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Close Call

... not just between Curlin and Zenyatta for Horse of the Year, but for 3-year-old filly division honors. Will the champion be Proud Spell or Music Note [or Indian Blessing*]?

- Proud Spell went 4-for-8 in 2008, with two Grade 1 wins in the Kentucky Oaks and Alabama Stakes. In those races, she beat 13 rivals, including Music Note (by a head in the Alabama) and Indian Blessing. After finishing second in the Cotillion in September, trainer Larry Jones declared Proud Spell done for the year and the filly didn't start in the Breeders' Cup.

- Music Note wrapped up the year 4-for-6, with three Grade 1 wins in the Mother Goose, Coaching Club American Oaks, and Gazelle Stakes. All were at Belmont Park, in short fields; she beat 10 others in those races, including Proud Spell (by 3 1/2 lengths in the Mother Goose, a perhaps misleading margin due to traffic problems suffered by 'Spell) and Little Belle. Unlike Proud Spell, Music Note did run in the Breeders' Cup, finishing a very game third behind Zenyatta and stablemate Cocoa Beach in the Filly & Mare Classic.

If I had a vote, I'd lean toward Music Note, but could see a casting a ballot for Proud Spell ...

Posted by JC, Oct 30, 2008 11:30 AM

And the Winners Are ...

The 2007 Eclipse awards go to best horses, people who made most money.

Posted by JC, Jan 22, 2008 08:15 AM

Sporting Greatness

Eight were inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame on Monday, including recently retired Funny Cide jockey Jose Santos, who got three standing ovations during the ceremony (DRF), and Boston-connected Triple Tiara winner Mom's Command (Herald). With 11 victories in 16 starts, the champion filly's place in the Hall of Fame is well deserved, but Bill Finley raises a good question about future equine honorees in his ESPN column:

Do the stars of the modern era, a period in racing's history where the majority of top horses have had very limited campaigns -- deserve to be enshrined alongside the true greats and warriors of the game?

It hardly matters. Hall of Fame rules stipulate one horse, one human inductee from each category every year. So, what will future voters do with Horse of the Year Invasor, one of the best racehorses in recent years, retired with an injury after only seven starts outside Uruguay? Or Rags to Riches, who will skip the Alabama to start in the Ruffian or Gazelle this September and then run in the Breeders' Cup (DRF)? She'll almost certainly enter the Hall of Fame on the basis of her historic Belmont win, even if her career ends after two more starts. That'll be a thin thread on which to hang greatness. I suppose this gets at what bothers me about the Breeders' Cup Challenge in its current form: Racing, at least at the elite level, is driven by commercial interests, not competitive ones. "Win and You're In" is an attempt to put a sporting gloss over that reality, doing nothing to change it.

Posted by JC, Aug 7, 2007 09:00 AM

HOF Ballot Changes Needed

Lowell Sun racing correspondent Paul Daley pens an open letter to the Racing Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, calling for changes to the Hall's balloting procedures in this week's Sun column, reprinted with permission here.

Dear Edward L. Bowen, Chairman, and Nominating Committee members,

I sent my ballot on Tuesday via email regarding my votes for induction into the Class of 2006, to be held on Monday, August 7 at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs.

I take this vote very seriously and feel compelled to strenuously lobby for a procedural change for next year's balloting.

As I see it, the Racing Hall of Fame should be for inclusion rather than exclusionary. As in the Baseball Hall of Fame, there is every reason to include all qualified candidates, human and equine, which fit the highest standards of racing, and then let the voters choose a specified number of candidates, regardless of category, on his or her individual ballot. Then, if any candidate receives 75 percent of the votes cast, induction would be warranted. If no candidate received the requisite number of votes, so be it.

Continue reading »

Posted by JC, Apr 15, 2006 10:15 AM

And the Winners Are ...

Everyone you expected. There were few surprises at last night's Eclipse awards ... Saint Liam took Horse of the Year in a landslide, Afleet Alex was named three-year-old champion, and Lost in the Fog won champion sprinter easily.

Jay Hovdey catalogs the hits and misses. Among the latter: Michael Gill's "Nixonesque" acceptance speech upon winning the owner's Eclipse.

