Best Campaigns by a horse who did not win HOTY

[keithw84]

What do you think has been the greatest (one-year) campaign run by a horse who did not win Horse Of The Year?

I'm going to say Easy Goer in 1989. I think Sunday Silence definitely deserved the award, but Easy Goer's year would've won HOTY in a landslide in most other years.

[Tom]

Easy Goer was really good in NY.
He did not deserve HOY. SS was the better horse.

I'll say Zenyatta' last season! :rolleyes: Let'r rip! :D

[njcurveball]

Zenyatta in 2009. It is obvious to anyone watching races in 2010 that Rachel Alexandra could not beat her even if Rachel picked the track and had the best day of her life.

[Valuist]

Unbridled in 1990. He won:

Breeders Cup Classic
Kentucky Derby
Florida Derby

He was 2nd in:

Preakness
Super Derby
Blue Grass

Hard to believe but he was beaten out by Criminal Type, which in and of itself WAS criminal. Have to believe it was a coastal bias thing, as Unbridled was based in the Midwest while Lukas had Criminal Type. The single greatest injustice in HOY in the nearly 30 years I've followed racing.

[Irish Boy]

I still think Zenyatta supporters pick the wrong year to complain about. She should have won in 2008, not 2009.

[cj]

I still think Zenyatta supporters pick the wrong year to complain about. She should have won in 2008, not 2009.

I agree. For all those that think I dislike her, this is what I wrote on my site prior to the 2008 BC:

"Who will be Horse of the Year? If Curlin wins, it will be him, if not, probably Ladies Classic winner Zenyatta. I loved Curlin last year, but I think he will get beat here. If this race were on dirt, it would be a walk over, but I think he will struggle on synthetics."

[RXB]

What do you think has been the greatest (one-year) campaign run by a horse who did not win Horse Of The Year?

I'm going to say Easy Goer in 1989. I think Sunday Silence definitely deserved the award, but Easy Goer's year would've won HOTY in a landslide in most other years.

That's a good one. My pick would be Spectacular Bid in '79. Dr. Fager in '67 and Round Table in '57 and '59 were other great campaigns that didn't win HotY.

[andtheyreoff]

Among those not mentioned yet:

Native Dancer over High Gun-1954
Ferdinand over Theatrical-1987
Conquistador Cielo over Lemhi Gold and Landaluce-1982

Almost at robbery status:

Cigar over Skip Away-1996

Horses usually HOTY worthy, but in wrong year:

Majestic Prince-1969
Prove Out-1973
Ruffian-1975
Personal Ensign-1988
Inside Information-1995
Smarty Jones-2004
Zenyatta-2009

[Jasonm921]

"Zenyatta in 2009. It is obvious to anyone watching races in 2010 that Rachel Alexandra could not beat her even if Rachel picked the track and had the best day of her life."

All out against Switch....

[Tom]

All out against Switch....

In 2009?

[cj]

In 2009?

Well, in fairness, he was responding to somebody that responded by using 2010 races to support Z's case.

[Tom]

Oh yeah, I'm a year behind here. Missed that. :blush:
Carry on, Jason.

[Jasonm921]

That's ok.

[Spalding No!]

In Excess in '91. Or Farma Way in '91.

Black Tie Affair snuck in there somehow simply by winning a merry-go-round BC Classic. At least it didn't set a precedent, Awesome Again in '98 on a similar diet of Grade 2 midwest stakes couldn't get HOY out from under a declining Skip Away.

[PaceAdvantage]

Zenyatta in 2009. It is obvious to anyone watching races in 2010 that Rachel Alexandra could not beat her even if Rachel picked the track and had the best day of her life.2010 has nothing to do with 2009's award. But you know this.

[njcurveball]

2010 has nothing to do with 2009's award. But you know this.

Please delete my post, thanks.

[Actor]

Canonero II

[Java Gold@TFT]

Personal Ensign

[PaceAdvantage]

Please delete my post, thanks.I'd rather not.

[Pine Tree Lane]

Slew O' Gold 1984. 6 starts, 5 wins, 4 grade 1, mugged in Classic on 3 legs.

Rarely has such good sportsmanship been so poorly rewarded.

[Phantombridgejumpe]

Wins in the:

Stephen Foster
Hawthorne Gold Cup
Saratoga BC Handicap
Whitney
Breeders Cup Classic

All part of a 6 for 6 year. I realize 6 is less than I'd like to see for my HOY, but I thought I beat all the ones he needed to in the Classic.

[Spalding No!]

Wins in the:

Stephen Foster
Hawthorne Gold Cup
Saratoga BC Handicap
Whitney
Breeders Cup Classic

All part of a 6 for 6 year. I realize 6 is less than I'd like to see for my HOY, but I thought I beat all the ones he needed to in the Classic.

Awesome Again got just 2 Grade 1 wins that year including a rodeo-type BC Classic, where Silver Charm and/or Swain should have won if either of their jocks had any brains.

Skip Away earned HOY well before that race was even run.

[the little guy]

Awesome Again got just 2 Grade 1 wins that year including a rodeo-type BC Classic, where Silver Charm and/or Swain should have won if either of their jocks had any brains.

Skip Away earned HOY well before that race was even run.


Those were the good old days when people actually cared about the records of horses over the course of a year.

That was right after the last T Rex was sighted in California ( or was it Nevada? ).

[Tom]

MHO?

The BC has ruined the handicap division.
Too much emphasis on one race, too much purse money.
I would not complain if the BC went away and the Fall Championship came back, and the ARCS. Racing is a lot like hockey now - all that matters is the one race, and everyone gets into it not matter what their record.

[bisket]

MHO?

