Horse of the Year Winners
In the last segment of my Spotlight article, I focused on last years Eclipse winners and took a look at what they have done this year. This segment is focused on the Horse of the Year and will look back at all the winners since 1999 up through last year. Quite a few to go through and a lot of history too.
1999
1999 was way before my time, at least with Derby Fever. The winner of the Horse of the Year award was Gatling Prospector, a horse who is listed as originally owned by the CPU. After two starts, Trainer Billg51 took ownership of this Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector x Bold Ruler Colt. Within two starts with his new trainer, Gatling broke his maiden. After this achievement, he pounced into his first grade level race, the SimulatedSports.com (a very fine website too). This established front runner won this event and smashed through the 100 level with a 109 speed.
Gatling Prospector eventually moved into the triple crown races, just missing with a second in the Bluegrass, making amends in the middle Jewel with a win, and a third in the New Yorker, very fine efforts. Winning the Breeders Bowl Classic later in the year was the last victory for the season and the feather in the cap in taking the Horse of the Year.
This win would become his last of his career as Gatling was winless in ten starts during 2000 and quickly retired in 2001 after one start. Gatling Prospector finished his career with over $4 million in purse funds and a record of 6-5-4 in 28 races. He fathered Gatling Gal in 2001 a female who was winless in eleven career starts.
2000
Trainer Theatrical picked up School Kris in early 1999 and trained him throughout the remainder of his career. School Kris raced primarily on the turf throughout his career and comes with the bloodline of Kris x Lyphard x Nijinsky 2nd.
Winning the Horse of the Year as a four year old, School Kris picked up wins in graded races which included the All Comers Stakes, Eddie O Cap, Windy City Turf Classic, Equinics7 (Olympic race), Utah BB Mile (only career off-track win)and the Because I Said So Stakes. He also finished a solid second in the Breeders Bowl mile during 2000. These strong results delivered School Kris the Horse of the Year honors.
He would continue to collect more grade level wins, taking the Crock of Gold and the Eddie O Cap for the second consecutive year during 2001. His last win came in the Hooves O’ Fire (non-grade stake) on September 15,2001 and School Kris would continue to compete several more months before retiring after making one final appearance on May 11th, 2002 in the Rising Sun Spring Cup (G1).
Over his career, School Kris amassed $5.8 million in earnings and sported a record of 25-14-9 in 82 races. Skii was the only offspring from School Kris, a colt who won 5 races in 30 starts included one low-end stakes race.
2001
A six-year old by the name of Joe Cayenne, trained by Rbgstable, was the 2001 winner of the Horse of the Year award. He started racing the prior year, as a five year old, racing 22 times. In 2001, Joe Cayenne was busy in March, racing in three G1 events. Yes, this was the early days of our beloved game where many horses could race frequently without the wear and tear we now see. In any event, he won a pair of these with the John Scott Appreciation and the Little Guppy Classic.
Five long months later, Joe Cayenne would get red hot and walk away with multiple G1 wins in the Sword Swallower, Coalminer Cup, Breeders Bowl Turf and finishing the year out with the prestigious Japan Classic. Getting hot late in the year and a total of six G1 wins during the season earned this one the Horse of the Year prize.
Joe Cayenne would have an awesome 2002 racing campaign. It was so good, he won the Turf Horse Eclipse award. Three consecutive grade wins early in the year, added to four grade wins in the second half of the year, earned this power horse the top honor (second year in a row he won the Turf Horse award). A second consecutive win in the Japan Classic and finishing 2nd in the Breeders Bowl Turf certainly did not harm his chances at all.
As history would later show, the Japan Classic in 2002 would be his last career win. Suffering several injuries and much slower speeds, Joe Cayenne would appear in only 11 more races with the last one on January 22, 2005 running in an allowance race. This Night Shift x Roberto x Bold Commander superstar would pull in $13.5 million in career earnings with a record of 22-10-11 record spanning over 63 races. Joe Cayenne has not been used to produce offspring to date.
2002
Storm Dog is the first female to win the Horse of the Year award. Amandas was the lucky Trainer of this Storm Cat x Fappiano x Roberto mare. After winning her first stakes race in the Newmarket Challenge at the end of 2001, she fired her way into 2002 with a win in the January running of the Triangular Start Stakes, her first graded win. This was the early stages of a seven race win streak.
