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2021 FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment Of The Year Voting Open

Eleven of the most memorable, significant and reflective events from the last 12 months of Thoroughbred racing in North America are up for the 2021 FanDuel Racing NTRA Moment of the Year, a distinction determined by fan voting and recognized at the Eclipse Awards. Voting is now open on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) website, NTRA.com, and via Twitter, where every retweet or use of the official hashtag for the moments as presented on the @NTRA account will be counted as one vote.

To vote on the NTRA website, go to: https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-awards/2021-moment-of-the-year/

Votes for the poll must be submitted by February 2 at 11:59 p.m. (ET).

The FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year will be revealed during the 51st Annual Eclipse Awards Presented by Fan Duel Racing and Santa Anita Park on February 10, 2022 hosted at Santa Anita Park and streamed on multiple platforms and televised on TVG.

The eligible 2021 moments were selected to illustrate the wide range of human emotions and achievements, as well as outstanding displays of athleticism. Events that fans can choose from are listed chronologically as follows, along with the designated hashtag that can be used to vote:

#FlavienSix – Jockey Flavien Prat wins six consecutive races on the March 12 Santa Anita Park card. Prat, a leading California rider who was born in Melun, France, becomes the first jockey to win six consecutive races at Santa Anita since five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr. did the same on March 14, 1987. (March 12)

#LetruskaBlossom – Letruska battles back in the final strides to upset two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. Facing Eclipse Award winners Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver in Oaklawn's premier race for older fillies and mares, St. George Stable's Letruska sets the early pace, loses the lead to Monomoy Girl and then rallies to best that foe by a nose. (April 17)

#EssentialBelmont – Essential Quality holds off Hot Rod Charlie in a battle to the wire in the Belmont Stakes. A winner of five of six lifetime starts and coming off an upset loss as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, Eclipse Award champion Essential Quality regains his winning form by prevailing in a stretch-long battle with Hot Rod Charlie. (June 5)

#AllTimeSteve – Steve Asmussen becomes the all-time winningest trainer. The Hall of Fame trainer adds to his career accomplishments in style on Whitney Day at Saratoga by winning his record-setting 9,446th race, topping the late Dale Baird. (August 7)

#Savage – Firenze Fire savages Yaupon in the Forego Stakes. Unable to get past eventual winner Yaupon in the stretch, Firenze Fire resorts to savaging his foe in front of the large Runhappy Travers Day crowd. (Aug. 28)

#DiversityStepForward – George Leonard becomes the first African American trainer to compete in the Breeders' Cup World Championships. That moment came about when California Angel won the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine WAYI at Keeneland to earn an automatic berth into the Juvenile Fillies Turf. (Nov 5)

#GodolphinApplebyTriple – Yibir wins the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf giving Godolphin and conditioner Charlie Appleby their third winner at the World Championships. In addition to Yibir, Godolphin and Appleby teamed to win Saturday's FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile with Space Blues and Friday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with Modern Games. (Nov. 5-6)

#JapaneseDuo – Japanese runners Marche Lorraine and Loves Only You win two races on Breeders' Cup Saturday. Breeders' Cup success had eluded Japanese runners as evidenced by an 0-13 record heading into the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships. That changes dramatically on November 6 when Marche Lorraine (45-1/Distaff) and Loves Only You (4-1/Filly & Mare Turf) each win for trainer Yoshito Yahagi. (Nov. 6)

#ClassicKnicks – Knicks Go caps a brilliant campaign by winning the Breeders' Cup Classic. Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go scores impressively over ill-fated Medina Spirit to finish the year on a four-race winning streak for trainer Brad Cox. The 5-year-old son of Paynter amasses three Grade 1 wins in 2021 and earns more than $7.3 million in purse money. (Nov. 6)

#PinkLloydFinale – Seven-time Canadian Champion Pink Lloyd caps a brilliant career with a victory in the Kennedy Road Stakes at Woodbine. Nine-year-old Pink Lloyd, a fan favorite and 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year, wins the Kennedy Road Stakes for the third time and finishes his career with 29 wins from 38 starts. (Nov. 27)

