And the 3 year old Eclipse Awards Go To.....

[afleetphil]

I wouldn't automatically say it's going to be Will Take Charge. No one has mentioned Palace Malice here. He won a triple crown race, the Belmont and he won the grade two Jim Dandy at Saratoga.

[Man o Taz]

Agreed...

Was hoping Cross Traffic would enter the race but it does not seem like he is considering it any longer.

But now Verrazano is a possibility along with Alpha, Capo Bastone and Forty Tales.

So that might be a nice field with Groupie and Goldencents...4 multiple G1 winners and 5 G1 winners...

And Golden Ticket appears to be headed there as well...so that's 6 G1 winners.

Too bad Orb and Cross Traffic couldn't make it.

[peeptoad]

I wouldn't automatically say it's going to be Will Take Charge. No one has mentioned Palace Malice here. He won a triple crown race, the Belmont and he won the grade two Jim Dandy at Saratoga.

That's nowhere near enough for Palace Malice. Heck, Orb is going to be strapped and he won the Derby, another G1 and a G2. The 3yo male division is too tight this year.   

[Man o Taz]

I guess it depends on how you rate the fields involving the wins. I would suggest that some wins are more important than others depending upon the competition. The most competitive three year old race this year was the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes since it had the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winners competing in the race. No other race could claim the number of G1 top finishing stakes winning or placing horses in it other than those two races.

Will Take Charge in the G2 Pennsylvania Derby has a win over:
G1 Travers runner up and G2 Dwyer stakes winner

Will Take Charge has a win in the G1 Travers over:

Kentucky Derby winner
Belmont Stakes winner
Wood Memorial/Haskell winner
Dwyer Stakes winner

Will Take Charge in the G2 Rebel has a win over:

G3 Lecomte winner

Orb has a win in the G1 Kentucky Derby over:

Arkansas Derby winner
Bluegrass Stakes winner
Wood Memorial winner
Santa Anita Derby winner
Florida Derby runner-up
Wood Memorial runner-up
Santa Anita Derby runner-up
Bluegrass Stakes runner up
Arkansas Derby runner-up
G2 UAE Derby winner

Orb has a win in the G1 Florida Derby over:
Multiple G1 winning two year old BC Champion Juvenile winner Shanghai Bobby
G3 Holy Bull winner

Orb has a victory in the G2 Fountain of Youth over:
G1 and multiple graded stakes winning horse

Palace Malice has a win in the G1 Belmont Stakes over:

G1 Kentucky Derby and Florida Derby winner
G1 Preakness Stakes and Lecomte Stakes winner
G1 Kentucky Derby runner up
G1 Preakness Stakes runner-up and Holy Bully winner
G1 Arkansas Derby winner
G1 Arkansas Derby runner-up
G2 Louisiana Derby winner and Kentucky Derby third place finisher
G2 Rebel Stakes winner

Palace Malice has a win in the G1 Jim Dandy over:

G2 Dwyer Stakes winner
G2 Rebel Stakes winner
G2 Peter Pan Stakes winner
G1 Preakness Stakes third place finisher

Now, who defeated - as in won a race - over tougher competition this year?

In this context, Palace Malice is quite deserving of being in the conversation for champion three year old.

And then, of course, there is Goldencents.

Goldencents has a win in the G1 Breeders Cup Dirt Mile over:
G1 2012 Travers Stakes winner and 2013 G3 Prairie Meadows Handicap winner
Multiple G1 winner of the 2013 Wood Memorial and Haskell Invitational
G1 2013 Woodward Stakes winner and 2012 Travers Stakes
G1 Triple Bend winner
G1 2012 Donn Handicap winner

Goldencents has a win in the G1 Santa Anita Derby over:
G2 Robert Lewis Stakes winner
G3 Southwest Stakes winner

[Zenyatta]

Is Cross Traffic injured or having issues? I know he was a late starter, but no idea what is happening with him now.

[peeptoad]

Is Cross Traffic injured or having issues? I know he was a late starter, but no idea what is happening with him now.

A minor shin injury is what was reported to have made him miss the BC...he was taken to the farm for further diagnostics and that's the last I heard.

[Man o Taz]

Agreed...

Was hoping Cross Traffic would enter the race but it does not seem like he is considering it any longer.

But now Verrazano is a possibility along with Alpha, Capo Bastone and Forty Tales.

So that might be a nice field with Groupie and Goldencents...4 multiple G1 winners and 5 G1 winners...

From an NYRA release...

Groupie Doll and her regular rider, Rajiv Maragh, will be competing for a $1 million gross purse in the Cigar Mile by virtue of a special purse incentive provided by the New York Racing Association, Inc. for Breeders' Cup winners. Also going for the enhanced $1 million purse will be Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Goldencents, while Alpha, Verrazano and Capo Bastone would be competing for a secondary incentive that offers a gross purse of $750,000 to Grade 1 winners. Others looking at the Cigar Mile include Gentlemen's Bet, third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and stakes winner Forty Tales.

[Man o Taz]

Here is what some journalists are saying:

Finding A Three Year Old Champion
Saratogian

Major Thoroughbred Honors Predictions
The Sports Network

Will Take Charge Could Win Eclipse
Saratogian

The Three Year Old Championship
DRF

[Zenyatta]

Here is what some journalists are saying:

Finding A Three Year Old Champion
Saratogian

Major Thoroughbred Honors Predictions
The Sports Network

Will Take Charge Could Win Eclipse
Saratogian

I'd like to read these but you need to copy and paste the actual urls between the url tags, Taz.

Are you still thinking of coming to HP before it closes?  Sorry for the momentary hijack.
The Three Year Old Championship
DRF

[Man o Taz]

Here is what some journalists are saying:

Finding A Three Year Old Champion
Saratogian

Major Thoroughbred Honors Predictions
The Sports Network

Will Take Charge Could Win Eclipse
Saratogian

I'd like to read these but you need to copy and paste the actual urls between the url tags, Taz.

Are you still thinking of coming to HP before it closes?  Sorry for the momentary hijack.
The Three Year Old Championship
DRF

I knew it seemed too easy...my apologies...

[Islandgirl45]

Bet it's Will Take Charge after today's Clark win.

[Man o Taz]

Bet it's Will Take Charge after today's Clark win.

Right - even had Goldencents won the Cigar it would have been a tough call for him to get it since the voters seem to stick with tradition.