The streak included several other graded wins in the Appalooza stakes, the 1000 Guineas, the Cremation Stakes and ended in the July running of the Pioneer Boulevard Cup where she charted a 117 speed. Two months later she would walk again to the winners circle with a first place finish in the Sun State Cup. Storm Dog was having a terrific season and wrapped the 2002 season up with an entry into the Breeders Bowl Mile. Throughout her career, she never went off at higher odds than 6-1 prior to this race. The betting public didn’t feel she could compete with the boys. They were wrong. She ran the leaders down and strutted to the wire in front by a stride, notching a 122 speed, the highest for the year.
But Storm Dog still had some statements to make. From March 2003 through June, she won four straight races, three at the graded level. She got hot again in September, winning another three in a row starting with the Queen Ascot, followed by the Nashwan Mile. That led to a return trip to the Breeders Bowl Mile and this time the bettors respected her, going off at 7-2 she delighted their support with a photo-finish victory, topping her speed from the prior year with a 125. Storm Dog won two Eclipse awards in 2003 for Older Mare and Turf Mare but could not complete a trifecta by getting the Horse of the Year for a second time.
Storm Dog would continue to be sharp in 2004, picking up multiple graded wins starting with the Shawnee River Handicap and concluding with the Red Bird Handicap in November for a total of four throughout the season. Christmas day of 2004 would be her last race, entered into an aptly named G1 event in her honor the Storm Dog Celebration Mile. While posting a nice speed of 106 she was only able to eke out a fifth place finish. She has won over $4 million with a final record of 22-4-5, in 37 races.
As a game-dam she has delivered results. She has produced 9 offspring since 2004 with six becoming stake winners that include Storm Setter, Storm Puppy, Stormfisher, Dog Dynamo, Shelter Dog and Storm Kalb. Stormfisher is the only one thus far to win a graded race.
2003
I Seek U started his career late in 2002 and won his first two starts for trainer Indy. Fortunately, this continued into 2003 with a pair of early season allowance wins which led this Gone West x Unfuwain x Mr. Prospector into his first grade level race, the Felipe Alou Cap in March. The perfect record would come to an end as I Seek U came up short with a second place finish.
He did not give up as he entered into the Chicago Derby, coasted to a win with a speed of 113, the first time he topped the 110 level. The Bluegrass Derby would be the next stop and a dream of scoring a Triple Crown was in the headlights. At 11-1 he would set the pace and eventually draw off to a four length win, picking up the first leg of the Crown. Next would be the Middle Jewel Stakes and I Seek U would be the 5-1 favorite. He was a powerhouse in the second leg as he roared to another strong win by over three strides.
The New Yorker, at a demanding 12 furlongs would bring some questions as the track came up sloppy and I Seek U had never touched a wet surface before. Jockey Benfroe rode this colt in the first two stages and got the call to ride the 4-1 favorite once again. Locked up in a battle on the front end with Silverwore, bringing back memories of the Affirmed vs. Alydar races, it would be I Seek U who would hold on and take the Triple Crown!!!
I Seek U would score a pair of seconds in his next two starts before winning the August Classic, the Travelers Stakes. He eventually journeyed his way to the Breeders Bowl Classic, getting caught in the stretch and forced to accept a third place finish. The Triple Crown would be the event that locked in the Horse of the Year for I Seek You.
2004 was a see-saw season for I Seek U. He would win a race, follow it with a dismal effort and follow it by being a force to reckon with. From January to July he won 4 races (three graded) with a dreadful effort between each win. On July 10th, 2004, he won the Movieland Shiny Cup on an off-track, which was his last win. His last race was on October 30, 2010 where he finished in the rear of the field in the Breeders Bowl Classic. He hasn’t raced since that event and is currently listed as active. However, at the age of 12, he will soon be forced to retire by the end of this year due to age restrictions within the game. I Seek U currently has $5 million in winnings with a record of 13-4-1 in 28 starts.
2004
2004 started off quietly for Sunnybank Memorial but things changed for this Horse of the Year winner in March when he ran a turf route for the first time, winning the LT. Daring Stakes (non-graded) breaking the 100-speed level for the first time with a speed of 106. He rolled off to a 7-length victory in this race and followed this race with another low-end stakes victory. These two victories encouraged trainer Sunnybank to enter him into his first grade level race, the 12f Sydney Derby.
