Best of the Best: Rating the Best Horse of the Year Campaigns

[Horse's Rear]

Below are a selection of a dozen Horse of the Year campaigns to get us in the mood for this year's choice. I chose a dozen that I think rank among the best seasons. This is not intended to be an exclusive list; rather I wanted to include at least one candidate from each decade while going back several decades. I then distilled those seasons into a fairly simple capsule summary: Year, Name, age, sex, St W-P-S, and "Major Wins." For horses from the Graded Stakes era, I recorded G1 victories only; for the earlier era, I simply relied on my best memory of what was accorded importance in that year.

The current order is chronological, from most recent backwards. How would you rank this not-too-shabby dozen?


Horse of the Year Campaigns
Combined Record: 132 115-10-3

2009 Rachel Alexandra 3f Feb - Aug. 8 8-0-0 Major Wins: Oaks, Preakness, Mother Goose, Haskell, Woodward
1995 Cigar 5h Jan-Oct. 10 10-0-0 Major Wins: Donn, Gulfstream Park, Oaklawn, Pimlico Special, Hollywood Gold Cup, Woodward, JCGC, BC Classic
1988 Alysheba 4c Feb-Nov 9 7-1-0 Major Wins: Strub, Santa Anita, Iselin, Woodward, Meadowlands Cup, BC Classic
1980 Spectacular Bid 4c Jan-Sep 9 9-0-0 Major Wins: Strub, Santa Anita, Californian, Haskell, Woodward
1979 Affirmed 4c Jan - Sep 9 7-1-1 Major Wins: Strub, Santa Anita, Californian, Hollywood Gold Cup, Woodward, JCGC
1974 Forego 4g Feb - Oct 13 8-2-2 Major Wins: Widener, Brooklyn, Woodward, JCGC
1968 Dr. Fager 4c May - Oct. 8 7-1-0 Major Wins: Californian, Suburban, Whitney, Washington Park, United Nations, Vosburgh
1966 Buckpasser 3c Feb - Dec 14 13-1-0 Major Wins: Everglades, Chicken Flamingo, Arlington Classic, Brooklyn, American Derby, Travers, Woodward, JCGC, Malibu
1963 Kelso 6g Feb - Nov 12 9-2-0 Major Wins: Suburban, Whitney, Aqueduct, Woodward, JCGC
1956 Swaps 4c Feb - Aug 10 8-1-0 Major Wins: American, Hollywood Gold Cup, Sunset, Washington Park
1953 Tom Fool 4c Apr. - Oct. 10 10-0-0 Major Wins: Metropolitan, Suburban, Carter, Brooklyn, Whitney, Pimlico Special
1948 Citation 3c Feb. - Dec. 20 19-1-0 Major Wins: Seminole, Flamingo, Derby, Preakness, Belmont, American Derby, JCGC, Pimlico Special

[Ty88]

Citation
Buckpasser
Cigar
Rachel Alexandra
Spectacular Bid
Tom Fool
Dr. Fager
Swaps
Kelso
Affirmed
Alysheba
Forego

[Horse's Rear]

I guess I ought to contribute my own ranking; here's how it comes out for me today:

Citation
Buckpasser
Kelso
Tom Fool
Cigar
Forego
Alysheba
Spectacular Bid
Swaps
Affirmed
Dr. Fager
Rachel Alexandra

[Lookin At Lucky]

I'm going by the last ten years and will select a top five.

1. Rachel Alexandra

2. Curlin
3. Invasor
4. Point Given
5. Ghostzapper

Tiznow would be on my list but only one two grade ones. Ghostzapper would be higher but only raced four times. And Azeri would be on but she didn't face males.

[MonmouthGuy]

Do you consider either Blame or Zenyatta's 2010 campaigns worthy of the Best of the Best list?

[Horse's Rear]

That didn't last long.

[Kennedy]

Citation
Buckpasser
Dr. Fager
Spectacular Bid
Kelso
Tom Fool
Swaps
Affirmed
Forego
Cigar
Rachel Alexandra
Alysheba

[ElPrado1]

No Secretariat? 2 consecutive HOY wins, one at age 2. Beat his stablemate Riva Ridge, a 2 time classic winner out at 2. Won the Triple Crown, the first TC winner in 25 or so years. And you rate Point Given above him?GLAAAHHHHH!!

[Secretariat Forever]

Citation
Buckpasser
Kelso
Tom Fool
Dr. Fager
Affirmed
Spectacular Bid
Cigar
Forego
Swaps
Alysheba
Rachel Alexandra

[Horse's Rear]

No Secretariat? 2 consecutive HOY wins, one at age 2. Beat his stablemate Riva Ridge, a 2 time classic winner out at 2. Won the Triple Crown, the first TC winner in 25 or so years. And you rate Point Given above him?GLAAAHHHHH!!

I'm not sure who you are talking to, or what you are drinking.

