The Eclipse awards ceremony will be held in January 2009 (Miami), and the race for Horse of the Year should be a tight contest between reigning champ Curlin and the undefeated Zenyatta.
Kentucky Derby hero Big Brown has his fans, but his Horse of the Year hopes went up in flames with his Belmont Stakes debacle.
Curlin, a daunting physical specimen, had a fantastic four-year-old campaign with five wins in seven starts, including victories in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Woodward, Stephen Foster, and Dubai World Cup.
His two losses occurred in the Breeders’ Cup Classic over synthetic …read more

Sunday (11-30-08) Hollywood Park recap

Five wire jobs on a speed favoring Cushion Track surface. Turf course played fair.
Outstanding turf rider Ramon Dominguez brought home both Grade 1’s. Tyler Baze booted home a pair. Paulo Lobo saddled two winners on the card, including Kentucky Derby also-ran Gayego, who appears headed to the Malibu (G1) at Santa Anita on Dec. 26th.
Chilean bred Cocoa Beach, runner up to Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, ran down Robert Frankel’s lone speedster Precious Kitten in the grassy flat mile Matriarch (G1). Frankel also landed the show with Visit-GB.
Court Vision (YouTube replay …read more

Cocoa Beach, an improving Godolphin runner shown above winning over Ginger Punch in the Beldame, drilled a strong 5f in :57.80 at Santa Anita on Oct. 18th. The 8-10 miss has won her last four starts versus her own sex and could be peaking at the right time.
Her stablemate Music Note went the same distance in 1:00.74 with a 1:13.62 6f gallop out. She might be best at Belmont Park.
Defending Ladies’ Classic winner Ginger Punch covered five furlongs in 1:00.76 with a 6f gallop out in 1:13.88. She handled Polytrack in the past but is …read more