Pedulla: Idiomatic is a worthy choice for horse of the year

I believe there are three serious horse of the year candidates: Breeders’ Cup Classic and Whitney winner White Abarrio, huge sentimental favorite Cody’s Wish and Breeders’ Cup Distaff heroine Idiomatic. Up to the Mark missed the mark to be a finalist when he fell three-quarters of a length short to Auguste Rodin in the Breeder’ Cup Turf.

White Abarrio came on in the second half of the season after being transferred to controversial trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. His 6 1/4-length Whitney rout in his second start for Dutrow was visually one of the year’s most impressive performances. When Irad Ortiz Jr. asked him to go, he was gone. Just a "wow" moment.

The now 5-year-old son of Race Day needed to back that up in the Classic. He did, getting the job done by one length. But with certain 3-year-old champion Arcangelo having called it a fleeting career and with runner-up Derma Sotogake having not raced since he ran sixth in the Kentucky Derby, there is ample reason to doubt the quality of the competition in the Classic.

White Abarrio got little done in the first half of the year. He languished in eighth, dusted by 13 1/2 lengths, in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. He was transferred to Dutrow shortly ahead of the Met Mile at Belmont Park, a major target for owners C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable, and never threatened Cody’s Wish after stumbling at the start.

History suggests sentiment can play a role in horse-of-the-year voting. As much as I admired Zenyatta before and after she became the first female to win the Classic in 2009, why was she saluted as horse of the year for 2010 when she lost to Blame by a head in that year’s Classic?

As someone who greatly admired Cody’s Wish and his equally courageous namesake, the late Cody Dorman, I fully appreciate the emotion involved. They provided a chapter in racing history that will always be cherished.

Horse of the year is not about emotion. It is about results. Ideally, it is about a full campaign and a nearly flawless champion who demonstrates the ability to handle classic distances in the nation’s premier races.

Yes, the 6-year-old son of two-time horse of the year Curlin swept 4 of 5 starts with earnings of $1,773,900 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. His lone miss, however, exposed his limitations. Yes, he proved in the Met Mile and in a successful defense at the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile that he is dynamite at that distance.

His limitations were there for all to see when he was asked to go an additional furlong in the Whitney. He never had a shot at overtaking White Abarrio or Zandon in Whitney at Saratoga, where the seven-furlong Forego had been an ideal fit for him only the summer before. If Mott thought the Whitney was a toss-out for any reason, he could have tried White Abarrio again in the 1 1/4-mile Classic. He knew better. He played it safe and Cody’s Wish barely repeated in the Dirt Mile.

That leaves Idiomatic, my horse of the year beyond a doubt. I wince when I see Eclipse Awards presented to those who make just a few starts in less-than-sporting campaigns. Horse of the year, in particular, should be about accomplishments over the long haul, not making a splash for an afternoon or two.

Idiomatic, a sturdy 5-year-old daughter of Curlin, swept 8 of 9 starts with earnings of $2.4 million for breeder and owner Juddmonte. Her schedule extended from Jan. 4 through the Nov. 4 Distaff with stops at Turfway Park, Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Delaware, Saratoga, Keeneland and Santa Anita.

Brad Cox reminded everyone of his training expertise by bringing her along slowly but surely. She closed her season with a five-race winning streak for regular rider Florent Geroux. The last three of those triumphs occurred in Grade 1 contests.

She relished the slop in rolling gate to wire to rule the Aug. 25 Personal Ensign by 4 lengths. There was again no catching her in a 4 1/4-length score in the Oct. 8 Spinster at Keeneland. In a prolonged and memorable drive, she outfought Randomized by a half-length for a must-win decision in the Distaff. Granted, she never faced males, but she did almost everything asked of her.

No filly or mare has emerged as horse of the year since Havre de Grace in 2011. Idiomatic deserves that rare distinction.