Bill Handleman found the whole ceremony a joke: "This year you didn't have to be a hardcore cynic to enjoy the Eclipse Awards ... such was the power of the message. Evidently it no longer matters how openly you violate the spirit of racing, not to mention the rules of the game. If you win enough, you will be rewarded. And at the end of the year, those who do the voting for the awards will disgrace themselves by honoring some of the game's worst offenders."

Posted by JC, Jan 24, 2006 07:00 AM

West: No Vote for HOTY

"No vote" is what Gary West will write next to Horse of the Year on his Eclipse ballot:

The Horse of the Year, like Caesar's wife, must be above suspicion. But Saint Liam, because he's trained by Dutrow, simply isn't.... For the sport's highest honor, I simply will not vote for any horse whose trainer has been suspended or fined for a serious medication or ethical violation during the season. From here, Saint Liam's victories in the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Woodward, the Stephen Foster and the Donn Handicap look just like so many Sosa home runs.

As for voting another horse HOTY: "A Horse of the Year for 2005 would be like a Most Valuable Player for the Houston Texans. The options are worse than few; they're embarrassing."

Related: Paul Daley reports that the owners of Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Silver Train, another Richard Dutrow trainee, have sent Eclipse voters a gift:

What emerged from the box was a beautifully embroidered baseball cap of the finest quality. On the back of the black cap, stitched in white lettering was Breeders' Cup Sprint Champ. The green and red jockey silks and cap on the side were immediately recognized as those belonging to Buckram Oak Farm. The front was equally impressive, with Silver stitched in, guess what color, with a silver express train atop. The red embroidery in the word train connoted, to me, the imperative to STOP and vote for this worthy candidate, Silver Train, for Sprint Champion of 2005.

Daley plans to vote for Lost in the Fog, but the hat's arrival has caused some unease. "Why do I feel like a hooker?" he wonders.

Neither West nor Daley would have a problem if they followed the lead of San Diego Union-Tribune sports columnist Tim Sullivan, who's opted out of all awards voting and polling, reasoning that:

Just as Church and State should be separate entities, so should Journalists and Jocks. Voting on awards or rankings is a privilege and, to some extent, a power base, but it also involves inherent conflicts of interest and, in the steroids era, an uncomfortable reliance on circumstantial evidence.
Maybe I'm taking myself too sanctimoniously here, but this is a headache I no longer need. I shouldn't be casting ballots that can trigger contractual bonuses or endorsement opportunities for athletes I might have occasion to interview. Neither should I accept the responsibility of deciding whether Mark McGwire is still entitled to the presumption of innocence following his clumsy evasions before Congress....
Better to recuse oneself than to render a judgment based on unsubstantiated suspicion.

Posted by JC, Dec 16, 2005 11:30 PM

Tainted Liam

The rush to annoint Saint Liam as Horse of the Year after his Breeders' Cup Classic win last Saturday could prove premature, writes Gary West:

Yes, Saint Liam won the country's richest race, the Breeders' Cup Classic; and, yes, in 2005 he constructed an admirable edifice of accomplishment that included three other major stakes wins. He's the champion older horse; give him that.
But at least for the moment, there are two reasons not to hand over the sport's highest honor to Saint Liam. The obvious reason is Afleet Alex. The other is Saint Liam's trainer, [Richard] Dutrow.
This past summer, Dutrow paid a $5,000 fine and served a 60-day suspension -- he originally had been suspended 120 days -- for a variety of offenses, including two medication violations. As a result, his winning the Classic with Saint Liam was, for some, an unsatisfying outcome.
In getting to the winner's circle, Dutrow had stepped on and over the rules of racing.
Yes, he had paid his fine and served his suspension, but the sight of him there left traditionalists feeling uneasy.
And should Saint Liam become Horse of the Year, well, that would be the ultimate raspberry.
If you find that an unreasonable attitude, try for a moment to imagine how you're going to feel when Barry Bonds hits No. 756 over the horizon.

Expect debate over the propriety of naming Saint Liam the 2005 Horse of the Year (and possibly Silver Train as sprint champion) to intensify in the next six weeks, given the cloud of suspicion that hangs over Dutrow.

