Eclipse Awards Countdown – Less Than A Week To Go

By Author: Lee Lane-Edgar
Total Articles: 365
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The 3yo fillies’ final contenders for the Eclipse have an uncanny similarity about themselves. All three of them derive a major aggression in their racing styles very reminiscent of their sires. While It’s Tricky has keenly inherited her Jockey Club Gold Cup winner and sire Mineshaft’s excelling performance over graded stakes, Plum Pretty displayed the same winning spirit as her Breeder’s Classic runner up and sire Medaglia d’Oro; Royal Delta leads the lot with improvising her sire, Belmont Stakes winner, Empire Maker’s win into a Breeder’s Cup Ladies Classic.
A quick analysis as in who should or could possibly be the most threatening contender of all, here you go.
It’s exciting how the competition here is extremely close. All the three contenders have participated together in a few races and the results show variety that contributes to the confusion of blatantly declaring one amongst them as deserving. It’s Tricky has trickily never finished third; the filly started in 9 races in all combining her two years on the racing tracks and has managed to finish within second in 8 of them, never a third. ...
... Having won the Coaching Club American Oaks against Plum Pretty in second and Royal Delta in third, It’s Tricky has very clearly established her dominance over the other two. However, the defeat was avenged soon by the other two fillies in races that followed. It’s Tricky has a runner up finish to boast off, not forgetting the fact that she never but once finished out of money. Tough filly to defeat.
Of the many graded stakes races for fillies, Plum Pretty’s primary targets were the Kentucky and Hollywood Stakes. While she neatly pulled off a win against her prime contender Zazu in Kentucky Oaks, she was repeatedly denied the winning post in Hollywood Oaks, Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes and the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes. Plum Pretty stayed immune to the onslaught of Royal Delta throughout, competing only once against her which she (finishing second) skilfully contained. She avenged her Coaching Club American Oaks defeat in the Grade 2 Cotillion Stakes. Trained by the famous Bob Baffert, Plm Pretty runs under Rafael Bejarano, a top class jockey. Should the other two be worried, I suppose, yes.
It would be unfair to sound partial here. We are not talking 2yo fillies that my inclination for My Miss Aurelia would follow here as well. The contention here is extremely fair and balanced making it even more difficult to suggest the winner. However, what we must accept is that while the two contenders have maintained an in-class racing, Royal Delta has competed closely with the one of the most outstanding older fillies, Havre de Grace. Finishing second to Havre de Grace in the Grade 1 Beldame Invitational Stakes, she came within 8 ¼ lengths of the winner; third place finisher trailed at a farther 14 lengths. Her strongest asset, Breeder’s Cup Ladies Classic win, against It’s Tricky along with Grade 1 Alabama Stakes. She also has won the Black Eyed Susan Stakes, a Grade 2 event. With 8 starts in all, Royal Delta has finished in the money in 7; a William Mott trainee, she continues to prepare for her next racing season of launch and demolish.
Having analysed meticulously the number of wins the three candidates above exhibit, it’s a tough call. Time will tell who deserves the best or maybe it should be plain luck as all three of them have shown incredibly great standards of racing in their genre.
As for the racing fans out there, exhausted from the voting, experience the sport of horse racing in a different light. Go 3D, get simulated and set off on a virtual racing platform that rewards for real. Play free racing games . on HorseRaceGame to replenish your wits as the next season would explode as soon as the Eclipse ends. All set for the thrill then champs?