#TakingFlight – Flightline posts a jaw-dropping performance in the Malibu Stakes to cap a brief but brilliant 3-year-old campaign. Undefeated. Unchallenged. Flightline canters home by 11 ½ lengths in the Malibu, his first Grade 1 attempt. The son of Tapit has won his three career starts by a combined 37 ½ lengths for trainer John Sadler. (Dec. 26)

Fans are permitted to vote for multiple moments but there is a limit of one vote per moment for each Twitter account. Subsequent votes from an account will be disqualified. Votes for the poll must be submitted by February 2 at 11:59 p.m. (ET).

Past Moments of the Year
The first-ever “NTRA Moment of the Year” was the touching scene between Charismatic and jockey Chris Antley following the 1999 Belmont Stakes. The next year's winner was the stretch run of the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic, which saw Tiznow hold on for a dramatic victory against Giant's Causeway. Tiznow won again the following year as fans selected his stirring repeat victory in the Classic over Sakhee. In 2002, fans cited the passing of the last living Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. In 2003, the popular Kentucky Derby win by Funny Cide was selected. Birdstone's upset win in the Belmont Stakes over Smarty Jones took down top honors for 2004. In 2005, fans selected Afleet Alex's spectacular victory in the 2005 Preakness Stakes.

Voters in 2006 chose Barbaro's gallant struggle to recover from his Preakness injury while at the New Bolton Center. The 2007 Moment of the Year was a historic victory by the filly Rags to Riches over Curlin in the Belmont Stakes. In 2008, it was Zenyatta's win in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. Zenyatta “repeated” in 2009 as fans selected her triumph in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

In 2010, fans selected Blame's narrow Breeders' Cup Classic victory over Zenyatta. Drosselmeyer's hard-fought win over Game on Dude in the Breeders' Cup Classic was the public's choice for 2011. For 2012, the recovery of Paynter from near-deadly battles with laminitis and colitis captured the hearts of voters like no other story. In 2013, fans recognized Mucho Macho Man's nose victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic for his popular connections. The 2014 award went to California Chrome's dominant win in Kentucky Derby 140. In 2015 there was a landslide vote in favor of American Pharoah's historic Triple Crown-clinching Belmont Stakes win. In 2016, California Chrome was again part of the winning moment – a dramatic Dubai World Cup victory that came as Victor Espinoza's saddle slipped out from underneath him.

In 2017, the tragic fire at San Luis Rey and the industry's response led the way among the votes cast while Justify's sweep of the Classics to become just the 13th Triple Crown winner was the clear pick the following year. In 2019, Maximum Security's historic disqualification in the 145th Kentucky Derby – the first winner in Derby history to be demoted for a racing infraction— earned the distinction.

In 2020, Authentic's historic win in the 146th Kentucky Derby, run in September and without fans due to the coronavirus pandemic, was voted as the FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year.

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What Did You Like? The Paulick Report’s Top Facebook Posts From 2021

It's been a strange year of racing, underscored by the Paulick Report's top 10 most-read stories of 2021 and our top 10 Instagram posts of the year.

In this New Year's Eve look-back at the year in horse racing, we show you our most-liked Facebook posts of 2021.

These social media posts run the gamut from tragedy to hope: the list includes the death of Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirit, a one-handed teenager overcoming the odds as an exercise rider, and small-town horseman George Leonard's trip to the World Championships with a daughter of California Chrome.

We at the Paulick Report could not do the work we do without our readers and our advertisers. Thank you this holiday season (and always) for your support, and may 2022 be your best year yet!

