Eclipse Award Winners | Retama Ruffian

I'm sure by now, the vast majority of you have seen or heard about the Eclipse Award winners. My plan was to post my picks for each of the categories, but that did not happen. So, to make it up to you I will be posting the winners (as I originally doing) AND I will be starting a new blog series that only one person knows of besides myself. The series will be posting by the end of tomorrow (hopefully) or early Tuesday morning.

Female Turf Horse-
Dayatthespa
Dayatthespa has been a favorite of mine for quite awhile and I'm 100% for her at all times.

Male Turf Horse-
Main Sequence
The underdog, Main Sequence, has been exceptional this whole year and four grade one wins really screams something to me.

Female Sprinter-
Judy the Beauty
Her Breeders' Cup win was one of my favorites. She is extremely deserving of her title.

Male Sprinter-

Work All Week
I've seen better. That's all I'll say.

Older Female-
Close Hatches
Her final two races made me want to stab my eyes out. I'm not a fan.

Older Male-
Main Sequence
Again, extremely deserving and dominate.

Three-Year Old Filly-
Untapable
No competition here.

Three-Year Old Male-
California Chrome
Shared Belief was my pick. I don't want to start a rant so I'm shutting up.

Two-Year Old Filly-
Take Charge Brandi
TCB was my Oaks underdog until she won the Breeders' Cup because then everyone knew about her.

Two-Year Old Male-
American Pharoah
After the FrontRunner, he dropped of the face of the earth. Texas Red was the same situation as TCB.

Horse of the Year-
California Chrome
Main Sequence all the way. BUT because Bayern didn't win, I'm perfectly fine.

My Eclipse Award Picks- Horse of the Year | Retama Ruffian

Bayern-

Bayern broke his maiden on the first asking, being Rprettyboyfloyd and Hoppertunity, going seven furlongs on the dirt. His next start was a mile allowance. Finishing third in the Arkansas Derby (1 ⅛ mile), second in the Derby Trial (1 mile; Bayern was DQ'd) and ninth in the Preakness Stakes (1 3/16 mile), Bayern got his first graded stakes win in the seven furlong Woody Stephens. He continued to another graded stakes win in the William Hill Haskell Invitational Stakes (1 ⅛ mile). Bayern came dead last in the Travers Stakes (1 ¼ mile). He won the Pennsylvania Derby (1 ⅛ mile) over California Chrome, Candy Boy and Tapiture. Bayern won an extremely controversial Breeders’ Cup Classic (1 ¼ mile), in which he beat several grade one, two and three winners and the 2-YO Eclipse Award winner, Shared Belief, and the dual classic winner, California Chrome.

FINAL THOUGHTS- Bayern is not a Horse of the Year winner because a true HOY would be a consistent winner who could take a race without destroying other horses chances.

California Chrome-

“The People’s Horse” as his owners call him, broke his maiden on his second time out and then finished fifth in the William L. Proctor Memorial. It was this race when I saw the chestnut run for the first time. He got his win in the San Felipe Stakes (1 1/16 mile). His wins following were the Santa Anita Derby (1 ⅛ mile), Kentucky Derby (1 ¼ mile) and the Preakness Stakes (1 3/16 mile). He finished fourth in the Belmont Stakes after he stepped on himself. After a three month break, California Chrome started in the 1 ⅛ mile Pennsylvania Derby. He finished sixth to Bayern, Tapiture and Candy Boy. He continued his losing streak with a third place in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (1 ¼ mile) before winning his turf debut in the Hollywood Derby (1 ⅛ mile).

FINAL THOUGHTS- California Chrome is not my HOY because of his three huge losses but I’d rather he win that Bayern.

Main Sequence-

Kentucky-bred and European raced, Main Sequence is by far the most accomplished horse running for the Horse of the Year. He came over to America in July and took the turf world by storm. He won the United Nations Stakes (1 ⅜ mile) and the Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (1 ½ mile). Main Sequence continued on the the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (1 ½ mile). His final start in 2014 was the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (1 ½ mile). The six year old gelding has yet to lose an American race and has started in grade one turf starts.

FINAL THOUGHTS- Main Sequence is the most deserving, going undefeated four grade one starts.

PREDICTIONS- The Eclipse Award voting has an obvious dirt favoring and I, personally, would not be surprise if California Chrome won HOY because he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. But if Bayern does get the upper hand due to his Breeders’ Cup Classic and Pennsylvania Derby starts, then I will be sitting in a corner ripping my hair out.