By Bloodhorse.com
HALLANDALE, Fla. (Jan. 17, 2014) — Dual classic winner California Chrome would be a slam dunk for the Eclipse Award Horse of the Year title if the fans seated on the apron and around the paddock at Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino had a vote.
But it comes with an important caveat. At least half of the two dozen fans questioned, in what can only be described as the most casual of polls, didn’t know who Bayern was and had not watched any of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships last fall. Bayern beat California Chrome in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I). California Chrome, Bayern, and Main Sequence (winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf, gr. IT) are the finalists for Horse of the Year, which will be named at the Eclipse Awards ceremony Jan. 17.
“Gulfstream Park is racing for us; this is what we like to do when we come down here,” said Leigh Taylor of Charlotte, N.C. “I would pick California Chrome because I like his name. That is the way we pick them here.”
At a table of seven on the apron, only one person picked Bayern.
“I think the Triple Crown races should carry more weight, even though I don’t think we’ll ever see a Triple Crown winner again,” said Kurt Lawer of Minneapolis, Minn.
Five of the six others at Lawer’s table—Anne King and Joe Calamita both from Buffalo, N.Y.; Russell Mantione of Pompano Beach, Fla.; Tony Ciano of Boston, and Fred Carollo, Orchard Park, N.Y.—all picked California Chrome more because he won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) than because he won both the Derby and Preakness Stakes (gr. I). Only Jane Carollo, also of Orchard Park, picked Bayern because she didn’t want to vote the same way as the rest of the table.
Not everyone polled was so cavalier in their HOY analysis.
Lisa Bartkowski, whose boyfriend is trainer Phil Serpe and who galloped grade I winner The Groom is Red for trainer Nick Zito, said she would have to give the nod to California Chrome.
“I think California Chrome overcame more in his races,” Bartkowski said. “I think Bayern excelled when everything went his way. Bayern certainly has a lot of talent, but the Triple Crown races should carry more weight because it’s hard to run in all three. And Art Sherman handled all the pressure so well; he trained the horse the way he knew he needed to and never got flustered.”
Art Paty, a native of Boston, who was selling racetrack programs, felt just as strongly in favor of Bayern.
“He always ran his race and he beat California Chrome in the Classic,” Paty said. “I don’t think the Triple Crown should necessarily carry more weight. I think you have to look at the whole year.”