Horse of the Year race heats up
With five major horses undefeated in 2016, four of them females, there is no shortage of candidates for horse of the year. Tepin, Songbird and Catch a Glimpse have won all five starts, while California Chrome has been perfect in four and Beholder in two.
That’s not say there isn’t room for additional contenders. For example, what if Frosted wins the Whitney and follows with victories in the Woodward and/ or Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders’ Cup Classic? What if Nyquist, Exaggerator or Creator sweeps the rest of this year’s starts, including the Classic?
In this climate, with so little room for error, every race counts. Two top horse of the year candidates were in action over the weekend, and if anything both improved their standing.
California Chrome is generally regarded as the most popular horse in training, and his San Diego Handicap win over an ultra-game Dortmund – who was making his first start in eight months – quieted any fears that the trip to Dubai had taken something out of him. Ahead lies an ambitious schedule which could include the Pacific Classic, Awesome Again Stakes and BC Classic, with a possible start in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup in January.
Songbird saw her stock rise considerably with her decisive win Sunday in the Coaching Club American Oaks. As flawless as she’d been while win-