The long distance of the Sydney Derby did not hurt Sunnybank Memorial at all, if anything, it helped the horse. Known as a late runner, he ran from 10 strides back at the half to take over the lead and opened up a lot of daylight onto his way to a 10-length win! With a three race win streak going, and a bloodline of A.P Indy x Sadler’s Wells x Buckpasser, this colt would only add to it.
Subsequent wins in the Adelaide Derby, Derby de English, Seventh King Eddie Stakes, Dubai Millennium Memorial, Owner’s Stakes and Aslan Memorial Stakes (with 125 speed) would follow, completing an amazing 9-race win streak. The streak ended with a third place finish in the Ark De Triumph when Sunnybank Memorial would spot the leaders a 16 length advantage early on, too much to overcome. However, he would recover to win the Breeders Bowl Turf as the final feather in the cap to capture the Horse of the Year award.
2005 was another fine year as Sunnybank would win seven of nine starts with two seconds from January through October all G1 races. However, in two marque races, the Breeders Bowl Turf and Japan Classic, the best he could finish is third. His results were fabulous and worthy of another Eclipse award in 2005, but he was denied by the voters.
Sunnybank picked up four more grade level wins in 2006, with the last coming in September in the Man of War Stakes, the second consecutive year he won this race. The win would be his last. Ten races later, on June 16, 2007, the 2-mile Gold Glass would be his last race, finishing fifth. $10 million came his way throughout his career which amassed 25 wins, 9 places and 7 shows with 53 starts.
Sunnybank Memories is the sole child of the Eclipse winner. The mare is a stakes winner with over $300k in winnings and 9 victories. She retired from racing last year and is being used in the barn for breeding.
2005
Horseshoe Bay, the 2005 Horse of the Year is a five-time Eclipse award winner. You read that correctly, he has won five awards. In 2005, he picked up an unheard of three awards. These included the Three Year Old Colt, the Turf Horse, and of course the Horse of the Year. His journey to these three awards started with two consecutive wins at the start of 2005 followed by a pair of seconds in mostly allowance races. At rather steep odds of 11-1, he ran in the Sydney Derby and made his signature late run to draw off to a four length victory. This was his first start at 12 furlongs and the distance would become his marque.
An incredible G1 win streak was started and included subsequent wins in the Adelaide Derby, Derby de English, Sim Sports Irish Derby, Owner’s Stakes and the Prix du Jockey Club making a total of six in a row. While the streak ended in early October in the Coalminer Cup, Horseshoe Bay would be entered by trainer Texasace into the Breeders Bowl Turf, sent off at 13-1 odds, he would roar home and beat the field that included the prior years Horse of the Year, Sunnybank Memorial with a speed of 110, his best of the year.
Horseshoe Bay won the Older Turf Horse Eclipse award the following year, 2006. Seven grade 1 wins brought him this title. Five of the wins came over the period of July through November highlighted with wins in the Sword Swallower and Ark De Triumph. The crème de la crop came in the Breeders Bowl Turf where he rallied from a long 17 lengths behind to win by four, picking up his second Breeders victory, and running a 117 speed, the fastest of his career.
This Red Ransom x Woodman x Raise A Native horse was not done winning Eclipse awards as his fifth and final one came in 2007 when he once again received the Older Turf Horse honors. In 10 starts he pegged a record of 3-2-3, not as impressive as the prior seasons, but included wins in the Sand Castle Golden Turf Classic, Simply the Best and the Shimko Classic. The Shimko was Horseshoe’s only G2 race, and only grade race that was not at the G1 level. Ironically, this was his last career win.
Horseshoe Bay would make one more try at the Breeders Bowl Turf, with jockey Gossett aboard, the same jockey who rode the prior two years. Horseshoe was running strong and solidly at the end, but got to the wire too late, finishing third. His career ended in the Allied Assault Handicap on December 22, 2006 where he finished sixth.
Horseshoe concluded his career with a record of 22-5-5 in 41 starts and over $10.5 million in purse money. He was the game dam to Ram Rock, a horse who is now retired that won over $200,000 with six wins in 21 races.