The BC has ruined the handicap division.
Too much emphasis on one race, too much purse money.
I would not complain if the BC went away and the Fall Championship came back, and the ARCS. Racing is a lot like hockey now - all that matters is the one race, and everyone gets into it not matter what their record.
don't forget to throw message boards into that analogy ;)

[Pick6]

Alydar has a strong case. Triple crown winner 90% of the time.

Along with Exceller probably the best to never win a year-end award.

[plainolebill]

You could make a case that Seattle Slew deserved HOY over Affirmed in 1978.

[Phantombridgejumpe]

Awesome Again got just 2 Grade 1 wins that year including a rodeo-type BC Classic, where Silver Charm and/or Swain should have won if either of their jocks had any brains.

Skip Away earned HOY well before that race was even run.


Hard to argue with any of that, but it won't stop me from trying.

Although Skip Away won 5 grade 1 races in 1988 I can't simply excuse the BCC effort.

And yes, the BCC was an odd race, but Awesome Again didn't win by a nose - he won it clean and had nothing to do with the goofy stuff up near the front. If Swain kept a stright path I think Awesome Again just goes right around, but we will never know.

6 for 6 winning the races he won (the fact that some aren't grade 1 really doesn't bother me if they are high quality races) was good enough for me to edge out Skip Away for the award.

Clearly I was in the minority that year.

[Linny]

Zenyatta in 2009. It is obvious to anyone watching races in 2010 that Rachel Alexandra could not beat her even if Rachel picked the track and had the best day of her life.


Comparing last year and this year doesn't fly. RA won HOY because she had a more ambitious campaign. Since they didnt meet, the voters went to the horse who took a more challenging path.

Easy Goer's 3yo campaign would have been a HOY campaign almost any other year, but SS did deserve the award, he was better.

[Pick6]

You could make a case that Seattle Slew deserved HOY over Affirmed in 1978.
Maybe you can, but I can't.

I'm not even sure if 3 stakes wins should get you top older horse, when the other horse to be considered is 1 for 2 against you and won several more Gr 1 stakes.

[Linny]

Awesome Again got just 2 Grade 1 wins that year including a rodeo-type BC Classic, where Silver Charm and/or Swain should have won if either of their jocks had any brains.

Skip Away earned HOY well before that race was even run.


Hard to argue with any of that, but it won't stop me from trying.

Although Skip Away won 5 grade 1 races in 1988 I can't simply excuse the BCC effort.
And yes, the BCC was an odd race, but Awesome Again didn't win by a nose - he won it clean and had nothing to do with the goofy stuff up near the front. If Swain kept a stright path I think Awesome Again just goes right around, but we will never know.

6 for 6 winning the races he won (the fact that some aren't grade 1 really doesn't bother me if they are high quality races) was good enough for me to edge out Skip Away for the award.

Clearly I was in the minority that year.


This is the problem with the BCC being "scored" above all other races. It creates the (rather true) belief that you can have a light campaign, face lesser runners for the bulk of the year then step up in the BC and be rewarded. It was the model for last years campaign from Zenyatta and had RA had a "standard" 3yo filly season Z would have been HOY.
I prefer a more traditional path of taking on good rivals all year, even losing a few and having a substantial enough campaign that a few losses don't knock him out, even if they happen in the BCC.

[DeltaLover]

Favorite Trick defeating both Silver Charm and Skip Away as Horse of the Year will remain in the history of the sport as the worst decision ever.

[keithw84]

Maybe you can, but I can't.

I'm not even sure if 3 stakes wins should get you top older horse, when the other horse to be considered is 1 for 2 against you and won several more Gr 1 stakes.
Seattle Slew had the advantage of being 2 for 2 against Affirmed, while I'm sure Exceller's JCGC could be dismissed by critics because of Affirmed's saddle issues and because he didn't beat Seattle Slew by a great margin. The name recognition and the fight he showed in defeat in the JCGC had to be factors in Seattle Slew's favor.

[Market Mover]

Slew O' Gold 1984. 6 starts, 5 wins, 4 grade 1, mugged in Classic on 3 legs.

Rarely has such good sportsmanship been so poorly rewarded.
Mugged by Mugatea...shoud have gone faster that wascally wabbit!

[Market Mover]

Wins in the:

Stephen Foster
Hawthorne Gold Cup
Saratoga BC Handicap
Whitney
Breeders Cup Classic

All part of a 6 for 6 year. I realize 6 is less than I'd like to see for my HOY, but I thought I beat all the ones he needed to in the Classic.


or did the seas just part for him at he right time as Silver Charm floated and Dettori took a right hand turn on Swain in the final strides...

[Market Mover]

You could make a case that Seattle Slew deserved HOY over Affirmed in 1978.

Slew was robbed. He squarely defeated his fellow Triple Crown winner (only once can you say that) in their showdown at Bel that fall. But then again it's hard to deny HOY from a TC winner...

[Market Mover]

Favorite Trick defeating both Silver Charm and Skip Away as Horse of the Year will remain in the history of the sport as the worst decision ever.


Agreed. He surely was no Secretariat. Sired a few good quarter horses though...

[RXB]

Unbridled in 1990. He won:

Breeders Cup Classic
Kentucky Derby
Florida Derby

He was 2nd in:

Preakness
Super Derby
Blue Grass

Hard to believe but he was beaten out by Criminal Type, which in and of itself WAS criminal. Have to believe it was a coastal bias thing, as Unbridled was based in the Midwest while Lukas had Criminal Type. The single greatest injustice in HOY in the nearly 30 years I've followed racing.

I can't quite agree with the last sentence. Certainly a case can be made for Unbridled, but Criminal Type won four consecutive Gr 1 races, including wins over Easy Goer in his home state and Sunday Silence in his home state. Nothing to sneeze at. Sometimes HoY is not an easy choice.