Now that 2011 has come and gone, it’s time for my annual ranking of the Top 10 performances of the year.
These were my seven Top Performances of the Year prior to 2011:
2004 Ghostzapper in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic
2005 Afleet Alex in the Grade I Preakness Stakes
2006 Barbaro in the Grade I Kentucky Derby
2007 Rags to Riches in the Grade I Belmont Stakes
2008 Big Brown in the Grade I Kentucky Derby
2009 Zenyatta in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic
2010 Blame in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic
Here are my choices for the Top 10 performances by a Thoroughbred in this country during 2011:
10. CALEB’S POSSE in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5. (Owned by McNeil Stables and Cheyenne Stables; trained by Donnie K. Von Hemel; ridden by Rajiv Maragh; 3-year-old Kentucky-bred by Posse.)
Though the sophomore male class was much maligned, 3-year-olds ran one-two against older foes in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Caleb’s Posse, eighth early, surged to the front in the final furlong and won with authority by four widening lengths. Shackleford finished second after capturing the Grade I Preakness Stakes in the spring.
9. CAPE BLANCO in Arlington Park’s Grade I Arlington Million at 1 1/4 miles on the turf Aug. 13. (Owned by Fitriani Hay, Susan Magnier, Derek Smith and Michael Tabor; trained by Aidan O’Brien; ridden by Jamie Spencer; 4-year-old Irish-bred by Gallileo.)
In my eyes, Cape Blanco’s Arlington Million victory ranks as the top turf performance of 2011 in America. He was an emphatic 2 1/2-length winner. Multiple Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti finished second.
Cape Blanco shipped back and forth from his base in Ireland to win all three of his U.S. starts in 2011. In addition to his triumph at Arlington, he won a pair of Grade I grass events at Belmont Park, the Man o’ War and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.
8. TIZWAY in Saratoga’s Grade I Whitney Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 6. (Owned by William Clifton Jr.; trained by H. James Bond; ridden by Rajiv Maragh; 6-year-old Kentucky-bred horse by Tiznow.)
Regarded best at distances shorter than this, Tizway powered home to win by three lengths. The runner-up was Flat Out, who subsequently won the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup.
“It was an ideal trip,” Maragh said after the Whitney. “I was always close to the pace, where I wanted to be. I just trusted the horse that he could get the distance. I just rode him the same way I have always ridden him. He really picked it up at the three-eighths pole. He was definitely overpowering in the middle of the turn and he kept on going. At that point, I thought he was going to be tough to catch. He stayed on well and finished up strong. This is one of the biggest wins of my career. It is a great race and a great feeling. I think he’s one of the top handicap horses in the country. He has won two of the more significant races, the Met Mile and now the Whitney.”
7. SASSY IMAGE in Calder’s Grade I Princess Rooney Handicap at six furlongs on July 9. (Owned by Jerry Romans; trained by Dale Romans; ridden by Mike Smith; 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Broken Vow.)
You rarely see a horse 10th at the eighth pole win a six-furlong race. But it happened when Sassy Image took the Princess Rooney. Last with a furlong to run, she passed nine rivals to prevail by a neck. In an HRTV phone interview later in the day while Mike Smith was at the airport, he noted that Sassy Image won even though she did not handle the track.
6. UNCLE MO in Belmont Park’s Grade II Kelso Handicap at one mile on Oct. 1. (Owned by Repole Stable; trained by Todd Pletcher; ridden by John Velazquez; 3-year-old Kentucky-bred by Indian Charlie.)
Earlier in 2011, after Uncle Mo finished third as a 1-10 favorite in the Wood Memorial, he was found to have a liver disease. It appeared his racing career might be over.
But Uncle Mo did return to the races at Saratoga. After Uncle Mo lost the Grade I King’s Bishop by a nostril to Caleb’s Posse on Aug. 27, he zipped one mile on a muddy track in 1:33.82 to win the Kelso Handicap by three lengths. Uncle Mo decisively defeated a pair of Grade I-winning older rivals in Jackson Bend and Jersey Town, who finished second and third, respectively.
Uncle Mo dashed immediately to the front in the Kelso. Jackson Bend trailed early and closed strongly on the far turn to loom boldly approaching the quarter pole.
“And now Jackson Bend is coming with a big run!” track announcer Tom Durkin said. “Oh, he’s coming with a big run down inside!”
