NYRA’s Ten Best Races of 2015
End of the year lists are great because you get to appreciate all of the terrific racing that happened during the year at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga. When I got down to making my list of NYRA’s Ten Best Races in 2015, I realized that I was very lucky to have seen so many excellent graded stakes that played an important in so many of racing’s biggest stories of the year. So without further ado, here is my ten best.
10) Rachel’s Valentina Makes Her Mom Proud
The many fans of the 2009 Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra, were hoping that she would pass just a little bit of her talent on to her only two foals when they hit the racetrack. Hopes were high when word got out that Rachel’s Valentina would make an August debut at Saratoga wearing the colors of Stonestreet Stables. She won that maiden race and then went on the take down the Spinaway (G1). Her second place finish behind Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies further emphasized that Rachel’s daughter is quite a good horse.
9) Rock Fall Keeps it Going
Three times in 2015 the speedy Rock Fall would win a graded stakes race in New York. It was, however, in the Vosburgh (G1) that the Todd Pletcher trainee and Stonestreet runner faced his greatest challenge. Top sprinters like Salutos Amigos, Palace, Wildcat Red, and Stallwalkin’ Dude would not make it easy for Rock Fall to keep his seven race win streak in tact. Rock Fall was up to the task as he showed tremendous courage to beat Salutos Amigos by a neck. Tragically, this would be last time that we got to see this son of Speightstown compete, as he was lost in a training breakdown at Keeneland as he prepared for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
8) Lady Eli Unleashes Her Super Talent
Lady Eli had three wins in 2015 in which she established herself as the best three-year-old filly on the dirt or the turf. In the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) the Chad Brown grass specialist unleashed a remarkable burst of speed down the stretch in a seemingly effortless manner. After that Fourth of July victory, she would develop laminitis after stepping on a nail on the way back to her Belmont Park barn. That ended her racing for the year and likely will mean no Eclipse Award, but the good news is that she has completely recovered and is back in training in Florida.
7) Honor Code Nips Liam’s Map in the Whitney
Many people feel that the Eclipse Award for Older Dirt Male is a very close decision between Honor Code and Liam’s Map. In the Whitney (G1) those two horses would meet for the first time. In Saratoga, Honor Code would back up his win in the Met Mile by catching the frontrunning Liam’s Map for a neck victory.
6) Never Count Tonalist Out
If there is one thing that I have learned while covering the racing in New York during the past couple of years, that is to never discount Tonalist. The winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) turned in a disappointing performance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic once again, but then came back to run a big race and win the Cigar Mile (G1).
5) Runhappy Crushes the King’s Bishop
The King’s Bishop (G1) served as the national coming out party for Runhappy, the likely Eclipse winner for Top Male Sprinter. Although well-know in the Midwest, racing fans at Saratoga did not know about the Maria Borell trainee when he won the King’s Bishop by four lengths at odds of 11.30-1. Little did any of us know that behind the scenes the Runhappy melodrama would soon take center stage. Quickly after Runhappy’s Breeders’ Cup win, the horse would be taken away from Borell and a feel good story would turn into a distasteful saga filled with name calling and accusations.
4) Liam’s Map is the Fastest
3) Honor Code with an Amazing Rally
Honor Code ‘s victory in the Met Mile (G1), in which he rallied from eight lengths behind with a quarter mile to go, was one of the most visually impressive victories at any track in the country. With a very fast early pace to run into, Honor Code blew pass the field on that very historic first Saturday in June and in doing so he stamped his name atop the handicap division.
2) Keen Ice Upsets American Pharoah at the Spa
In the Travers (G1), Keen Ice would pull off the biggest upset of the year, and maybe the century, at the Saratoga track that has a grand history of surprising defeats. After a grueling year American Pharoah was unable to hold off Keen Ice’s late charge. The win would be Keen Ice’s second of his career and his only victory in 2015.
1) American Pharoah Wins the Triple Crown
Not only was this the biggest win in 2015 in New York, American Pharoah’s Triple Crown clinching victory in the Belmont Stakes (G1) represented the most important win in thoroughbred racing in the past 37 years. There is nothing to say about American Pharoah that has not already been said so eloquently, so many times. All racing fans were very lucky to witness a Triple Crown in 2015 thanks to American Pharoah. Enjoy the historic race one more time.