Bolt d'Oro deserving champion even after Breeders' Cup loss

One good race versus a season?

It's the question many Eclipse Awards voters ask themselves before casting their votes each year. While difficult to to ignore the weight of an entire season, when it comes juveniles the line blurs.

That's especially the case after the events of the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, in which Bolt d’Oro ran a valiant third after pushed several paths wide on both turns. The winner, Good Magic, a maiden before this victory, normally wouldn’t be considered. However, Good Magic’s solid performances in his two previous starts, one of which came in the grade one Champagne, could sway voters.

But it shouldn’t.

Yes, Good Magic ran a fantastic race on the biggest stage. Yes, he defeated Bolt d’Oro in their only meeting. And yes, between his two losses he was only beaten a total of 1 1/2 lengths.

None of that, however, should overshadow the utter dominance Bolt d’Oro displayed several times this season.

It was Bolt d’Oro who ran down the impressive maiden winner, Zatter, the post time favorite in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, going a distance shorter than his optimum. It was Bolt d’Oro who returned in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes to win by nearly eight lengths in the most impressive performance by any juvenile this year.

Going into the Breeders’ Cup, it was Bolt d’Oro who came in undefeated, not Good Magic. It was, however, Good Magic who took advantage of a dream trip while Bolt d’Oro couldn't run his race. The colt was pushed so wide that he ran nearly 80 feet further than Good Magic, which is the equivalent to nearly 9 1/2 lengths.

Consider that -- Bolt d’Oro gave away 9 1/2 lengths -- and was beaten by just more than five lengths. For a lightly raced juvenile, that is an outstanding race, which is quickly becoming the norm for son of Medaglia d’Oro.

Had he thrown in a clunker with no excuses, I would understand the urge to crown Good Magic, but that didn't. Bolt d’Oro ran every inch of that race when he had every excuse to stop, and to top it off, he finished a strong closing third.

He's still the deserving 2-year-old champion. And he's still going to have the shortest future odds on the 2018 Kentucky Derby.

His resume of four starts, three wins, and one third, tops Good Magic’s resume of three starts, two placings and one win, especially when adding in that two of Bolt d’Oro’s wins came in Grade 1 company. As a whole, Bolt d’Oro easily has the best resume.

One race should not change that.