Now, this award is usually based off of popularity from the fans but this year there is several deserving candidates.
Let's get the candidates out of the way.
1. Shared Belief
2. California Chrome
3. Ben's Cat
4. Wise Dan
5. Game on Dude
6. Untapable
Shared Belief:
The 3-YO gelding by Candy Ride has been a superstar this year, despite missing the entire Triple Crown trail. He broke his maiden on his first asking at Golden Gate going 6 furlongs. He then won the Hollywood Prevue (7 furlongs) and the CashCall Futurity (1 1/16 mile). After a six month break, Shared Belief ate up his older foes in his comeback allowance, which was a six furlong race over the all-weather track at Golden Gate Fields. The gelding then continued his winning streak with the Los Alamitos Derby (1 1/8 mile), Pacific Classic (1 1/4 mile) and the Awesome Again Stakes (1 1/8 mile). Now an important note about the Awesome Again Stakes is that Shared Belief took a 7 1/4 length trip farther than any other horse in the field. He ran his heart out in the race and still managed to win by a neck. In the Breeders' Cup Classic the gelding struggled at the start and then was forced to check to keep from clipping heels with the horse in front of him. Even with his crappy trip the horse managed to be behind the third place finisher only by 2 1/4 lengths.
California Chrome:
The "People's Horse", as he is known to his owners, has had plenty of trouble with winning a race since his win in the Preakness Stakes (1 3/8 mile), unless you call his rather unimpressive race in the Hollywood Derby a win. He's come fourth in the Belmont Stakes, sixth in the Pennsylvania Derby and third in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Honestly, I don't think this horse is deserving of the award. I mean, come on. He is just another name on the long list of horses who won the Derby/Preakness combo. A true champion would have won the trio of prestigious classic races but he obviously wasn't the champion we made him out to be.
Ben's Cat:
Sure, the 8-YO has only won the same graded races. But how many eight year old horses do you know that are still going strong with 1sts/2nds/3rds? I can name one of the top of my head and it's Ben's Cat.
Wise Dan:
I'm sorry to my Dan fans but I cannot wait for this horse to leave the racing scene even though he is one of the few horses racing over the age of six. He's losing his form slowly and it's getting noticeable. Despite the colic surgery this horse when through, he still strung together four graded stakes win, three of them grade one and the other a grade two race.
Game On Dude:
The newly retired Game On Dude had little luck this year with a win in the Santa Anita Handicap and a second in the Charles Town Classic Stakes. He was retired after a fourth in the Pacific Classic. You can now visit Game On Dude at Old Friends in Kentucky.
Untapable:
The Kentucky Oaks winner has only finished worst than third once, if you forgive her 8th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She broke her maiden on her first try and then won the Pocahontas Stakes. The eventual Kentucky Oaks winner went into the race with a third in the Hollywood Scarlet Stakes and wins in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes and the Fair Grounds Oaks. After her win in the Kentucky Oaks and the Mother Goose Stakes, she was sent to the Haskell Invitational but finished fifth. Untapable redeemed herself in the Cotillion Stakes and in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.
So, who's your pick going to? I've already voted for Shared Belief.
