? Rags to Riches?!
A Curlin Vs. Zenyatta matchup in the BC Classic would have been HUGE for racing.
As for Eclipse eligibility, the Dubai races are included. A horse needs only run one race in North America.
Hey Pete! Well done for the blog. I thought a lot of your pieces are very interesting. Great thoughts on the year end awards. I agree with you 100%! Carrie Brogden
Have you actually voted yet? If not, does Indian Blessing's grade I win over the weekend affect your thinking at all?
Hi Julie. I have not voted yet, as I wanted to wait for all the G1s to be run.
Indian Blessing looked great in the La Brea, didn't she? I'm going to post a short blog entry about that race later today.
UPDATE: I am voting for Indian Blessing as champion female sprinter.
love your choices.proud spell has earned it.curlin has earned.blessing is a great filly but spell did take her
Post a Comment