2006 and 2007
The 2006 and 2007 honors for Horse of the Year went to a horse by the name of Solar Song. In 2006, Solar Song had a checkerboard race history where he had a tendency to win every other start. His first win came in February where this late runner took the Eddie Arcaro at odds of 9-1. From this point forward, this would be the highest odds for the horse until the last three starts of his career. Two races later, the Sand Castle Classic would belong to this chestnut colored horse and was followed by a win in the Sunlight Sonata, the only time during 2006 where he had back-to-back victories.
And the checkerboard win pattern would take off as it would be mid-May where Solar Song would find his next victory in the Michael-Strike Stakes. Two starts later, the CA Classic would come to his favor with a solid 110 speed. Another jump of two races to the November running of the important Breeders Bowl Classic where Solar Song would equal his season best speed of 115 and take home the first of his pair of Horse of the Year awards.
The road to the second Horse of the Year award in 2007 started with a mid-January victory in the G2 Benny Badger Stakes. After a few underperforming grade races, Solar Song came to life late in the racing season. In July, he took the non-grade Smackdown III with a hefty speed of 118. A win in the G1 End of Summer Special kicked off a four race win streak.
October brought a prestigious win in the Breeders Bowl Classic with a solid 118 speed. The non-grade Tickling the Robe Bonanza in 111 was won with relative ease. Wrapping up the 2007 season with another triple digit speed with a strong late rally in the Topicount Special positng a speed of 112.
Solar Song made 11 more starts after the Topicount win, including the 2008 Breeders Bowl Classic, but did not gain any further victories. His career ended on February 2, 2009 in the non-grade Desert Dash New Year Sprint where he finished fourth in what would be his second and final try at a sprint distance.
Trainer Squirrel4 had terrific results from this Deputy Minister x Nureyev x Bold Ruler bred horse as he surpassed $16 million in earnings with a lifetime record of 21-8-6 in 52 races. Solar Song is the game-dam to Solar Panels, a male who is still actively racing with over $360,000 in earnings and six wins with 29 starts.
2008
Basketball Jones, the Smarty Jones x Seattle Slew x Danzig bred horse that won the 2008 Horse of the Year trophy started his career on the dirt as a two year old. After a handful of starts, trainer Guyinchlt transferred him to the turf and his racing life would move to the fast lane. By the end of 2007 as a 3-year old, Basketball Jones picked up his first two stake wins which launched him into the graded category at the beginning of 2008.
Basketball narrowly missed by a head in his first graded race in the Rambings Stakes with a speedy 114. He would only have to wait until April to secure that first grade win in the All Comers Stakes, where a tidy 118 would be recorded for his speed. He followed this up with another G1 win in the SonRays Daily Devotional which was shadowed by a disastrous 11th in the Smackdown where he ran 10 furlongs for his one and only time.
Moving back to the mile distance in August, success was again achieved in the Michael J Fox and an impressive 118 speed in September’s Canada mile. After winning the Posh Purse, Basketball Jones brought a three-race win streak into the Breeders Bowl Mile. Another powerful late run enabled him to cross the wire first with a career best speed of 119 and eventually bringing home the horse of the Year award.
A long drought would follow that lasted until August of 2009 before Basketball Jones picked up another win, which came in the King’s Play. The Queen Liz Stakes on October 3rd, 2009 would be his last grade level win, as well as career win. Basketball did try for another Breeders Bowl Mile win a month later, finishing as a non-factor eighth despite a speed of 110. His career ended on November 11, 2009 facing older horses in an allowance event, finishing an uneventful fifth.
Basketball Jones career record included 15 wins, 6 places and 8 shows over 49 races and banked over $5.5 million. He is game-dam to Hoops Thomas, a colt who was bred about a year ago and is winless in five lifetime starts.
2009
As a two year old, Jeepster won only one race. 2009 would be his year and he would deliver the Horse of the Year award for trainer Super25. He started the race season in early February, quickly winning a NW2L allowance conditional race. Rolling the dice, Super25 moved Jeepster into his first stakes start, the Basket Case in which he won a photo finish by a bob of the head. With solid speeds in the upper 90 range, it was time to think about a triple crown shot, so off to the Sand Castle Derby looking to get a lock in to the Bluegrass. The results were a two stride win and scoring his first speed over 100 with a 104.
