Moment of the Year

[Kasept]

Moment 1: Seven-year-old gelding Game On Dude wins the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap by 1¾ lengths, becoming the first three-time winner in the Big ’Cap’s rich 77-year history. (March 8)

Moment 2: With his victory aboard We Miss Artie in the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez becomes the first North American rider to surpass $300 million in career earnings. (March 22)

Moment 3: California Chrome wins the 140th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in front of a crowd of 164,906, second-largest in Derby history. He becomes the first horse bred in the Golden State to wear the garland of roses since Decidedly in 1962. It is the second Derby victory for jockey Victor Espinoza and first for Art Sherman, who became the oldest Derby-winning trainer at 77. (May 3)

Moment 4: California Chrome’s quest to become racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 36 years falls short as the heavy favorite dead-heats for fourth behind winner Tonalist in the 146th Belmont Stakes. The third-largest crowd in Belmont history, 102,199, watches the drama unfold, while another 20.6 million viewers, the second-highest Belmont viewership on record, tune in on NBC. In the aftermath co-owner Steve Coburn tells NBC’s Kenny Rice that the result is “a coward’s way out,” a sound bite that is replayed countless times in mainstream media. (June 7)

Moment 5: Trainer Jimmy Jerkens saddles the top two finishers in the $1 million Travers, with V.E. Day besting stablemate Wicked Strong in the Mid-Summer Derby at Saratoga Race Course. (August 23)

Moment 6: Two-time defending Horse of the Year Wise Dan returns after more than two months of recovery from emergency colic surgery to win the Grade II Bernard Baruch at Saratoga Race Course with John Velazquez up. (August 30)

Moment 7: Track announcer Tom Durkin calls the final race of his illustrious 43-year career at Saratoga Race Course. Following the featured Spinaway Stakes – in which “Condo Commando was splash-tastic!” – Durkin is treated to a long standing ovation and an emotional retirement ceremony in the winner’s circle, coverage of which makes the front page of The New York Times. (August 31)

Moment 8: Two-time Horse of the Year Cigar dies at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital from complications following surgery for severe osteoarthritis in his neck. The popular member of racing’s Hall of Fame, who once won 16 consecutive races, had resided at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions since his retirement in 1999. (October 7)

Moment 9: Jockey Rosie Napravnik announces her retirement and pregnancy live on NBC Sports after winning the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff aboard Untapable. (October 31)

Moment 10: Bayern survives a tense inquiry into bumping at the start to win a controversial running of the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, the first Classic win for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, owner Kaleem Shah and jockey Martin Garcia. (November 1)