[Slewbopper]

I'm going by the last ten years and will select a top five.

1. Rachel Alexandra

2. Curlin
3. Invasor
4. Point Given
5. Ghostzapper

Tiznow would be on my list but only one two grade ones. Ghostzapper would be higher but only raced four times. And Azeri would be on but she didn't face males.

You really are Bodey Baffert, aren't you? Azeri? Was that between marriages for your dad? Was he doing Laura then?

[Slewbopper]

Bottom line....no horse has ever had a year like Citation in 1948. 13 of 14 for Buckpasser is ipressive, but it does not even come close. In 36 days, Cy won the TC AND the Jersey Derby at 1 1/4. He beat the previous horse of the year sprinting in February and won the 2 mile JCGC in October

[BARNFOUR]

Do you consider either Blame or Zenyatta's 2010 campaigns worthy of the Best of the Best list?

No

[MonmouthGuy]

Citation
Buckpasser
Cigar
Spectacular Bid
Kelso
Affirmed
Dr. Fager
Tom Fool
Swaps
Rachel Alexandra
Alysheba
Forego

[Somnambulist]

You really are Bodey Baffert, aren't you? Azeri? Was that between marriages for your dad? Was he doing Laura then?

You know likely arguing with a young teenager, right?

[Ty88]

Except for the Baffertphile we've all got the same top two so far.

[ElPrado1]

Actually, I don't drink. I'm on heavy duty seizure medication for a reason.

[Slewbopper]

You know likely arguing with a young teenager, right?

How old is Bodey? Five?

[Man o' Taz]

No Secretariat? 2 consecutive HOY wins, one at age 2. Beat his stablemate Riva Ridge, a 2 time classic winner out at 2. Won the Triple Crown, the first TC winner in 25 or so years. And you rate Point Given above him?GLAAAHHHHH!!

Agreed.

Also set track records that have yet to be broken...and a world record...

I guess this list is limited to older horses?

Secretariat - Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Arlington Invitational, Marlboro Cup, Man o' War Stakes, Canadian International

Seven Grade Is...and placed in the Whitney...

Not bad...for a HOTY campaign...

1980 Spectacular Bid 4c Jan-Sep 9 9-0-0 Major Wins: Strub, Santa Anita, Californian, Haskell, Woodward

Are you sure about Bid winning the Haskell as a 4 year old?

Here are my picks....same as carbs deleting swaps and adding Secretariat...

I left Rachel because for a 3y0 filly...I believe its the best campaign that there has been...however I do think a strong case could be made for Lady Secret being the best older female HOTY...and belongs on that list...

2009 Rachel Alexandra 3f Feb - Aug. 8 8-0-0 Major Wins: Oaks, Preakness, Mother Goose, Haskell, Woodward
1995 Cigar 5h Jan-Oct. 10 10-0-0 Major Wins: Donn, Gulfstream Park, Oaklawn, Pimlico Special, Hollywood Gold Cup, Woodward, JCGC, BC Classic
1988 Alysheba 4c Feb-Nov 9 7-1-0 Major Wins: Strub, Santa Anita, Iselin, Woodward, Meadowlands Cup, BC Classic
1980 Spectacular Bid 4c Jan-Sep 9 9-0-0 Major Wins: Strub, Santa Anita, Californian, Woodward
1979 Affirmed 4c Jan - Sep 9 7-1-1 Major Wins: Strub, Santa Anita, Californian, Hollywood Gold Cup, Woodward, JCGC
1974 Forego 4g Feb - Oct 13 8-2-2 Major Wins: Widener, Brooklyn, Woodward, JCGC
1973 Secretariat 3c Feb-Oct 11 9-2-0 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Arlington Invitational, Marlboro Cup, Man o' War Stakes, Canadian International
1968 Dr. Fager 4c May - Oct. 8 7-1-0 Major Wins: Californian, Suburban, Whitney, Washington Park, United Nations, Vosburgh
1966 Buckpasser 3c Feb - Dec 14 13-1-0 Major Wins: Everglades, Chicken Flamingo, Arlington Classic, Brooklyn, American Derby, Travers, Woodward, JCGC, Malibu
1963 Kelso 6g Feb - Nov 12 9-2-0 Major Wins: Suburban, Whitney, Aqueduct, Woodward, JCGC
1953 Tom Fool 4c Apr. - Oct. 10 10-0-0 Major Wins: Metropolitan, Suburban, Carter, Brooklyn, Whitney, Pimlico Special
1948 Citation 3c Feb. - Dec. 20 19-1-0 Major Wins: Seminole, Flamingo, Derby, Preakness, Belmont, American Derby, JCGC, Pimlico Special

[charismatic143]

Cigar
Citation
Tom Fool
Rachel Alexandra
Buckpasser
Spectacular Bid
Affirmed
Alysheba
Dr. Fager
Kelso
Forego
Swaps