Finley’s Picks
“With the Hollywood Futurity the only race left on the year that could have any impact on the Eclipse Awards, it’s not too early to divulge my votes for divisional champions and Horse of the Year,” writes Bill Finley. No big surprises: Finley likes Ghostzapper for Horse of the Year, Speightstown for Sprinter, and Sightseek for Older Filly or Mare. (ESPN)
Comment: I can’t get excited about Ghostzapper as HOTY. He only ran four — admittedly, very good — races this year. I wouldn’t vote for Smarty Jones either. He never raced against older horses and the Chapmans’ decision to retire him so early does rankle. I’d love to see Azeri or Funny Cide get the award. True, both have more losses than wins on their 2004 records, but both are also solid champions who delivered knock-out performances in races that reminded fans of what’s so thrilling and noble about the sport.