As the official Equibase chart states, Uncle Mo “was put to the test by the runner-up nearing the quarter pole” after Jackson Bend “unleashed a strong rail rally.”
Uncle Mo put away Jackson Bend to quickly reestablish a clear advantage at the top of the stretch. Uncle Mo sported a three-length lead with a furlong to go and went on to win by that margin while earning a 118 Beyer Speed Figure. The only bigger Beyer in 2011 was Big Drama’s 120 when he ran six furlongs in 1:08 to break the track record on Jan. 15.
5. BIG DRAMA in Gulfstream Park’s Grade III Mr. Prospector at six furlongs on Jan. 15. (Owned by Harold Queen; trained by David Fawkes; ridden by Eibar Coa; 5-year-old Florida-bred horse by Montbrook.)
Big Drama drew away in the final furlong to win the six-furlong Mr. Prospector by four lengths in 1:08.12. He broke the track record of 1:08.46 set by Tiger in 2006. I felt Big Drama’s Mr. Prospector victory was the best performance by a sprinter on American soil in 2011.
4. BLIND LUCK in Delaware Park’s Grade II Delaware Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on July 16. (Owned by Peter Abruzzo, John Carver, Jerry Hollendorfer and Mark Dedomenico; trained by Jerry Hollendorfer; ridden by Garrett Gomez; 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Pollard’s Vision.)
It’s my view that the Delaware Handicap was the most exciting race of 2011 in the U.S. Two exceptional fillies, Blind Luck and Havre de Grace, staged a furious battle all the way down the stretch. Blind Luck eked out a nose victory in a performance I rate as one of the finest of the year in terms of sheer gameness.
3. TIZWAY in Belmont Park’s Grade I Metropolitan Handicap at one mile on May 30. (Owned by William Clifton Jr.; trained by H. James Bond; ridden by Rajiv Maragh; 6-year-old Kentucky-bred horse by Tiznow.)
Tizway covered one mile in a scorching 1:32.90 to win by 2 3/4 lengths, the second-fastest Met Mile in history. The stakes record of 1:32.81 was set by Honour and Glory in 1996.
Not even Ghostzapper, the 2004 Horse of the Year, could post a faster winning time in the Met Mile than Tizway. Ghostzapper was clocked in 1:33.29 when he won the 2005 Met Mile in the final start of his career.
2. HAVRE DE GRACE in Saratoga’s Grade I Woodward Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 3. (Owned by Fox Hill Farms; trained by Larry Jones; ridden by Ramon Dominguez; 4-year-old filly by Saint Liam.)
Havre de Grace stepped out of her division to defeat males in the Woodward (a race Secretariat lost in 1973). She sat fourth early, responded readily in the lane and won by 1 1/4 lengths over Flat Out. Flat Out would go on to take the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Havre de Grace became only the second female to ever win the Woodward. In 2009, Rachel Alexandra made history by becoming the first filly or mare to take the Woodward on her way to being voted Horse of the Year over Zenyatta.
“Winning the Woodward is not easy, especially with a filly, but she’s a special horse,” Rick Porter, who races as Fox Hill Farms, said of Havre de Grace.
Havre de Grace was assigned a 111 Beyer Speed Figure for her win in the Woodward. In this regard, she topped her sire, Saint Liam, who recorded a 106 Beyer when victorious in the 2005 Woodward en route to a Breeders’ Cup Classic victory and the Horse of the Year title.
1. ANIMAL KINGDOM in Churchill Downs’ Grade I Kentucky Derby at 1 1/4 miles on May 7. (Owned by Team Valor International; trained by Graham Motion; 3-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Leroidesanimaux.)
Twelfth early, Animal Kingdom closed with a rush to win going away by 2 3/4 lengths, leaving 18 foes in his wake.
Animal Kingdom became the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby without having previously raced on dirt. He was the first horse to win the Run for the Roses off a six-week layoff since Needles in 1956. Animal Kingdom was the first winner of Turfway Park’s Spiral Stakes to take the Kentucky Derby. He also was only the second horse since 1919 to win the roses with four or fewer starts.
There have been only five horses in the history of the Kentucky Derby to win it with four or fewer career starts:
2011 Animal Kingdom (4 starts)
2008 Big Brown (3 starts)
1918 Exterminator (4 starts)
1915 Regret (3 starts)
1902 Alan-a-Dale (4 starts)
