Eclipse Hopefuls-3 yr Old Open
In a continuation of the series of articles focused on horses in the top spots within their class that are hunting to win an Eclipse Award. This article focuses on the top three horses in each division that are 3-year olds. This is the Open class which includes a few girls sprinkled in with the guys.
3-Yr Old Open Turf Sprint
THE CRAYON ARTIST has a comfortable lead in this division with 625,000 points and also is the leader in the filly division. She has a win and a second in listed stakes and tops that off with a pair of grade wins in the G3 Darling Fred Stakes and G1 QLD Snowy Spirit.
WHIZZING BY is a bit back with 385,000 but does currently claim the second position. He has a win and a second in the listed stake races and can claim a G1 victory which came in the Set Up Hand
Not far back with 362,500 points is SJ’S SILVER DOLLAR. He has had a tremendous season starting with a win in a listed stakes race. This was followed by another listed stake win..and then another.. and yet another….at the end he has won 6 straight listed stake races and that streak just recently came to an end.
3-Yr Old Open Turf Route
Stillwatersrundeep has the lead with 1,980,000 but two fillies follow behind the leading colt. He has won three of four grade level races which came in the Irish 2000 Guineas Trial (G3), The 2000 Guineas (G1) and in the Untouchable (G3).
AVERY ARIZONA who has 1,447,500 points is within striking distance. She has been first or second in each of her 2015 starts which are capped with a listed stakes win, a pair of seconds in the G3 Longest Walk and G1 Irish Oaks and solid wins in the 1000 Guineas (G1) and Wooly Mammoth 2000 (G1)
Stalking closely in the third position with 1,425,000 is JESSA. All of her 5 starts this year have been in G1 races and she’s taken top honors in the Japanese 1000 Guineas, French 1000 Guineas and the Start Up. She was third in the Cremation Stakes.
3-Yr Old Open Long Route
A nice 3,675,000 points earned by Slinging Gospel puts the colt in the top spot and makes him a potential horse-of-the-year candidate. In his sole listed stake race, he finished third but improvement was quickly made in the G3 Goodyear Stakes and the G1 Derby de English which he won. The win streak did not follow into the G1 French Grand Prix where he rallied late for third.
Filly EXBOURNE’S CAMBOW is in second with a very strong 2,572,500 points total. She won the first race of the year, a listed stakes and after that, she has appeared in 7 grade level events. She won four consecutive races starting with the G2 New Zealand Oaks followed by a trio of G1 wins in the Sydney Oaks, Japanese Oaks and the Oaks de English. She finished second in the Minerve (G3) and was third in the Tristan Fillies (G3).
MAGRIB is currently third with 1,875,000 points. He won his first two grade races which were the G3 Jargon Stakes and the G1 Japanese Derby. In the G1 German Darby he finished third.
3-Yr Old Open Dirt Sprint
A pair of fillies head up this division with MOONLIGHTANDMUSIC holding the top spot with 814,500 points. An early season listed stakes win brought this top seed to graded company where she has been successful with wins in the G2 Stonerstop and G1 Exam Stakes. A second in the G3 Azalea Special and a third in the G2 Bob Barker are added bonuses.
MAR DE LEVA is in the second position with 600,000. Lightly race this year, she has been perfect with four wins in four starts, winning an allowance and listed stakes to kick off 2015 which were followed with wins in the Miss Stallion (G3) and the Priceless (G1).
The only male on this list currently is THE KRAGLE who has 416,500 points. After winning in his first (and only) listed stakes race, he has made four grade level starts and finished first in the G2 Shooters Handicap, second in the G2 Vanderbuilt and a third in the G2 Carry Forward.
3-Yr Old Open Dirt Route
The men seem to be dominating this class with potential horse-of-the-year contender SWINING BIG SHAFT leading the division with 4,075,000 points. He ran second in the BBRS Presents The Hustlin Hoosier (G2) but quickly snagged a G1 win in the Among The Thirst Stakes. He took a shot at the triple crown by running in the Bluegrass Derby (G1) and won the race. Unfortunately, the triple crown dreams were foiled on a wet track in Maryland where he finished fourth in the second leg, the Middle Jewel (G1)
3,213,000 points places BARB’S EVIL LAUGH in the second position. After winning a listed stake race she earned a free pass into the Bluegrass Derby by winning the derby lock race, the Wooden Indian (G1). The Bluegrass Derby was a disaster, finishing well back. He made amends in the next pair of G1 races, the Labatts Ontario Oaks and the Eddie Haskell. All three G1 races were won on off-track conditions.
SUICIDAL DREAM rounds off the top three with 2,370,000. He too looks like an off-track runner as his biggest wins came on a wet track which include a win in a listed stakes race, the G1 Praying For Rain (oddly, on a sloppy track too) and the Middle Jewel (G1)
3-Yr Old Open Dirt Long Route
SUSPECT OF HERESY has a very comfortable lead with 1,860,000 points, more than a million more than the nearest competitor. He has a win and a second in listed stake races. In graded races, he was third in the Among The Thirsty (G1) and a winner in the G1 New Yorker. Most recently, he won the G3 Derby de Danish, which was held on the turf.
FAKE HONEYMOON is a well back second in this division with 810,000 points. He has a pair of listed stake wins to his credit along with a second in the G1 New Yorker but did strike it rich with a victory in the G1 Clerk of Scales.
Further back in third with 385,000 points is SHAKEN GIMLET. Only three stake races, two were in listed where he has a first and a third. The other race was the G1 New Yorker where he took the third spot.