Posted by JC, Nov 4, 2005 07:00 PM

The Awards Picture

It's not technically the end of the year, but there's little likely to happen in the next eight weeks that could shake up division standings now. With his Breeders' Cup Classic win, Saint Liam is assured of the champion older horse and Horse of the Year honors, in whatever judgment scheme you prefer, whether it's a points system like the Standings, or a voting system like the Eclipse Awards.

The other divisions will be ripe for debate: First Samurai vs. Stevie Wonderboy for two-year-old champion, for instance, or Flower Alley vs. Afleet Alex for three-year-old honors. The biggest fight looming will be over naming a champion sprinter. Lost in the Fog, Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Silver Train, and Vosburgh winner Taste of Paradise are likely finalists for the award. It seems bizarre that either Silver Train or Taste of Paradise could win the title over a horse that won eight straight (including five graded stakes) before losing, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen. You need only consider what's been written about Lost in the Fog over the past couple of weeks to realize the strange fickleness of an awards system that relies solely on the subjective votes of racing media and officials. A week ago, there were quite a few who suggested Lost in the Fog could be Horse of the Year if he won the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Since his seventh place finish on Saturday, the meme floating around seems to be that he might not even deserve sprint champion.

Posted by JC, Nov 1, 2005 07:47 AM

HOTY Race

With the Breeders' Cup less than four weeks away, the race for Horse of the Year is on. In the standings (to the right), Saint Liam leads by 25 points over three-year-old filly In the Gold, with Sweet Return, Ashado, and Island Fashion rounding out the top five. Borrego vaulted into sixth place with his win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Flower Alley, Summerly, Afleet Alex, and Megahertz follow, completing the top 10. What all this means is that Horse of the Year is still wide open -- and the Breeders' Cup results really will decide this year's champion.

Posted by JC, Oct 3, 2005 05:20 PM

Another in Race for HOTY

It's early in the year yet, but talk is already turning to the subject of who might win 2005 Horse of the Year. Afleet Alex is one of the names being bandied about, but Lost in the Fog is another contender, and after his dazzling win in the Stephen Foster, so is Saint Liam. (Courier-Journal)

Posted by JC, Jun 19, 2005 10:00 AM

All Over the Place

In case you haven't had your fill of Eclipse Awards coverage yet, do check out Jay Hovdey's account of the awards cereremony. "For a moment, it was 1952 all over again, and Richard Nixon was trying to save his political hide by playing down slush fund allegations and diverting attention with references to his wife's 'good Republican cloth coat' and his daughter's dog, Checkers. A few beats later, Merv Griffin appeared from out of a misty cloud of talk show nostalgia ... Then, at some point John Wayne entered the hall, closely followed by Will Rogers, who between them provided a bedrock, down-home reality that felt like the whole place had suddenly become Kansas, circa 1948." (Daily Racing Form)

Also: Photos, courtesy of the Blood-Horse.

Ken Ramsey's apology for attempting to bribe another owner to scratch a horse from a race, an infraction he was punished for by the Kentucky racing board last week, reminded Bill Christine "that parties without party-poopers are hard to find." (LA Times)

Bill Finley reports on the outcome of the Ghostzapper-Smarty Jones HOTY contest, and suggests that some votes for Ghostzapper may have been cast as payback for Smarty's disappearance from the track. "Some voters might have chosen Ghostzapper because of the circumstances of Smarty Jones's retirement after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness." Some voters? I wonder who Finley's talking about. (New York Times)

Posted by JC, Jan 26, 2005 11:55 AM

And the Winners Are ...

Ghostzapper runs away with Horse of the Year, Azeri wins a third straight divisional title. No time for much commentary or linking this morning, so I'll just say this: Afleet Alex wuz robbed in the 2-year-old male category, and I was pleased to see that two voters appreciated the merits of steeplechaser Tres Touche enough to write him in on their ballots.

