Nov 15, 2013
AMERICAN TURF CLUB LEAD-HORSE OF THE YEAR
By: JOE GIRARDI
Although
there is technically a month and a half left in 2013 let us take a look at the
Horse of the Year race as there are only one or two races left that could have
any impact.
1. WISE DAN- Last year’s Horse of the Year
is the heavy favorite to win that award again in 2013. He went 6 for 7 in 2013
with one second place finish over the synthetic surface at Keeneland when the
Shadwell Turf Mile came off the turf. His other six wins all came on the turf
with four of those wins coming in Grade I races. He had a very similar resume
last year when he won it and he ended both years with a win in the Breeders’
Cup Mile at Santa Anita. He scored by ¾’s of a length over Za Approval in the
Breeders’ Cup Mile in a sharp time of 1:32:2 under jockey Jose Lezcano. Lezcano
had to replace jockey John Velazquez who was injured earlier in the card when
his horse broke down, Velazquez had to have emergency surgery to remove his
spleen and will be out the rest of the year. Back to Wise Dan, he did
everything asked of him and won the biggest turf race at a mile in the
Breeders’ Cup, his other rivals for the Horse of the Year title didn’t put
their best hoof forward when it counted, therefore we should see a repeat winner
for Horse of the Year.
2. GAME ON DUDE- Went 5 for 6 this year
with his only loss coming in the Breeders’ Cup Classic when he checked in a
well beaten 9th, 11 lengths off the winner. This was very similar to
his campaign last year when he went 5 for 8 with a very poor effort in the
Classic as the favorite. He had three Grade I wins and two Grade II wins but
didn’t beat much along the way. If he could have completed the year undefeated
with a win in the biggest race of the year, the Classic, he would have been
Horse of the Year, unfortunately he will finish a distant second.
3. BEHOLDER- An odd choice to be on this
list but let’s take a look at her resume. She was 5 for 7 with two second place
finishes. She won four Grade I races but all four of those wins came at Santa
Anita. She finished off the year with a huge win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff
easily defeating Royal Delta and fellow three year old Princess of Sylmar. She
may have stolen away the three year old filly championship from Princess of
Sylmar with her win in the Distaff but she is a longshot for Horse of the Year.
However, it would be hard to argue that there was a better female at any age at
year’s end.
4. MUCHO MACHO MAN- His resume is not very
strong when you look at it from a winning percentage standpoint. He only has
two wins and two thirds from five tries. However, his last two wins both came
in Grade I’s and he did score by a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. With all
that being said he might not even win Older Male as Game On Dude looks like a better
choice. If there was a comeback of the year award winner from the first part of
the year to the last, he would be on top. Pulled up in his first start of the
year and then two third place finishes, one in an ungraded stakes and the other
in the Grade I Whitney. However, a big end of the year at least throws his name
in the ring for Older Male but he is a huge longshot for Horse of the Year.
5. ORB- This three year old went 4 for 8
with two third place finishes and two off the board finishes for the year.
However, he did win two Grade I’s with one of those Grade I’s coming in
arguably the most popular race of the year and clearly the most important race
for three year olds, the Kentucky Derby. He came back in both the Preakness and
Belmont with a fourth and third respectively. He did finish an ok third in the
Travers but didn’t run an inch against older horses in the Jockey Club Gold Cup
and was just recently retired. He has a shot at the three year old of the year
based on his wins in the Kentucky Derby, Florida Derby and Fountain of Youth. I
think that Will Take Charge, if he can garner a win in the Clark Handicap at
Churchill Downs he should be three year old of the year. He showed with wins in
the Travers and Pennsylvania Derby and his close second against the best older
horses in the Classic that he is the “best” three year old at year’s end.
However, that might not get him the vote for three year old of the year. As far
as Horse of the Year, he is currently the slight favorite for that award in
2014 as long as he comes back as a four year old.
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