NTRA Eclipse 50

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

My first option is to always go with the horse that I think is the best horse during the year. Then I look at resumes. If the best horse and horse with the best resume aren't the same horse, I try to look and see who has the biggest advantage. For example, Authentic had a really good year. Had he won that Preakness, I'd give it to him. But his resume to me wasn't much better than Gamine's and I think she's the better horse.

In 2005, I thought Ghostzapper was the clear best horse to run in this country even though it was only one race. In my mind, the precedent has been set many times over with giving a horse a championship based on one race in this country. Singspiel won an Eclipse and never actually won a race in the United States. But if Arazi can be a HOY finaiist off of one race, so can Ghostzapper. I was very tempted to give it to St. Liam that year because his resume was much better but in the end, I decided that Ghostzapper was just so much clear the best horse that I went with him.

In the end, it's not an exact science so I flipped a coin.

Obviously it’s not an exact science and if you said she was the best sprinter I think you might have an argument. How about Swiss Skydiver? She was over the top in the Breeders Cup but had beaten Gamine before that. Her resume was much better.

And if it’s “best” horse what about Nashville? He’s been absolutely brilliant. I know you love you some Gamine but she ran 3 really good races, two good races and had two medication overages. She’s not even 3 year old filly of the year, let alone HOY.