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View Full Version : At last...Eclipse finalists...


joanied
01-08-2009, 05:14 PM
Ohboy:jump: here they are and I hope I won't be the only one here to post my picks:

http://news.bloodhorse.com//viewstory.asp?id=48701

Here's mine:

Juvy Colt-- Midshipman (would love to see Old Fashioned get it, but beleive Midshipman did a little more)

Juvy Filly-- Stardom Bound

3 yr old colt-- Big Brown (and should be seriously considered for HoY)

3 yr old filly-- Proud Spell/Eight Belles...tough call and either would make ME happy.

Older Male-- Curlin

Older Female-- Zenyatta (but still have a soft spot for Ginger Punch)

Male Sprinter-- Benny the Bull (despite his back to back BC wins, Midnight Lute just didn't run enough...but I love that horse)

Female Sprinter-- Indian Blessing (I'd maybe call a tie between her & Ventura)

Male Turf -- Grand Coutuier

Female Turf-- Forever Together (sorry, Goldakova was incredible...but FT did way more here in the USA)

Steeplechase -- Good Night Shirt

Trainer -- Rick Dutrow (although I'd be shocked if he gets it)

Horse of the Year -- Zenyatta (sorry guys)

OTM Al
01-08-2009, 06:21 PM
I agree with most of your picks though I would put Proud Spell as solid winner of 3yo Filly, Assmussen as trainer, and Curlin as HotY.

I agree on your turf picks but betting at least one will go to a Euro, probably Goldikova.

joanied
01-08-2009, 07:18 PM
I agree with most of your picks though I would put Proud Spell as solid winner of 3yo Filly, Assmussen as trainer, and Curlin as HotY.

I agree on your turf picks but betting at least one will go to a Euro, probably Goldikova.

I also think Proud Spell should get it....hands down...but there will be a lot of sentiment for Eight Belles, plus the fact she beat about 18 of our (so called) best colts in the Derby.

Again, Goldikova was breathtaking in the BC....but still beleive Forever Together absolutley deserves the Eclispe.

You hope that the voters have learned their lesson about giving the award to a horse off one big BC win...they've done it before and usually, that horse never continues on to form.

OTM Al
01-08-2009, 08:23 PM
The one who earned it hands down though was Ouija Board. I got to see her twice and the day at Churchill I think she was the best one there.

Stevie Belmont
01-09-2009, 10:58 AM
My vote would be for Music Note

MickJ26
01-09-2009, 12:55 PM
Ohboy:jump: here they are and I hope I won't be the only one here to post my picks:

http://news.bloodhorse.com//viewstory.asp?id=48701

Here's mine:

Juvy Colt-- Midshipman (would love to see Old Fashioned get it, but beleive Midshipman did a little more)

Juvy Filly-- Stardom Bound

3 yr old colt-- Big Brown (and should be seriously considered for HoY)

3 yr old filly-- Proud Spell/Eight Belles...tough call and either would make ME happy.

Older Male-- Curlin

Older Female-- Zenyatta (but still have a soft spot for Ginger Punch)

Male Sprinter-- Benny the Bull (despite his back to back BC wins, Midnight Lute just didn't run enough...but I love that horse)

Female Sprinter-- Indian Blessing (I'd maybe call a tie between her & Ventura)

Male Turf -- Grand Coutuier

Female Turf-- Forever Together (sorry, Goldakova was incredible...but FT did way more here in the USA)

Steeplechase -- Good Night Shirt

Trainer -- Rick Dutrow (although I'd be shocked if he gets it)

Horse of the Year -- Zenyatta (sorry guys)





To show how great the three year old filly division was multiple Grade 1 winner Indian Blessing didn't even get a nomination.
Bobby Frankel led the nation in Grade 1 winners. Take away the IEAH horses (Kip, Benny and Big Brown) and Rick Dutrow is basically an unknown outside of New York and Florida.
Curlin danced every dance on two continents while Zenyatta pretty much just stayed in California and benefitted from the home field advantage. Curlin for HOY.