Off to the Bluegrass Jeepster went. 19-1 odds were a bit on the high side in the huge field, and with a 106 final speed number, Jeepster put in a fine effort with a fourth place finish. The Middle Jewel was the next stop and his speed would improve again, going to 108 as he won the second leg of the Triple Crown. The third leg was skipped over in favor of the Clerk of Scales. Jeepster did not have his best footing in the race and couldn’t finish any better than fourth. A pair of summer wins in the Eddie Haskell and Travelers Stakes brought him into the late season Breeders Bowl Classic. At 15-1 Jeepster had the third highest odds in the race. He delivered a career best speed of 115 on his way to crossing the wire first and finishing 2009 on a winning note.
In 2010, the results were very disappointing. It wasn’t until September when Jeepster was dropped to an allowance race that he picked up a win. He followed this with a G3 win in the Serious Stakes. Another appearance in the Breeders Bowl Classic followed and Jeepster tried hard to get another victory, but came up 2 lengths shy, finishing second. The win in the Serious Stakes would be his last as Jeepster would finish his career in the Cornhusker Handicap on June 25, 2011 with a rough trip, finishing next to last.
This Seeking the Gold x Storm Cat x Danzig won over $8 million in his 31 career starts with a record of 10-2-3. He was used the one time allowed to be a he-mare and spun off a filly by the name of Hot Love. She is still actively racing with just over $50k in winnings with a pair of victories in 13 races.
2010
Distorted Storm, the Distorted Humor x Storm Cat x Mill Reef horse put in two solid thirds in the 2009 running of the Bluegrass Derby and New Yorker. But it is 2010 that he delivered the Horse of the Year to trainer Latinlover.
This guy has a habit of dropping well behind, often by 15 lengths or more. In the non-grade Seeking the Brave Memorial, Distorted Storm was a long 15 back at the half of the 10.5f race and thundered home to win by a mere head with a speed of 104. In March, 2009, he ran in the G1 Sand Castle Classic and ran a pretty similar race, this time winning by one stride and knocking off a career best speed of a powerful 118.
A pair of near misses came during the summer where Distorted Humor finished second with speeds of 109 and 110 in the Movieland Shiny Cup and the Last Chance. These races led the late closer into the November running of the Breeders Bowl Classic. At a 14 length deficit at the halfway point, jockey Harzheim set him free and he soared to the wire on top by 2 lengths, beating Jeepster, the 2010 Horse of the Year.
In March, 2011, Distorted picked up his next G1 win with a 117 speed in the Sand Castel Classic, the second consecutive year he won this event. A long gap would occur before his next grade win which came in July, 2012 in the Golden Gate Fields, winning at 15-1 by under a stride.
Distorted Storm is still actively racing, most recently in low-end stakes and allowance level races. He has earned well over $12 million and has a record of 20-8-4 in 41 races.
2011
The most recent winner of the Horse of the Year is Miss Timoshenko. She won as a two year old for trainer Manoroflad. After a quick breaking of her maiden in her first career start at 6f with a speed of 71, she moved into a pair of non-grade stakes where she nailed two more wins in the Red Tejas Turf Juvenile Fillies and Gift of Given Turf Juvenile Fillies.
Three perfect wins earned her a start in the G2 Why You Buggin Stakes. Rallying from last in the 5f she came on strong, but was beat out by a head at the line. She would not be denied a grade level win as in July, 2011, the ironically named July Stakes(G2) would belong to Miss Timoshenko as she stormed her way through the stretch to win by just shy of a length. September would bring her first G1 win as she took the 6f Golden Shoe with a speed of 89, and defeating the field by just over a stride.
In November, she stretched out to a mile for the first time, and broke through the 100-speed barrier for the first time posting a speed of 102 and winning the Breeders Bowl Filly Juvy Turf. She wrapped up the 2011 season with another win in the Juvenile Filly. Her record of 7-1-0 in eight starts for the season justly earned her the Horse of the Year.
Her near perfect 2011 season has not followed her into 2012. She has only earned a pair of graded wins in the late spring of this current racing season in the Grotto and the 1000 Guineas. Miss Tomoshenko, bred from the North Light x Danehill x Secretariat bloodline is still currently racing on the track. In her last start, the Motherly Love Stakes, she finished third making up over 10 strides in the final quarter mile to miss by 1-3/4 lengths while hitting a career best speed of 115. Her current record is 9-4-2 with 21 starts and she recently surpassed $4 million in earnings.