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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For my money, this Breeders' Cup was an artistic success.
First, the decision to move the 2-year-old breeds to Friday made for the best format since the Breeders' Cup went to a two-day event in 2007. more than a random collection of races and was far more palatable than the patronizing "Ladies Day" concept. Moreover, this afforded the opportunity for the Distaff, a legacy event, to enjoy its rightful prime-time spot on Saturday.
Then, Enable making history while out of the middle of the race, well, that was really something.
But perhaps most importantly, this Breeders' Cup fulfills its duty to a significant degree by helping identify divisional Eclipse Award champions.
Before we get deeper into this topic, I should reiterate my strong belief that despite Accelerate's victory in the Classic and some other successes in this Breeders' Cup, Horse of the Year honors and the 3-year-old male championship were settled on the afternoon of June 9, when Justify became just the 13th Triple Crown winner. I went into depth on this in my pre-Breeders' Cup column.
Now, for a look at this Breeders' Cup's impact on the year-end championships:
Older dirt male – Accelerate should be unanimous choice for this Eclipse Award. Grade 1 wins in the Santa Anita Handicap, Gold Cup at Santa Anita, Pacific Classic, Awesome Again, and Breeders' Cup Classic make for a summary that just overwhelms everyone else in his division. The way I see it, it was just a trifle bad luck and timing that it was a triennial winner.
Older dirt female – This is one division where this Breeders' Cup Distaff offered no help whatsoever. When Single Bella was retired in August, Abel Tasman was poised to take control of this division, but she was dismal in the Distaff for a second straight start, leaving a bad taste that her previous Grade 1 wins in the Ogden Phipps and Personal Ensign have a difficult time masking. And the Distaff fade by Blue Prize, winner of the Grade 1 Spinster.
It seemed unthinkable when she had to retire in the second year – Grade 1 wins in the Clement L. Hirsch and Beholder Mile, a Grade 2 degree in the Santa Maria, and a second in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom with a can not stand up, but it's a big hit, it just might. What a weird division.
Three-year-old female – As far as I was concerned, Monomoy Girl had this wrapped up well before the Breeders' Cup. Her Grade 1 victories in Ashland breeds, Kentucky Oaks, Acorn, and American Oaks Coaching Club – breeds that shout "championship" – will do that for you. But if there was any doubt in this division going into the Breeders' Cup, it was obliterated with Monomoy Girl's victory over the past in the Distaff at, by the way, at nine-furlong distance that I still feel is just a touch outside her comfort zone. But that's just another indication of how good it is.
Two-year-old male – Game Winner is a deadly lock for this title as the Breeders' Cup Juvenile was his third straight Grade 1 victory. However, I understand why some folks might be less than that.
Although Game Winner gives the impression of being one who can appreciate every bit of distance he can get, the fact that Knicks Go and Signalman finished second and third in the Juvenile at odds of 40-1 and 67-1 casts doubt on the strength of this Juvenile field. So, too, does the fact that Game Winner runs 0.05 seconds slower than Jaywalk did in winning the Juicy Fillies after comparable early paces.
Two-year-old female – It's obvious that the winner of this division will be Breeders 'Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Jaywalk or Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord. Historically, this division goes to the dirt specialist. Aim, while taking absolutely nothing away from Jaywalk, who was thoroughly dominating the Juvenile Fillies, Newspaperofrecord was absolutely breathtaking Friday for her third blowout.
This will be a very interesting vote. Newspaperofrecord looks like it might be the one to seriously test the historical tendencies of the Eclipse Award electorate.
Male turf horse – The best finish by a male in the Breeders' Cup Turf was managed by Sadler's Joy, who checked in third, and he was beaten almost 10 lengths. Expert Eye came from Europe and got up in time to win a Breeders' Cup Mile that seemed decidedly subpar. Other than that, our best males were seeming flukes or one-shot wonders like Glorious Empire, Channel Maker, and Robert Bruce.
The Breeders' Cup could not help this division. Frankly, I would not know who to project a potential champion right now. I could not even begin to guess. And I doubt I'll be able to do better than a month from now. Good luck in this division.
Female turf horse – This is another fascinating division, but no matter which way it goes, this Breeders' Cup will have spotlighted the winner.
Whom do you go for? Do you have a side with Enable, who does not know who you are? Magical and buried males in the Breeders' Cup Turf to become the first to win the Arc de Triomphe and Turf in the same year, and to accomplish that as a female? Or do you go with Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Sistercharlie, who has racked up a compelling campaign stateside?
Historically, the Eclipse Award is reluctant to reward horses like Enable who make only one U.S. start, even if it's a big deal, like Enable's certainly was. And I generally agree with that thinking. These are, after all, North American championships, so they should require more than North American participation. That said, I feel that this test will be especially important because of the fact that it is a win-win situation.
It is quite possible, if not likely, that Enable is a better horse than Sistercharlie. But Sistercharlie compiled in U.S. campaign that merits carrying the vote.
(As an aside, for those who think that I am being made to know more about this issue. , and Belmont Stakes certainly equates to a campaign and should meet anyone's standards for "body of work.")
The Filly and Mare Turf at 1 3/8 miles was Sistercharlie's 4th Grade 1 score on the season, all at different distances, following the heels of the Jenny Wiley at 1 1/16 miles, the Diana at 1 1/8 miles, and the Beverly D. at 1 3/16 miles. And Sistercharlie really should be undefeated this year, as she had a bad trip in her only loss of 2018 in the Grade 2 New York Stakes.
Yet despite Sistercharlie's gleaming record going on, the Filly and Mare Turf was very likely to be better off than it was last month's Flower Bowl, and she found a way to overcome and rally into a pace that was extremely slow, even allowing for the soft nature of the jogging she caught Saturday.
Male sprinter – Roy H made it back-to-back Breeders' Cup Sprint victories with a sharp decisive score. That is because this was Roy H's second consecutive Grade 1 victory and third graded stakes win of the campaign, and also because of his chief divisional rival going into the Breeders' Cup, Imperial Hint, could only manage third in the Sprint, and a soundly beaten third at that.
Female sprinter – Eight of the 11 winners of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint went on to be voted champion female sprinter for that year, so this event has a major impact on the divisional championship. However, two of the last three Filly and Mare Sprint winners did not go on to titles (Bar of Gold upset the race last year while Bella won the championship, and Wavell Avenue won the Filly and Mare Sprint in 2015, but La Verdad was voted champion), and there is a chance to get up to speed and get up to speed.
Shamrock Rose's only other graded victory stakes in Grade 2 Raven Run. That's not a strong resume, so Marley's Freedom, a Grade 1 winner, and one of the best favorites, will likely still be supported. And the undefeated Dream Tree, who was forced to miss the Filly and Mare Sprint when she moved in her last workout, could attempt a Unique Bella by creating a strong title with a late-season Grade 1 score.
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