Competition for Horse of the Year in 2019 is a tight one

In the vote for 2010 Horse of the Year, Zenyatta, reversing the order of finish from the Breeders’ Cup Classic two months earlier, outpolled Blame, 128 to 104. The HOY balloting in the eight years since has not been nearly as close, as Havre de Grace, Wise Dan (twice), California Chrome (twice), Gun Runner and Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify ran up mostly huge margins. American Pharoah was a unanimous choice in 2015, while only two voters failed to select Gun Runner in 2017.

The contest for 2019 HOY should be a lot more competitive. Eclipse Award finalists Bricks and Mortar, Maximum Security and Mitole combined to win 18 of 21 starts, and all three closed out 2019 with one of their strongest performances of the year.

As the only undefeated horse of the three in 2019, Bricks and Mortar probably rates as the favorite. The son of Giant’s Causeway put in a spirited late run in traffic to take the BC Turf by a

head, his sixth graded win and fifth G1 of the year. Some voters, however, may wish he had faced tougher competition.

Maximum Security’s decisive 3½-length win in the Cigar Mile on Dec. 7 is the freshest result in voters’ memories, adding a third G1 to his earlier victories in the Florida Derby and Haskell Invitational. Missing the Breeders’ Cup may cost him with some voters, but, conversely, those who believe his Kentucky Derby DQ was unwarranted may vote for him in part out of sympathy.

Mitole came up short only once in seven starts, finishing third behind record-setting Imperial Hint in the A. G. Vanderbilt Stakes. He won his other six races with little difficulty and was especially impressive in the BC Sprint and Met Mile. Working against Mitole may be the fact that no sprinter has been named horse of the year in the 48 years of the Eclipse Awards. (The Met Mile, which is run around one turn, was his only start beyond seven furlongs.)

Bricks and Mortar, Maximum Security and Mitole are all worthy HOY candidates. One wonders, though, if Midnight Bisou would have been one of the three finalists had she managed to make up the last 1½ lengths on Blue Prize in the BC Distaff. A victory would have made the daughter of Midnight Lute unbeaten in all seven 2019 starts, four of them G1s, in a deep division of older fillies and mares. Even with her loss in the Distaff, Midnight Bisou may still draw surprising support when the final tally is announced.

Sayonara – Bricks and Mortar, Vasilika

All three of this year’s HOY finalists have a connection with Japan. Mitole is a son of Eskendereya, who was purchased by the Japan Bloodstock Breeders’ Association in 2015 and has stood there ever since. Maximum Security is a son of New Year’s Day, who was purchased by unnamed Japanese breeding interests the week after the 2019 Kentucky Derby. The retired Bricks and Mortar is about to stand his first year at Teruya Yoshida’s Shadai Farm.

Another recent Japanese acquisition was the standout turf mare Vasilika, an eight-time graded winner who was purchased for $1.5 million at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky’s November sale. In most years, the retired granddaughter of Skip Away (via Skipshot) would have been an Eclipse finalist in her division, but this year she was unable to crack the top three of Got Stormy, Sistercharlie and Uni.