New York’s best: The 2017 AndyScoggin Awards
Here are the winners of the fifth AndyScoggin Awards, which annually recognize the best performances -- and performers -- in graded stakes races at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga. The Scoggys are
Thus, stars like the 2-year-olds Bolt d’Oro and Mendelssohn are not eligible for an AndyScoggin Award. They will have to settle for a chance to bring home an Eclipse Award.
The AndyScoggin Awards Committee carefully studied all 108 of the graded stakes (34 Grade 1s, 32 Grade 2, and 42 Grade 3s) that were run in New York. So, without further ado, the winners of the Scoggys are...
Juvenile Males – Good Magic
Good Magic won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) as a maiden after having run second in the Champagne Stakes (G2). He soundly defeated the talented Bolt d’Oro and Solomini at Del Mar and earned the upstart owner, eFive Racing, its second AndyScoggin Award, having won last year with New Money Honey.
Juvenile Females – Rushing Fall
It is the second year in a row that trainer Chad Brown is winning this division with a talented turf runner and also the second consecutive year that he has swept both juvenile awards. Rushing Fall has been nothing but brilliant in a three-race career that began in September and already includes graded stakes victories on both coasts. Her Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (G1) kept her record perfect and gave eFive Racing yet another big win at Del Mar.
3-Year-Old Males – West Coast
Although New York based horses swept the Triple Crown with Always Dreaming winning the Kentucky Derby, Cloud Computing the Preakness and Tapwrit the Belmont, none of them went on to win another race in 2017. Thus, for the second year in a row, trainer Bob Baffert will take home the Scoggy after bringing a late-developing sophomore East to win the Travers (G1) in convincing fashion. West Coast added a win in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and a third-place in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) to complete six-victory year.
3-Year-Old Females – Abel Tasman
The Scoggy Award for 3-year-old fillies came down to decision between Elate and Abel Tasman. Abel Tasman won the CCA Oaks, while Elate won the Alabama and the Beldame in New York. However, when looking at their entire year, Abel Tasman posted three Grade 1 wins in a row, including the Kentucky Oaks. In the Breeders’ Cup, Abel Tasman got second in the Distaff when Elate could only manage fourth as the favorite.
Older Dirt Female – Forever Unbridled
Her three-race campaign was perfect and included convincing wins in the Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). Although the committee might have liked to see more starts from the 5-year-old, she was the clear-cut winner of this division.
Older Dirt Male – Gun Runner
Following a second-place finish in the Dubai World Cup (G1) behind Arrogate, last year’s winner of the AndyScoggin Award for Horse of the Year, Gun Runner put together four Grade 1 victories in a row. His season finale in the Breeders’ Cup Classic made him the unanimous choice as the best Older Dirt Male.
Turf Male – World Approval
World Approval’s victory cutting back on the grass in the Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga got the grey gelding moving in the right direction. From there he became the dominant turf miler in North America with Grade 1 wins in the Woodbine Mile and the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Turf Female – Lady Eli
What more is there to say about Lady Eli? Her accomplishments every year of her career were marked by courage and determination, and this her 5-year-old season was no different. Grade 1 wins on both coasts wrapped up her fourth consecutive AndyScoggin Award, a feat that no horse has come close to matching.
Male Sprinter – Roy H
Although Roy H is based on the West Coast, trainer Peter Miller sent his 5-year-old to Belmont Park for the True North (G2), where he won his first graded stakes race and made him eligible for the AndyScoggin Awards. Roy H added a victory in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1) that led to his triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).
Female Sprinter – By the Moon
The Female Sprint division presented the toughest decision for the Award committee with four worthy candidates in Paulassilverlining, Highway Star, Bar of Gold, and By the Moon. Of course, Bar of the Gold was the longshot winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1). For the New York-bred that was the second win of the year for her along with a victory in the restricted Yaddo at Saratoga. Paulassilverlining led the division early on with three big wins including two grade ones up to July, but missed in her final two starts. Highway Star had three stakes wins on the NYRA circuit, none of them grade one. Finally, there was By the Moon, who also had three graded stakes wins, but one of them was the Ballerina (G1) in which she beat both Highway Star and Paula. The Ballerina was the deciding factor for By the Moon.
Horse of the Year – Gun Runner
The Dubai World Cup was the turning point for the top two finishers in that race, Arrogate and Gun Runner. Arrogate would not win again in three tries, while Gun Runner put together four powerful victories. In the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the best Arrogate could do was a distant fifth place finish.
Top Trainer – Chad Brown
Chad Brown is the winner of his third consecutive Scoggy as Top Trainer. Brown trained horses won three of the ten AndyScoggin Awards this year. Although Brown was not able to beat Todd Pletcher in the coveted Saratoga meeting, he did dominate the stakes races in New York with five Grade 1 victories, six Grade 2s and nine Grade 3s. Around the country, Brown amassed 46 graded stakes wins including 16 Grade 1s.
Top Jockey – Jose Ortiz
Jose Ortiz is Top Jockey in New York for the second year in a row. In 2017, he won 13 grade one stakes with nine of them coming in New York. Ortiz won a total of 30 graded stakes around the country. He also won the jockey title at Saratoga for the second year in a row.