Who’s getting your Vox Populi vote? 7 writers weigh in

Online voting open for the Secretariat Vox Populi award, and the nature of it as a fan-driven, "voice of the people" contest to determine which horse most resonated with the public in 2019 sure hits close to home with Horse Racing Nation’s writers.

With the ballot available through Nov. 20, here are seven opinions as to who’s getting our votes — and be sure to let us know who you’re backing in the comments section below.

Nick Costa: Bricks and Mortar

Heading into the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita, his final start before heading off to stud duty in Japan, Bricks and Mortar had held the No. 1 spot in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll since April. A loss wasn’t about to dislodge the Chad Brown trainee from his hold on the rankings with a narrow victory capping a 6-for-6 season and all but locking up Horse of the Year.

It’s rare for a turf horse to win that award, as the last time it occurred was in 1993 with Kotashaan. But Bricks and Mortar has been that good. While not overly dominant on track, with his largest winning margin 2 1/2 lengths, the horse has repeatedly displayed determination, willingness and courage of a champion.

Candice Curtis: Maximum Security

His Kentucky Derby drama only endeared him to the public, in spite of his owner's big talk and lawsuit. His Haskell victory later in the summer and his record-setting comeback in the Bold Ruler off of a colic scare show how gritty he is. He might not get the votes for champion 3-year-old, but of all the other horses who ran this year, the only one on anybody's lips here in November is Maximum Security.

Ryan Dickey: Glorious Alliance

On the first weekend of November, a former racehorse passed away, but it wasn't the one making headlines. Glorious Alliance raced from August of 1994 to September of 1995. She won only once in 12 career starts and earned less than $6,000. She lived to the age of 27, spending the final years of her life at various California ranches with Karen Graninger, known simply as "K" to the 5,100 followers of @GloriousAllianc on Twitter.

Graninger tweeted as the retired race mare, giving her followers a look at the trials and tribulations of owning older horses. K and “Glory," as she was known to her devout followers, had a second career after racing as a show jumper — where she was much more successful.

While Graninger should be applauded for providing awareness to to the lives of less-than-stellar race horses after they have left the track, she should also be commended for expressing the love between human and equine in a sport that is increasingly falsely portrayed as heartless and barbaric.

Chip Gehrke: Belvoir Bay

In December of 2017, this mare was feared dead due to a California wildfire. Now she is a Breeders’ Cup champion. It is a remarkable story.

Missing for two days after fire consumed the San Luis Rey Downs training center, Belvoir Bay was found after what Peter Miller called “a living nightmare.” Belvoir Bay was found burned badly. Nursed back to health, she won her first start the following season.

When Belvoir Bay hit the wire in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint a mere 23 months removed from her horrific experience, Miller had tears in his eyes. Belvoir Bay had just completed a storybook ending to her career.

If ever a horse was deserving of this award, it is this 6-year-old mare.

Jonathan Lintner: Omaha Beach

With starts in the Malibu and Pegasus World Cup likely ahead, this horse’s career doesn’t have to end in a what could’ve been situation. But it’s that potential, in spite of missing much of his 3-year-old season, that has seemed to vault Omaha Beach to the next level when it comes to the nature of this award: popularity.

The people want a champion in the 3-year-old division — another California Chrome or American Pharoah type of campaigner — and Omaha Beach flashed that potential last spring. A close connection to the affable trainer Richard Mandella, and a comeback victory in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, only further endeared this one to the masses.

There won’t likely be an Eclipse Award in Omaha Beach’s future. But he could snag the Vox Populi.

Reinier Macatangay: Covfefe

Covfefe's absence from the main Vox Populi ballot only confirms bias by the horse racing establishment. She ran a yuge campaign with five wins from six starts, along with two Grade 1 victories in the Test Stakes and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Her only loss came in the Roxelana Stakes due to pressure from other (and older) speed horses.

As for how she connected with fans and gained recognition for the sport, the evidence is all over social media — and, last week, also CNN. No other filly has gained the attention of the president this year, making Covfefe a great ambassador for racing.

Matt Shifman: Bricks and Mortar

Bricks and Mortar returned from a 14-month layoff at the end of 2018 after a complicated surgery to correct a serious injury. Trainer Chad Brown did all of the right things as the son of Giant’s Causeway began a campaign that spanned 11 months and included five Grade 1 victories at six racetracks over five distances.

His win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, when he tried a mile and a half for the first time and overcame a traffic-filled trip, was marked by a determined and courageous stretch drive. To go from serious injury in 2017 to become the likely Horse of the Year in 2019 was more than enough to earn my Vox Populi vote.