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Oaks Prep: Promising Cocktail Moments Faces Turf Filly California Angel In Inaugural Untapable Stakes

Dixiana Farms and trainer Ken McPeek enjoyed a memorable moment, and perhaps a cocktail or two, after their promising filly ran off the screen on debut during the “Stars of Tomorrow” card at Churchill Downs. Now they can only hope that Cocktail Moments can take the next logical step in the inaugural running of the $100,000 Untapable Stakes over a 1 1/16 miles distance that is foreign to her. Restricted to 2-year-old fillies, the Untapable offers 10-4-2-1 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Dismissed at odds of 26-1 on Nov. 27, the 2-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo was an unhurried tenth of 12 in the early stages of her debut. Nearing the turn of the seven furlong contest, she made a bold move while still in hand and was hung six-wide before engulfing her foes in the stretch and drawing off to win by 9 ¼ lengths, leaving the betting public stunned.

“They (the public) never bet me first time out, it's ok,” McPeek said. “I typically allow a horse to take some dirt in the face. In a way the debut is kind of a schooling race for me. I've had a list of horses in my career that we sent first time out and it blew their mind, so I just don't like doing that, gunning them away from there. For what, my ego? My win percentage?”

“Some of them win,” McPeek continued. “We've had a nice list of first timers this year that won from a little bit off the pace. That helps in their development. It's worth getting beat on occasion for their long-term development. That's always been my approach.”

Installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite, she'll join forces with jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. for her first route try from post 5 of 8 on Sunday.

“I think she'll handle the route without any trouble,” McPeek said. “She's still got some learning to do. She acts like she's got the turn of foot where if she gets in a nice rhythm and kicks on, that should be fine. Eric Heitzmann, my former assistant, is going to saddle him for me. She had a nice maintenance breeze at Fair Grounds on Wednesday. Four weeks after her maiden win, it's perfect timing for us to be there.”

The unquestioned class of the field is Chris Walsh's California Angel. Purchased for just $5,500 as an Ocala OPN 2-year-old in training, this daughter of California Chrome has already far exceeded expectations, upsetting the Jessamine (G3) on the Keeneland turf on Oct. 13 at odds of nearly 18-1. She would follow-up finishing 11th of 14 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar, but she was only beaten four lengths by the winner. In her lone dirt start in career start number two of four, California Angel finished a late closing third of 11.

“I'm not worried about the dirt,” trainer Leonard said. “She'll handle the dirt just fine. I just put her on the grass and it happened she liked the grass but we're confident she will run well on the dirt.”

Having worn blinkers in all of her previous starts, California Angel will not wear the hood on Sunday. With Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. piloting her for the first time, the 4-1 second choice will leave from post position two.

“She didn't need them,” Leonard explained. “I think with the blinkers, she was looking around and couldn't see enough. She's ready for that. Hopefully she'll lay closer not as far behind with the blinkers off. She's maturing and growing a little bit. Nothing I haven't seen before. She's still the same. Doing very well. I think she will run really well.”

With a post time of 4:35 p.m. CT, the Untapable is scheduled as race 10 on the 13-race card. The remainder of the field with post position, jockey/trainer and morning line odds is as follows: Columbine Stables' Fannie and Freddie (post 1, Colby Hernandez/Al Stall, Jr., 9-2 ML), a dominant local maiden winner in her first try last out; Mike Dini's (owned & trained) Alittleloveandluck (post 3, Jereth Loveberry/Dini, 12-1 ML), a last out maiden winner against Florida-bred company on the Gulfstream Park Tapeta; Elements Racing's Implosion (post 4, Mitchell Murrill/Steve Margolis, 10-1 ML), the winner of a sales restricted maiden special weight event two starts back at Churchill Downs; Miacomet Farm's Feeling Happy (post 5, James Graham/James Baker, 8-1 ML), who is 3 for 3 in the money with her lone win coming in a sales restricted maiden special weight sprint at first asking at Churchill Downs in late September; Jeff Ganje and Omar Aldabbagh's Shotgun Hottie (post 7, Florent Geroux/Tom Amoss, 6-1 ML), a maiden of a sales restricted race in her first try around two turns last out at Churchill Downs; and Rebecca Hillen, Stonecrest Farms and Bruno De Julio's North County (post 8, Adam Beschizza/Brendan Walsh, 9-2 ML, who is perfect from two starts, both routes, over turf and Indiana and then slop at Keeneland. — Kristufek

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Breeders’ Cup Diaries: California Angel’s Fan Club Is Growing

This is the fourth installment in our daily diary series following trainer George Leonard's first trip to the Breeders' Cup. Find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.

