Time to Consider the 2015 Vox Populi

California Chrome, Zenyatta, Rapid Redux, Paynter, and Mucho Macho Man. In five years of existence the Secretariat Vox Populi Award has done an excellent job of reflecting the collective heartbeat of racing fans from coast to coast. The Vox Populi, or Voice of the People, was the brainchild of Secretariat’s beloved owner, Penny Chenery. She created the award as a vehicle to recognize the horse that most resonated with, and created the most excitement for a nation of racing fans. As a Vox Populi committee member, it is of paramount importance for me to make sure the voice of the fans continues to be heard. Because of this, I believe it is time to get the ball rolling. Let’s start talking Vox Populi...

Become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, and you should be a lock for the Vox Populi award, right? Yes, there is a very good chance that could happen. Not only has American Pharoah been historic and sensational on the track in 2015, but his connections allowed the very friendly three-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile to be available to so many visitors this year. It was a unique and appreciated way to bring a champion to the people.

Much like the Breeders’ Cup Classic, this year’s Vox Populi could come down to a battle of the sexes. Standing proudly in the corner of females everywhere is Beholder. Already a two-time champion, and a two-time Breeders’ Cup winner, the five-year-old mare has never been better than she has been this season. She has a real shot to make history in the Classic, and remember, Beholder has already smoked the boys once, in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic.

Not all of America’s most popular horses are running at a classic distance, though. Runhappy has captured the imagination of throngs of fans with his recent domination of sprint races at the unlikely quartet of racetracks; Indiana Grand, Ellis Park, Saratoga, and Keeneland. Trained by the young Maria Borell, and ridden of late by the popular Edgar Prado, the massive talent is a good story all the way around. This lightning bolt of a horse now heads to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint as one of the horses to beat.

Honor Code has been a fan favorite since coming from the clouds to win his career debut at Saratoga in 2013. It may have taken a while for the son of A.P. Indy to put it all together, but he has in 2015. Big wins, in which he rallied from way back, in both the Grade 1 Met Mile and the Grade 1 Whitney, were among the most exciting races of the year. If he can pull off another such score in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he becomes a real Vox Populi contender.

Then there are a few of my personal favorites ... Never has a horse won a pair of million dollar races in one season with such little chance to be recognized as a champion before, as Frosted. He may be stuck in American Pharoah’s rather large shadow, but the Kiaran McLaughlin trained gray continues to gain both respect and fans as he piles up strong performance after strong performance in a full season of graded stakes. Speaking of consistent and popular horses, The Pizza Man has it all -- the name, the looks, and the tremendous turf ability. The six-year-old gelded Arlington Million winner checks all the boxes necessary to be one of the most popular horses in training. Both Frosted and The Pizza Man will get their shot in the Breeders’ Cup.

Or for a real long shot, consider Juba. Don’t recognize the name? Well then, you must not spend too much time on Twitter. The good looking gray is a real social media sensation. The four-year-old son of Tapit is the pride of Centennial Farms and trained by Jimmy Jerkens. In consecutive starts this spring, Juba won a maiden, an allowance, and then knocked heads with one of the top horses in the country in Tonalist. He tired down the stretch that afternoon, and has not lived up to his Twitter reputation of late on the track, but remains an extremely popular horse.

While hugely popular to their respective fans, I realize these seven are only part of the wonderful racing story that is 2015. I want to know who you think should be included in the Vox Populi ballot, and which horse most stirred the horse racing fan within you. Now is the time to stand up and have your voice heard.