MIplayer
01-09-2009, 01:56 PM
Ohboy:jump: here they are and I hope I won't be the only one here to post my picks:

http://news.bloodhorse.com//viewstory.asp?id=48701

Here's mine:

Juvy Colt-- Midshipman (would love to see Old Fashioned get it, but beleive Midshipman did a little more)

Juvy Filly-- Stardom Bound

3 yr old colt-- Big Brown (and should be seriously considered for HoY)

3 yr old filly-- Proud Spell/Eight Belles...tough call and either would make ME happy.

Older Male-- Curlin

Older Female-- Zenyatta (but still have a soft spot for Ginger Punch)

Male Sprinter-- Benny the Bull (despite his back to back BC wins, Midnight Lute just didn't run enough...but I love that horse)

Female Sprinter-- Indian Blessing (I'd maybe call a tie between her & Ventura)

Male Turf -- Grand Coutuier

Female Turf-- Forever Together (sorry, Goldakova was incredible...but FT did way more here in the USA)

Steeplechase -- Good Night Shirt

Trainer -- Rick Dutrow (although I'd be shocked if he gets it)

Horse of the Year -- Zenyatta (sorry guys)

I think that Big Brown is unquestionably the HOTY, with Zenyatta a close second. 10 years from now, when people think of 2008, who will be remembered? I think BB helped counter the PETA insanity by showing everyone how exciting the sport can be. Unfortunately we were let down, but if it weren't for BB I think much more media and public attention would've been given to the notion that horse racing is "cruel."

I went to the KY Derby for the first time this year and I will never forget watching BB cross the wire. A Derby win from the 20 hole is an amazing accomplishment.

MickJ26
01-09-2009, 03:35 PM
You're right. Winning the Florida Derby (post 12), the Kentucky Derby (post 20), the Preakness and Haskell normally would've been good enough for Horse of the Year. In fact, I'd pick Big Brown over Zenyatta if those were the only two choices. But, Curlin will go down as an all time great and deserves HOY.

whyhorseofcourse
01-09-2009, 04:01 PM
I think that Big Brown is unquestionably the HOTY, with Zenyatta a close second. 10 years from now, when people think of 2008, who will be remembered? I think BB helped counter the PETA insanity by showing everyone how exciting the sport can be. Unfortunately we were let down, but if it weren't for BB I think much more media and public attention would've been given to the notion that horse racing is "cruel."

I went to the KY Derby for the first time this year and I will never forget watching BB cross the wire. A Derby win from the 20 hole is an amazing accomplishment.

Great post.
I totally agree, I hate Dutrow but Big Brown should be Horse of the Year

supercap
01-09-2009, 04:09 PM
You're right. Winning the Florida Derby (post 12), the Kentucky Derby (post 20), the Preakness and Haskell normally would've been good enough for Horse of the Year. In fact, I'd pick Big Brown over Zenyatta if those were the only two choices. But, Curlin will go down as an all time great and deserves HOY.

Curlin all time leading money earner! How could he not be HOY?

Marshall Bennett
01-09-2009, 04:12 PM
I hate Dutrow but Big Brown should be Horse of the Year
Your right !! As far as I'm concerned it was Big Brown , not Curlin or any other horse , that generated excitement in 2008 . It may have been short lived , but its what this game is dying for . He's got my vote . :ThmbUp:

ArlJim78
01-09-2009, 04:23 PM
Big Brown should win the eclipse for most over-rated horse of the year.

Bruddah
01-09-2009, 05:30 PM
Big Brown should win the eclipse for most over-rated horse of the year.


Bruddah! My sentiments exactly. Especially when you revue the competition he faced in those races. Most of them couldn't beat the Starting Gate draft horses. :lol:

joanied
01-09-2009, 06:57 PM
The one who earned it hands down though was Ouija Board. I got to see her twice and the day at Churchill I think she was the best one there.

She was breathtaking....what a race mare, and I think she's the only Euro to get one of our arwards that didn't piss me off...too much:)

joanied
01-09-2009, 07:00 PM
My vote would be for Music Note

Yeah, Music Note & Proud Spell are so close....and the voting will be close, and I hope Larry Jones won't get ripped off for Proud Spell because he did the right thing by her and stopped.
Proud Spell still has my vote....the fillies really :ThmbUp: all kicked butt in '08...great bunch.

joanied
01-09-2009, 07:05 PM
Curlin all time leading money earner! How could he not be HOY?