Thursday morning was a study in contrasts for the George Leonard barn when compared to the quiet atmosphere of the day before. Leonard and his wife of nine years, Isabel, chatted with rider Chester Bonnet Wednesday while they awaited the opening of the track for training, trading their impressions of various contenders in the Classic and Distaff. Leonard has been popular with the press all week as he prepares California Angel for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, so now and then he'd entertain questions from one reporter after another.

By Thursday, he had a small crowd gathered outside his part of the barn, many of them snapping cameras or taking cell phone photos of the chestnut filly who has captured the imaginations of so many racing fans. Owner Chris Walsh is on hand of course, but 'Angel' has attracted a following of California Chrome fans – including Chrome trainer Art Sherman.

As Angel and Bonnet made their way to the chute, waiting to step onto the track, Sherman came around the corner and stopped to observe the filly.

“She's a pretty filly; I really like her,” said Sherman. “I told him they're always a lot better when they become 3-year-olds. Chrome really turned the page when he got to be a 3-year-old.

“I see the flash. I see that look in her eye, and he had the same look, wanting to do something. She's kind of aggressive, a little bit. And that was him, too.”

He stopped by the barn as the filly cooled out for a photo opportunity with Leonard and Walsh. Leonard mused that there were so many images being captured of his filly this week that he'd probably never be able to see them all.

Joining the fan club this week was Victoria Leonard, George's sister, who flew in from Louisiana on Wednesday. Victoria worked for George for a time, but is no longer in the racing industry. Still, growing up in the Leonard family gave her a thorough education in horses – and like George, she knows a good one when she sees it.

“That's the crazy thing, she's still got a lot of growing to do and learning to do,” said Victoria.

Victoria grew up the only girl amongst four brothers, pitching in with the family horses before and after school and on the weekends. Their father trained from the early 1970s until just before his death in an auto accident 13 years ago. When he wasn't training, he worked on a gas pipeline. His days were long and the work was hard. Victoria says George shares their father's work ethic.

“Daddy was strict; kind of like George,” she said. “Good person, gentle, but they run a tight ship. That's how we grew up.”

It's an emotional week for Victoria, seeing her brother get the chance so many small trainers dream of but never catch. All the more touching for her is that he has done it with a daughter of California Chrome. Victoria considers herself a “Chromie” as the Kentucky Derby winner's fans are called.

“I've always wanted to have [a California Chrome] and for us to have one and her to be so special … I have no words,” she said, noting that Chrome's humble beginnings were part of what brought his story to life for her. “The passion of his connections, it reminded me a lot of our family. We grew up in horse racing. My dad was the one hollering at the races. As a matter of fact, when our horses would run, my brothers would tell me, 'Get away from me' because I'd be the one screaming and hollering, and they said it was embarrassing.”

Isabel Leonard shared her thoughts on California Angel's journey with reporters on Thursday also:

Angel did not disappoint her audience. She went cantering down the chute to the veterinary station, where horses are observed under saddle at a jog before their workouts as part of the Breeders' Cup's enhanced regulatory procedures. Bonnet took her around for her usual gallop and she did her trademark skipping lead changes in an attempt to get away from him. Towards the end of the gallop, he said she was making him work hard to keep her from taking off. She is ready.

With this new attention has come offers. Leonard hasn't said how many or how much, but told reporter Jennie Rees Thursday morning that Walsh has turned down quite a few, and for that he's grateful. Both owner and trainer feel as Sherman does, that with a 2-year-old showing promise could turn into anything by the time she turns three. They want to be there when she realizes her full potential.

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