TB Chat End of the Year Favorite Horses Awards

With the year just about over, I thought it would be a good time to share my Favorite Horses Awards picks. Please note that these horses are not my Eclipse predictions, these are just horses who I like. If I where an Eclipse voter (which I'm not), I might choose as part of my ballot.

Favorite 2yo Filly Hard Not to Like (Hard Spun): Not only does she defeat the males twice, but she runs a good race in the Breeders' Cup. She could be a horse to rekon with up in Canada next year with their Classics.

Favorite 2yo Male Creative Cause (Giant's Causeway): Third behind Hansen and Union Rags, this colt could be a special one. Especially his connections decide to go to Oaklawn, dispite having some good preps in their own backyard.

Favorite 3yo Filly Royal Delta (Empire Maker) and Daisy Devine (Kafwain): Royal Delta just for the fact that she is a flat out monster and if she where to improve could give Havre de Grace a run for her money next year. I've been a fan of Daisy Devine's since her good finish behind Boquet Booth in the Silverbulletday. She and Summer Soiree are this years takes to turf like a duck takes to water.

Favorite 3yo Male Archarcharch (Arch): Yes he didn't run again past May, but frankley he remained my favorite 3yo this year. Yep that's how much I didn't like any (other then Shack, Caleb and Thirsty) of the 3yo's.

Favorite Older Female Havre de Grace (Saint Liam): I hope she joins her dad as a HOY this year. Her DelCap runner up finish against Blind Luck could go down as the race of the year.

Favorite Older Male Court Vision (Gulch): Yes he only won 1 race, yes he denied Goldikova a chance at a four peat, but this is FAVORITE horses, not the best horses around.

Favorite Horse of the Year: Havre de Grace 

One For Japan

Japan has had some great horses to come out of that country. From the World's richest horse in TM Opera O to Japansee Triple Crown winner Deep Impact (really the first horse to make a dent on the International scene as well with a 3rd place finish in the Arc, however he would be DQ'ed later on do to a postive drug test) to one of my favorite fillies in Vodka. Japan racing wouldn't be what it is though without the help of a Kentucky Derby winner. Sunday Silence spent his entire stallion career in Japan with great success. Not only would he be the sire of Deep Impact, but of a stallion named Neo Universe as well. It would be a son of Neo's that will help the country heal from one of the worst natural diesasters ever.

Victore Pisa won the Dubai World Cup this past weekend, the 3yo Champion from last year would defeat Japan Cup Dirt winner Transcend (himself by an American import, Wild Rush) had finished second. This was the first win for the country of Japan in the race and a step closer for healing after a 9.0 Earthquake and Tsunami had hit the country. Monterusso finished in third. Possibly the most touching moment was when Sheikh Mohammed was hugging who I assume is Victore Pisa's owner while she was crying. Big congrats to all of his connections.

Some other notes to take out of this past weekend from Dubai:

How great was it to see Godolphin/Darley and Ballydoyle/Coolmore fight it out with Khawlah and Master of Hounds. In the end, the filly from the same female family as Sea the Stars was able to beat out the colt who comes from the same cross as Henrythenavagator.

Americans did not show up with the exception of Euroears. The biggest disapointment may have been Gio Ponti as he is more then likely going to be the only older male coming back (Fly Down will most likely remain in the Middle East).

and with that the Dubai meet is over and we can now focus back onto the 3yo's in Europe and the US for the next couple of months. This weekends preps really didn't change much in the Derby scope, I really doubt either of the prep winners will go onto win the Derby. I'm really happy to see Daisy Devine and Plum Pretty win however, especially Plum Pretty's eye catching romp. Of course there will be questions on who she beat, there always are. Arizena (Azeri's daughter) also won this weekend at Oaklawn.

The Derby Top 20 and the Oaks Top 14 will be released a day early this week because I'm going to be spending Thursday recording, editing and getting the second episode of The TB Gallop up so everyone can hear. I'm hoping that this will just be a one time thing, so stay tuned tomorrow for the Derby Top 20!