Unlike the last 2 years, I did not give Horse of the Year much thought. Havre de Grace was a relatively easy choice, given that none of her competition did anything special. While not quite great like Rachel or Zenyatta, Havre de Grace was plenty good enough, winning races at Oaklawn Park, Delaware Park, Saratoga and Belmont Park. She won in March, April, June, September and October, losing by a nose in the July Delaware Handicap and finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5. She beat the boys in the Woodward at Saratoga and was very deserving of the award.
The best news of all is that Havre de Grace is in New Orleans at the Fair Grounds, gearing up for her 5-year-old season. The major goal of the summer will be the Delaware Handicap, the race she came so close to winning last year.
The other good news is that the winners of the 2011 Triple Crown races - Animal Kingdom, Shackleford and Ruler On Ice - are all in South Florida training for their 4-year-old debuts.
Some of the other categories were much more difficult for me than Horse of the Year.
The 3-year-old championship came down to Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and BC Dirt Mile winner Caleb's Posse. They never raced against each other. Animal Kingdom's season was done after he was injured in the Belmont Stakes. Caleb's Posse did not run in the Triple Crown, but ran well all year, mostly at middle distances around one turn. It was almost impossible to compare or separate them. I went with Caleb's Posse. The voters went with Animal Kingdom, 114-111.