Posted by JC, Jan 25, 2005 06:45 AM

Hottest HOTY Race in Years

For some fans, I suppose. "The anticipation for this year's Eclipse Awards is the highest in years," writes Ralph Siraco. "What makes this year's racing Oscars so intriguing is the race for the gold trophy: Horse of the Year, 2004.... Although there have been many anticlimactic years in the past 33 announcements for the Horse of the Year Eclipse trophy, that will be far from the case this year." Yes, which will win? The three-year-old with a whirlwind career who triumphed over other three-year-olds in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, or the four-year-old who ran four freakishly fast races? This may be the least compelling HOTY contest ever. (Las Vegas Sun)

Posted by JC, Jan 11, 2005 09:00 AM

Eclipse Finalists Announced

The finalists for this year's Eclipse Awards were announced Wednesday afternoon. Ghostzapper was nominated in both the sprinter and older male categories and is one of two contenders for Horse of the Year (MSNBC). He wasn't the only horse nominated for multiple honors: Kitten's Joy and Ouija Board are also up for two each (LA Times). Many of the nominees have Texas ties (Star-Telegram), and unsurprisingly, quite a few have Kentucky roots (Courier-Journal).

Maryjean Wall wonders if the Eclipse Awards are for journalists to decide (Herald-Leader).

Past performances for the nominees are available at the Daily Racing Form.

Continue reading »

Posted by JC, Jan 6, 2005 07:00 AM

Achievement Over Hype

Don't reward the cherry-pickers who avoided competition, says Gary West. "The Eclipse Award finalists will be announced Wednesday and the winners Jan. 24. The Eclipse Awards, of course, represent horse racing's championships. But they also represent an opportunity to discourage the cowering opportunism and the premature retirements that have compromised competition, as well as the sport's popularity, in recent years." (Star-Telegram)

Posted by JC, Jan 4, 2005 09:25 AM

More on HOTY

And all the other Eclipse awards: Bill Christine makes a convincing case for Ghostzapper (LA Times), and Steven Crist shows off his ballot. (Daily Racing Form).

Posted by JC, Dec 24, 2004 11:00 AM

And HOTY Goes to ...

Smarty Jones, says Pohla Smith at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Paul Daley, at the Lowell Sun, is a little less decisive, making cases for both Smarty and Ghostzapper.

Posted by JC, Dec 19, 2004 11:35 AM

Finley's Picks

"With the Hollywood Futurity the only race left on the year that could have any impact on the Eclipse Awards, it's not too early to divulge my votes for divisional champions and Horse of the Year," writes Bill Finley. No big surprises: Finley likes Ghostzapper for Horse of the Year, Speightstown for Sprinter, and Sightseek for Older Filly or Mare. (ESPN)

Comment: I can't get excited about Ghostzapper as HOTY. He only ran four -- admittedly, very good -- races this year. I wouldn't vote for Smarty Jones either. He never raced against older horses and the Chapmans' decision to retire him so early does rankle. I'd love to see Azeri or Funny Cide get the award. True, both have more losses than wins on their 2004 records, but both are also solid champions who delivered knock-out performances in races that reminded fans of what's so thrilling and noble about the sport.

Posted by JC, Dec 8, 2004 08:35 AM

No Phony Champions

As Eclipse award voting season begins, Dick Jerardi can't take any more positivity. "I am here to make sure the negative has a voice. Wilko? I mean, really. Wilko?" (Daily Racing Form)

Posted by JC, Nov 18, 2004 06:40 AM

Unfairly Maligned

This year's crop of three-year-olds may be ill-fated -- Lion Heart, Birdstone, and The Cliff's Edge were all retired with fractures -- but it's not inferior. "Some believe, based on Beyer Speed Figures, that this is a weak crop. Yet other speed figure gurus, such as Thoro-Graph's Jerry Brown, state that some of Smarty Jones' numbers are among the fastest ever recorded by a 3-year-old, including one race that was the fastest ever recorded." (Blood-Horse)

Posted by JC, Nov 9, 2004 07:38 AM

Not Even Close

Ghostzapper garners 18 votes for Horse of the Year to Smarty Jones' 7 in a Blood-Horse survey of trainers, jockeys, and journalists.

Related: "Smarty vs. Ghostzapper a dream race" (Daily Racing Form)

Posted by JC, Nov 3, 2004 03:51 PM

HOTY Race Heats Up

The contest for Horse of the Year comes down to two: Smarty Jones and Ghostzapper. Which deserves the honor? The chestnut colt who electrified crowds with his Kentucky Derby and Preakness performances against the best three-year-olds, or the lightly-raced four-year-old 4-for-4 against the best older horses?

