Idiomatic, a strong contender for Horse of the Year honors (Marla Zanelli)
By Marla Zanelli
Being Horse Of The Year is the highest honor in thoroughbred horse racing, and this title has been handed to a limited number of champions. The honors began in 1887 with Hanover. There have been several horses winning the honors more than once. There have been several fillies. Some of the names are so well known, they are still mentioned today. Beldame, 1904, was a filly, Regret, 1915, another filly, Old Rosebud, a gelding, Sir Barton, Man ‘O War, Exterminator, Gallant Fox, Equipoise, War Admiral, Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Count Fleet, Assault, Citation, Native Dancer, Swaps, Kelso (5 time winner), Dr Fager, Secretariat, Forego (3 time winner), Seattle Slew, Affirmed, John Henry, Sunday Silence, Cigar, Curlin, Zenyatta. You get the drift. Horses with huge accomplishments, major champions, household names.
This year’s nominees are great horses, and I believe several of them have more in the tank, more to show us into next year. One public favorite is Cody’s Wish. And what a dramatic ending to this story. Cody is a champ in every way. And his accomplishments this year are three Grade 1 wins – Churchill Downs Stakes, The Metropolitan and the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile. He also won the Vosburgh Stakes. He did beat White Abarrio and Zandon in the Metropolitan, and of course National Treasure, the Preakness winner in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile.
White Abarrio, who was trained by two different trainers over the year, won two Grade 1’s, the Whitney and the Breeders Cup Classic. While he won the Classic looking like he won it easily, the only other win this year was an Allowance race. He was defeated by Cody’s Wish and Zandon in the Metropolitan and then turned the tables on them in the Whitney.
Arcangelo made his own record setting with his female trainer, Jena Antonucci, being the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race, The Belmont. Jena was also the first female trainer to win the Travers. It was a shame he had to scratch out of the Breeders Cup Classic. He would have had my bet to win the race, watching him train at Santa Anita. Such is life in the shed row.
Idiomatic. Wow did she capture my heart watching her win the Spinster at Keeneland. Idiomatic ran in the most races of all in 2023. She won an Allowance race in January, then another Allowance, then the Latonia Stakes. She ran second in the Grade 2 Ruffian, then won the Shawnee Stakes, Grade 3. She then stepped up in competition to beat Secret Oath and Nest in the Personal Ensign, Grade 1. Won the Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland like a thief going wire to wire to beat again Nest, Le Da Vida and Bellamore. Finally, winning the Breeders Cup Distaff, beating the best of mares in Clairiere, Adare Manor, Randomized, Le Da Vida, Search Results, Wet Paint, etc. Winning eight of nine races this year makes her a top nominee.
Up to the Mark ended his year with an ambush defeat to Auguste Rodin (IRE) in the Breeders Cup Turf. The well bred son of Not This Time came into the race with three Grade 1 wins in a row – Turf Mile at Keeneland, Manhattan Stakes at Belmont and the Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs. While he showed his grit by defeating Master Of The Seas, Hong Kong Harry, and Spooky Channel, for the year he won two Allowance races and the three Grade 1’s.
Elite Power had a fantastic overall career, but the HOY is about what the horse did in that year. This year he won the Grade 2 True North, then went into the Alfred G Vanderbuilt Handicap G1 and won beating Gunite. He then ran second in the Forego to Gunite, and came back to win the Breeders Cup Sprint. Last year he won 5 races in a row, of which one was the Breeders Cup Sprint, but that does not count here.
Reviewing these top class, unparalleled champions, my vote goes to Idiomatic for having the most wins and races in the year, and for winning three Grade 1’s, a Grade 2, a Grade 3 and another Stake, and for defeating the sensational mares she defeated in the Breeders Cup Distaff.
