2021 in review: These were the biggest stories in racing
It wasn't exactly a feel-good year for horse-racing fans, but there were a few bright spots.
In putting together this list of the biggest stories of 2021, I looked at the numbers to see which Horse Racing Nation stories drew the most readers. Then I clumped them together to come up with a somewhat subjective top 10.
1. The Medina Spirit/Kentucky Derby saga. Bob Baffert's colt led gate to wire and gave the Hall of Fame trainer his record seventh Derby win. Then, eight days later, Baffert confirmed at his Churchill Downs barn that Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory. And off it went from there: suspension by Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association. The NYRA suspension was reversed, but the Churchill Downs dispute continues. Baffert claims the betamethasone was administered topically, rather than injected, and so was not a violation. In the fall, the Breeders' Cup required Baffert's horses to undergo extra testing and implemented other security measures.
2. Medina Spirit dies. The shocking news that Medina Spirit died of an apparent heart attack came in early December, after the 3-year-old worked at Santa Anita. Reactions were swift and stern: In this example, trainers said the death could be blamed on Baffert and on a broken system.
3. Linda Rice suspension. The New York State Gaming Commission suspended trainer Linda Rice for at least three years and fined her $50,000, a surprisingly stiff penalty. The commission had accused her of paying NYRA officials to get improper information, such as expected entries and past performances. Rice admitted under oath to making payments to a member of the NYRA staff, but she said they were loans, not rules violations. Rice is disputing the penalty and continues to race at New York tracks.
4. Big races. Many of our most-viewed stories were reports of big races, and looking over the report is like opening a time capsule of the year. Hot Rod Charlie's disqualification in the Haskell (G1), leading to Mandaloun's win. Rombauer's surprise win in the Preakness. Essential Quality's battle with Hot Rod Charlie to win the Belmont Stakes, followed by his battle with Midnight Bourbon in the Travers (G1). And Hot Rod Charlie finally getting his elusive Grade 1 win in the Pennsylvania Derby.
5. New Jersey's crop rule. Jockeys took great exception to New Jersey's new rule that bans the use of a crop except for safety reasons. Before it went into effect on May 28, several jockeys said they would refuse to ride at Monmouth Park because they thought it would present a danger. In July, Flavien Prat, who rode Hot Rod Charlie when he clipped heels with Midnight Bourbon in the Haskell, said the incident would have been avoided if he had been able to use the crop.
6. Navarro sentencing. The federal investigation into illegal doping in the racing industry was one of the top stories of 2020. The report that indicted trainer Jorge Navarro received the maximum five-year sentence was among our most read stories this year. And in case you missed it, check out this report on the prosecution's sentencing report, which outlines Navarro's actions in detail.
7. Why is racing losing so many trainers? This issue resonated with our readers this year. In 2000, the number of trainers listed on Equibase as having at least one start was 9,885. In 2019, that figure had dropped to 4,958. Reporter Matt Stahl's in-depth report charts the trends and explores reasons for the decline.
8. Essential Quality. After the 2020 2-year-old champion finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby for his first loss, Brad Cox claimed Essential Quality was the best horse in the race. And the Tapit colt seemed determined to back that up, with a gritty win in the Belmont Stakes, a Jim Dandy (G2) victory that was better than it looked, and a battle to take the Travers (G1) by a neck. He wrapped up his racing career with a loss to Knicks Go and Medina Spirit in the Breeders' Cup Classic, and he is a leading contender to win another Eclipse Award as the top 3-year-old male.
9. Letruska. She started her career in Mexico and started 2021 with a win in the Houston Ladies Classic (G3) and a close second in the Azeri (G2). Then Letruska grabbed the spotlight by toppling heavyweights Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver in the Apple Blossom (G1). That started a streak of five straight graded-stakes wins – four of which were Grade 1s. She fell victim to a blazing pace when Marche Lorraine won the Breeders' Cup Distaff at odds of 49-1, but that did little to dim her chances of being named champion in the older dirt female division.
10. Knicks Go. After winning the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile last year, Knicks Go came back strong as a 5-year-old with a gate-to-wire win in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) in January. He might have raised doubts after fourth-place finishes in the Saudi Cup and Met Mile (G1), but then he won four graded stakes in a row to not only dispel any doubts but to all but clinch Horse of the Year honors for Cox. The clincher, of course, came when he led all the way to win the Breeders' Cup Classic – “He’s a tremendous horse, a champion now,” Cox said after the race. You can see him in action once more when he defends his Pegasus World Cup title next month.
Honorable Mention: One of the most read stories on HRN this year carried this headline: "Biting drama: Yaupon withstands Firenze Fire's chomps in Forego." Side by side down the stretch, Firenze Fire tried repeatedly to nip Yaupon, but the 2-1 favorite prevailed by a head. What makes it more interesting is that Firenze Fire had been savaged in the 2018 Gallant Bob (G2).
Photos: Eclipse Sportswire