I have said this before... earnings are relative... for example...a horse can win 5 grade I's, another win 2 grade I's with huge purses and have more in earnings...but does that make him/her a better horse than the one that wins more Grade I races?
If Curlin gets another HoY, I hope it's his race record and not his earnings that gets it...

joanied
01-09-2009, 07:07 PM
Big Brown should win the eclipse for most over-rated horse of the year.


:ThmbDown: :ThmbDown: :ThmbDown:

Marshall Bennett
01-09-2009, 07:13 PM
Bruddah! My sentiments exactly. Especially when you revue the competition he faced in those races. Most of them couldn't beat the Starting Gate draft horses. :lol:
Don't care if he ran against a field of 3 legged dogs , it still generated excitement ( including yourself if you'd ever admit it ) . Curlin generated a bit of excitement perhaps a few days before a big race and it ended when the race was over .

MIplayer
01-09-2009, 07:20 PM
Curlin all time leading money earner! How could he not be HOY?

That's true, Curlin was phenomenal. Personally I don't think money should be the most important factor in determining HOTY. If Curlin would have won the Classic, it'd be more of a tie for my HOTY opinion. Asmussen blames the surface, but come on, There's always an excuse.

Big Brown might have ran against a bunch of sedated Clydesdales. But did Curlin really face the greatest himself? Both of these horses failed on their big days. What is it recently with the stars of this sport performing horrible when it matters most (like Lost In the Fog).

I think in terms of contribution to the sport and public interest, Big Brown defined the year. It's a shame BB was never intended to run as a 4 YO and couldn't run in the Classic. I don't think we saw enough this year to judge him accurately.

joanied
01-09-2009, 07:22 PM
Don't care if he ran against a field of 3 legged dogs , it still generated excitement ( including yourself if you'd ever admit it ) . Curlin generated a bit of excitement perhaps a few days before a big race and it ended when the race was over .

:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

joanied
01-09-2009, 07:30 PM
That's true, Curlin was phenomenal. Personally I don't think money should be the most important factor in determining HOTY. If Curlin would have won the Classic, it'd be more of a tie for my HOTY opinion. Asmussen blames the surface, but come on, There's always an excuse.

Big Brown might have ran against a bunch of sedated Clydesdales. But did Curlin really face the greatest himself? Both of these horses failed on their big days. What is it recently with the stars of this sport performing horrible when it matters most (like Lost In the Fog).

I think in terms of contribution to the sport and public interest, Big Brown defined the year. It's a shame BB was never intended to run as a 4 YO and couldn't run in the Classic. I don't think we saw enough this year to judge him accurately.

Excellent :ThmbUp: post...well said.

If Curlin is to be ranked as one of our all time 'Greats'...he should have won the Classic, or at least finished a very, very close 2nd.

I also don't think the competition Curlin faced was that much better than Big Brown's competition. ( I did say in my original post the BB should seriouly be considered for HoY, and if he gets it...fine by me)

I guess we all wonder why some of our 'star' horses fail on their biggest days...happens time and time again....go figure!!
Lost in the Fog was probably already feeling the effects of the cancer that killed him:(

MIplayer
01-09-2009, 07:56 PM
Joanied,

I agree with most of your picks. I think Eight Belles deserves 3 YO Filly...It would be wrong to not honor her amazing accomplishments.

I can't wait to see Zenyatta again, hopefully she can remain undefeated and help revive the sport. I'd rather see a 5 YO star then another 3 YO come and go in 3-5 races!

