Her effort in the BC Juvenile Filly Turf (G1) was impressive not only because of that late turn-of-foot she exhibited, but also because it was trainer Christophe Clement’s very 1st BC win. As for a 3rd choice in this category, I was swayed by the Bobby Flay homebred, Pizza Bianca. (G1), she was 2nd to “Echo” 5+ lengths behind her at Del Mar in the BC Fillies. Her only true competitor on this list was Brad Cox’s Juju’s Map, and after a “signature win” at Keeneland in the Darley Alcibiades S. What a set of gears this one has! The HOF trainer brought her along … MSW, Spinaway S. In all 4 of her career races, she exhibited such a strong kick that it left others in the dust. Speaking of choices that are clear … Steve Asmussen’s Echo Zulu was so dominant in the BC Juvenile Fillies (G1) that this is one of those categories that is a cinch. Baffert’s ace was more impressive on the biggest stage, and that has made him a frontrunner when it comes to the early “Derby Talk.” Who will be training him by April, and into early May, is certainly a question many would like an answer to? In the meantime, this one was a clear choice … Others like Kenny McPeek’s Rattle N Roll, and Mark Casse’s Pappacap, looked promising with solid runs at Keeneland (McPeek’s 1st in the G1 Breeders’ Fut.) and Santa Anita (HOF Casse’s was 2nd to Corniche in both the G1 Am. Bob Baffert’s Corniche was dominant in that race, and he was clearly the best horse that day.
The capstone to the year for these freshmen colts is, of course, the BC Juvenile (G1). This category is a challenge, since 2-yr-olds only effectively have ½ of the year to compete. Those are my Top 3 for HOY …Īmerican Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse
The Godolphin homebred, Essential Quality was caught wide in the Kentucky Derby, but he stormed back nicely to win both the Belmont (G1) and the Travers (G1) … no small feat. My 3rd choice is another Cox runner that made headlines dating back to 2020. Cox watched his charge win the Pegasus, miss in Saudi and in the Met Mile, but afterwards notch 4 wins, including that impressive BC score. Still, it wasn’t enough to upend the Korean Racing Authority’s son of Paynter.
This mare by Super Saver rattled off 5 wins in-a-row (4 G1s). But the “Horse O’ the Year” for me also included a discussion of the merits of Fausto Gutierrez’s Letruska. His front-running style was a punch to the gut to any opponent. I know that this category is supposed to be the proverbial “slam dunk,” what with Brad Cox’s Knicks Go capping off his year with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.
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