Half Year Horse Racing Awards

The Half Year Horse Racing Awards

Insight and commentary on the world of thoroughbred horse racing.

Thoughts and opinions about the fascinating sport of thoroughbred horse racing from a racing insider.

The Half-Year Awards

With the year half over and the big summer meets at Del Mar and Saratoga gearing up, I thought it would be fun to vote for the Half-Year Eclipse Awards. Hey if ESPN can make up an awards show, why not me?

3yo Colt

Curlin gets my vote over Street Sense by a Pimlico nose. Even though he lost the Belmont, this horse is all try and I’m giving bonus points for him running fantastically in all three Triple Crown races.

3yo Filly

Not much drama here. Rags to Riches

Older Male

Gone but not forgotten Invasor is an easy pick here too. A pair of Grade 1 wins, including the Dubai World Cup, makes him the most accomplished American-based older male. And there is a good chance he still will be come years’ end.

Turf Male

This is really a toss up. I always thought After Market would emerge as a dominant turf runner after he began his career with four straight wins and rolled through the 2006 Lexington and Hall of Fame Stakes on the New York circuit. He’s certainly regained his good form on the West Coast this year and I’ll give him the nod with his two Grade 1 wins in the Whittingham and the recent Eddie Read at Del Mar.

Older Female

None of the straight dirt fillies are overly qualified with Balance, Ermine, Take D’or, Hystericalady and River’s Prayer divvying up the Grade 1’s for the division on conventional dirt. Nashoba’s Key is unbeaten on turf and Cushion Track and got her Grade 1 over Balance in the Vanity at Hollywood Park. But I’m going to go out on a limb and take Citronnade. She’s won three Grade 2 races and the G1 Gamely this year. I’ll take quality quantity at this point irregardless of surface. It’s fair to say, though, that she’ll have her work cut out for her the rest of the year in a very competitive Turf Distaff division.

Turf Female

It would be a little hypocritical if I took Honey Ryder here, wouldn’t it?

Sprinter

The Half-Year sprint title was supposed to have been settled in the Smile Sprint Handicap on Calder’s Summit of Speed Day, July 7. But then Fabulous Strike never fired and Smokey Stover fired a blank and struggled to a third place finish. Silver Wagon, winner of the G2 General George and the G1 Carter Handicap, is certainly deserving. But I’ll give the nod to Smokey Stover. He has a Grade 2 and Grade 3 win under his belt in ’07. However, the deciding factor was his win in the Sunshine Millions Sprint back in January. Granted it was a race restricted to Florida and California-breds, but an easy win over Proud Tower Too and Bordonaro counts as a Grade 1 in my book. At least for a Half-Year Eclipse.

Horse of the Year

Flip a coin. On one side is Rags to Riches. Everyone knows what she did in the Belmont, but she is also the only horse in America, perhaps the world with four Grade 1 wins in 2007. On the other side is Invasor, the reigning Champ with two impressive Grade 1 victories this year. The only thing he did wrong was get hurt (he would have won the Suburban by double digit lengths). My coin just landed on Rags to Riches.

Matt O'Neil has been a racing enthusiast since the mid-1980's. He is a freelance writer and thoroughbred marketing consultant and editor of the breeding journal Owner-Breeder International. Contact Matt O'Neil