Popularity a different kind of competition

Every once in a while it does the heart good to hear about the people running industries other than Thoroughbred racing who make bonehead decisions that do nothing to help the brand.

This week, movie fans learned that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will tweak its coveted Oscars with the addition of a new category – Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film.

Critics of the decision (and there are many) tore their hair at the blatant pandering toward box-office quantity instead of artistic quality, as if a $1.2 billion worldwide take for “Fate of the Furious” is not its own reward. “Moonlight,” winner of the Best Picture Oscar for 2016, earned $63 million.

“I’m personally excited by the new movie, ‘Call Me by Your Name 2: Infinity Peach,’ ” declared Stephen Colbert in his “Late Show” monologue Thursday night.

If the Popular Film award is based on butts in the seats, there isn’t much hope this year for the nasty “Sicario: Day of the Soldado,” which I have paid for twice just because Benicio del Toro is worth the trouble (raise your hand if you think he’d be perfect for “The Lazaro Barrera Story”). Also, I would shell out good money to hear an acceptance speech from Deadpool, but there is no such thing as a perfect world.

Thoroughbred racing, crowned by its yearend Eclipse Awards, already has its collection of honors based almost entirely on the accumulation of money. With only occasional exceptions, voters never stray past the top of the earnings list when making their choices in the categories of jockey, trainer, owner, and breeder.

Fortunately, in the horse category the concept of subjective thought is encouraged, though not required, and earnings do not automatically translate into champions, even though Breeders’ Cup winnings tend to tilt the field.

But what if – there it is, the columnist’s best friend – what if horse racing had a Most Popular Horse of the Year Award based on public embrace rather than the dreary metrics of athletic achievement? What if the top honor went to the horse whose name was on all the lips, found in all the headlines, featured in the nightly news? History might have looked something like this:

◗ Carry Back, the darling of the racing world with a Cinderella story that just won’t quit, was named 1961 Horse of the Year in a surprising decision over reigning king Kelso. Competing at eight different tracks from the beginning of February to the end of October, Carry Back and his garrulous owner-trainer-breeder Jack Price entertained their adoring fans through 16 starts and nine stirring, come-from-hehind victories, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and the Trenton Handicap over the older star Intentionally.

Kelso, who beat Carry Back in their only encounter, finished second in the balloting after failing to win either of his races outside of Long Island.

◗ Dr. Fager might have been the most accomplished male Thoroughbred of the season, winning races from seven furlongs on the dirt to 1 3/16 miles on grass, but when the verdict came down it was the popular little filly Dark Mirage who stole the show as 1968 Horse of the Year.

Tipping the scale at barely 700 pounds, Dark Mirage punched steadily above her weight to win nine straight races, from six to 10 furlongs, among them the freshly christened Triple Tiara of New York. Her trainer/bar owner Everett King, described by LeRoy Jolley as “the toughest 55-year-old guy I’ve ever met,” growled his gratitude for the honor and then told the press to leave.

◗ After an old-school campaign of six wins from nine starts under heavy handicap burdens, Forego figured to be a shoo-in for his second straight title. But when the ballots were tallied, it was clear that voters led with their emotions in christening the martyred Ruffian with the ultimate honor as 1975 Horse of the Year.

There was no getting around the popularity of the big, black filly, who adorned magazine covers and led newscasts on her way to the wildly anticipated match race against Derby winner Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park. Ruffian’s fatal injury that day struck at the heart of the incipient feminist movement while traumatizing the sport like nothing since Upset upset Man o’ War. Martha Gerry, Forego’s owner, had the class not to criticize the Horse of the Year decision, while his trainer, Sherrill Ward, said, “Big deal. We got the money, and I’m retiring anyway.” Forego will be sent to Frank Whiteley, Ruffian’s trainer.

Time marched on, and with it more possible twists. In 1997 Skip Away and his made-formedia entourage criss-crossed the country, ending with a romp in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but the undefeated 2-year-old Favorite Trick got the ultimate nod. In 2004 Smarty Jones was far more popular than Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, who ran in only four races. And the following year Afleet Alex was the Horse of the People, while Saint Liam was Horse of the Year.

Conventional wisdom dictates that Triple Crown winner Justify, both popular and historically accomplished, has a lock on 2018 Horse of the Year. In this case, conventional wisdom is correct. Still, if the new Oscar category was applied, there is so far no limit to the popularity of the filly named Monomoy Girl. And the movie is still in theaters.