Maryjean Wall says Smarty is still in the picture. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Mike Brunker wants to compromise. (MSNBC)

And Bill Finley couldn't be plainer in his preference: "Ghostzapper earned my Horse of the Year vote Saturday." (ESPN)

Wait, says Richard Rosenblatt: "When cooler heads prevail, there's little doubt that Smarty Jones is more deserving of Horse of the Year." (Trentonian)

Related: Andrew Beyer writes that there's one word for Ghostzapper: "Freak" (Daily Racing Form); Wall says Ashado has staked a claim as top three-year-old filly (Lexington Herald-Leader); Sherry Ross predicts Sweet Catomine for two-year-old filly Eclipse, Ouija Board for top turf mare, and Ghostzapper for top handicap horse (New York Daily News)

Comment: I'm with Brunker. Smarty Jones proved himself the best three-year-old and deserves that award; Ghostzapper proved himself versatile and fast and so deserves HOTY. If only there were an honorable mention for that prize -- I'd love to see Funny Cide recognized. After his fabulous Jockey Club Gold Cup victory, there was some talk of the gelding carrying off the big award. Obviously, that won't be happening, but I can think of no other horse that runs with as much heart as he does.

Posted by JC, Nov 1, 2004 08:35 AM

Smarty Backlash?

Smarty Jones' untimely departure from the winner's circle to the breeding shed disappointed fans -- and turf writers. "Bill Finley, a veteran reporter who covers racing for ESPN.com, says his displeasure with the turn of events may influence his ballot.

"Granted, he was a very exciting horse," Finley says, "but personally I'm very disappointed they retired him and retired him under a scenario where it appeared they could easily have brought him back next year, if not sooner.

"Maybe it's not up to the voters to punish people, but the sport needs superstars, and these people didn't keep their promise to keep him around. I may keep that in mind, and I may just punish them for that." (USA Today)

Posted by JC, Oct 28, 2004 03:15 PM

Eight Are Alive

For Horse of the Year, says Steven Crist: Azeri, Birdstone, Funny Cide, Ghostzapper, Kitten's Joy, Pleasantly Perfect, Roses in May, and Smarty Jones all have a shot at the honor. (Daily Racing Form)

Posted by JC, Oct 16, 2004 09:00 AM

The Forgotten

Smarty Jones' retirement may have brought his owners millions of dollars, but it may also deprive them of horse of the year and champion three-year-old honors, and that could lead to obscurity for the chestnut colt, writes Bob Ford. "As the racing year heads toward its final furlongs, Birdstone is still running and still causing trouble for Smarty. Incredibly enough, 2004 might turn out to be the year in which Smarty Jones is nearly forgotten rather than the year in which he is remembered forever." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Posted by JC, Sep 8, 2004 06:37 AM

Birdstone or Smarty Jones

Which will be three-year-old champion at the end of the year? "With Smarty Jones retired prematurely to the breeding shed, and his Triple Crown spoiler Birdstone ready to take a crack at older horses in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Oct. 30, Eclipse Award voters may even have to rethink their Horse of the Year options if Birdstone wins at Lone Star Park," writes Sherry Ross in the New York Daily News.

Hold on, Mike Watchmaker says in the DRF: "Let's keep a lid on the 'Birdstone for champion 3-year-old' movement, however. It is to Birdstone's credit that he is the only one who ever defeated Smarty Jones, and unlike Smarty Jones, Birdstone is still in the game punching. But, you can't make believe that Birdstone's 15 1/4-length loss to Smarty Jones in the Kentucky Derby never happened. Smarty Jones's Derby and Preakness victories are still the standard by which this 3-year-old class is measured."

Sounds like quite an argument shaping up.

Posted by JC, Aug 30, 2004 09:55 PM

Watchmaker: Race Is Over

There is no race for top three-year-old, writes Mike Watchmaker. We all know what's going to happen when it comes time to award the divisional title: "No legitimate argument can be made for any horse in position to mount a late-season threat -- not Birdstone, not Sunday's Haskell Invitational winner Lion Heart, not Sunday's Jim Dandy winner Purge, and not Rock Hard Ten in the wake of his flop in the Haskell. None of them is in the same league with Smarty Jones." (Daily Racing Form)

Related: "Smarty just won't go away" (ESPN)

Posted by JC, Aug 10, 2004 09:15 AM