I don't think Dutrow should get it. Big Brown losing the Belmont was good for the sport, in a sense. Had he won, their would've been accusations and namecalling. I saw the Belmont as a pointless race after Casino Drive was scratched. Plus with the Derby breakdown, it was just a bad year. When the 30+ year Triple Crown streak is broken, it should be broken by an undisputed champion that will continue to race as a 4 YO. The horse shouldn't be on steroids and the runner up in the first leg shouldn't die. Perhaps most of all, the trainer shouldn't become public enemy #1. I have to wonder if BB's career would've been different without Dutrow.

joanied
01-10-2009, 12:38 PM
MIPlayer,

It is extremely hard not to want to give Eight Belles an Eclispe...but she's gone:( , although in my heart, never forgotten. I don't want to sound even a tiny bit unsympathetic, I cried my eyes out for Eight Belles and her connections, and still can't even look at a photo of her, let alone watch one of her great races, without tearing up....but I think the Eclispe should be given to the filly we still have at Larry's barn (I assume she'll race this year), Proud Spell deserves the award, and in my heart I beleive Larry and Proud Spell's owner deserve to race a horse that just got the big year end award for an outstanding year in '08.
"They' could provide Eight Belles with a special award for her accomplishments and no doubt the racing world would embrace that as a tribute to her life and what she accomplished, and what she gave to everyone that loves racing and the Thoroghbred horse.

I too look forward to Zenyatta's '09 campaign...and I'm sure we all want to see her repeat in another undefeated season...she's breathtaking and I adore John S and Mike Smith.
Zenyatta:jump:

Regardless of Dutrow becoming "public enemy #1", Dutrow did a fantastic job with BB. I sometimes wonder what would have been if BB had been trained by someone else....no doubt we wouldn't have had anyone to bash:) , but you have to admit, Dutrow held that horse together and got the most out of him...the belmont will go down in history as a complete fiasco, and we'll never know just what happened, but I can't see putting blame on Dutrow, he sure as hell didn't want it to end like it did. (Have you noticed we haven't heard anything from Kent D ?)
Yes....It was, overall, a bad year....a sad year.

And I do agree, when the Triple Crown is won again (I hope in my lifetime:faint: ) it should be a horse that everyone has embraced, has no 'bad press' and will race again as a 4 year old... I hope with all my heart, that horse comes along in 2009...we sure need a huge shot in the arm for racing.

PaceAdvantage
01-11-2009, 09:47 PM
Big Brown should win the eclipse for most over-rated horse of the year.Overrated how? What do you base this on?

Take out Curlin's freak Beyer on the Monmouth slop in 2007 and BB's Beyer's become quite competitive with Curlin's resume of speed figs.

Throw in a horse who won as many grade 1s as all the others up for contention this year, a horse who won the Derby/Preakness/Haskell...beat older horses on the turf and won the Florida Derby from an unheard of post....what more would you like?

This is a junky year altogether...you had a 3yo win the BC Classic (bred in Kentucky), so I guess the crop wasn't so bad after all...

Maybe we should just make Raven's Pass 3yo and HOY.

If you don't want to do that, then Big Brown has every right to claim the award as any other up on that list (Curlin or Zenyatta).

It's unreal that a true fan of the sport would consider Big Brown the most overrated horse of the year, considering what he accomplished and how he accomplished it...

I'm curious...where is Curlin on your list of overrated horses of 2008? Who did he beat this year? The list is so impressive, I'm drawing a blank....

joanied
01-12-2009, 01:24 PM
Overrated how? What do you base this on?

Take out Curlin's freak Beyer on the Monmouth slop in 2007 and BB's Beyer's become quite competitive with Curlin's resume of speed figs.

Throw in a horse who won as many grade 1s as all the others up for contention this year, a horse who won the Derby/Preakness/Haskell...beat older horses on the turf and won the Florida Derby from an unheard of post....what more would you like?

This is a junky year altogether...you had a 3yo win the BC Classic (bred in Kentucky), so I guess the crop wasn't so bad after all...

Maybe we should just make Raven's Pass 3yo and HOY.

If you don't want to do that, then Big Brown has every right to claim the award as any other up on that list (Curlin or Zenyatta).

It's unreal that a true fan of the sport would consider Big Brown the most overrated horse of the year, considering what he accomplished and how he accomplished it...

I'm curious...where is Curlin on your list of overrated horses of 2008? Who did he beat this year? The list is so impressive, I'm drawing a blank....

:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: It drives me to maddness when someone bashes Big Brown's accomplishments in 2008...PA, good post.
Can anyone imagine what kind of horse BB would have been with good feet...and a rider on his back he really felt comfortable with...for BB to do what he did with so much going against him...it's incredible.
He should be one of the HoY finallists....no damned doubt about it!!