ARCADIA, Calif. — With his score in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Mile capping a 5-for-6 campaign that included daylight wins on grass in the Woodbine Mile, Shadwell Turf Mile and Fourstardave, a romp in the Ben Ali on Polytrack, and a photo-finish loss in the Stephen Foster on dirt, the 5-year-old gelding Wise Dan clinched Horse of the Year for 2012.
But for the first time, there is a good chance that the Horse of the Year will not win divisional honors!
Fort Larned, who turned back the challenge of Mucho Macho Man in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, also won the Whitney, Skip Away and Cornhusker. The 4-year-old colt will certainly be named the nation’s top older male.
And it would be no surprise if Wise Dan loses the vote for champion male grass horse to the 5-year-old gelding Little Mike, who won the two most important turf races in America: the Breeders’ Cup Turf and Arlington Million. Little Mike also took the Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, giving him Grade 1 wins at 1 1/8, 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 miles.
When it comes to year-end honors, the most unfortunate loser of the Breeders’ Cup was Point of Entry. After dominating five straight races on grass, including the Grade 1 Man O’War, Sword Dancer and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (in which he beat Little Mike by 28 lengths), Point of Entry was emerging as America’s best turf runner since Manila. He seemed to have the grass championship in the bag, with a strong shot at Horse of the Year.
But his hopes flew out the window when his furious rally fell a half-length short of catching Little Mike in the Turf.
Most of the other Eclipse Awards were decided on Friday and Saturday — which, after all, is the purpose behind the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Royal Delta, last year’s 3-year-old filly champ, secured the older female Eclipse with her second straight tour de force in the Ladies’ Classic; she’ll get some Horse of the Year votes as well. So might undefeated Shanghai Bobby, the overwhelming choice for champion 2-year-old after transferring his New York form to Santa Anita with a game triumph in the Juvenile.
Groupie Doll, who overcame Santa Anita’s speed bias on Saturday by rallying to win the Filly & Mare Turf by 4 1/2 lengths — her fifth straight Grade 1 or 2 win by three lengths or more — has the female sprint Eclipse locked up. By winning the Sprint, Trinniberg nailed down male sprinter honors.
Still up in the air are the 2-year-old filly and 3-year-old filly championships. In the former division, Beholder held off the previously unbeaten Executiveprivilege in the Juvenile Fillies. In the latter, My Miss Aurelia ran second in the Ladies’ Classic while Questing was eased.
One sure Eclipse winner conspicuous by his absence in the Breeders’ Cup was I’ll Have Another, who will be named champion 3-year-old off his wins in the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness. A Triple Crown sweep in the Belmont Stakes would have locked up Horse of the Year, but he was injured and retired the day before the race.