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COMMENTARY OCTOBER 26, 2011 Not enough acclaim for Acclamation by John Mucciolo Five straight graded stakes wins, three of the Grade 1 variety. Clearly the best turf horse in the West, but also a winner over the best main-track runners in the Pacific Classic. Yet the Donald Warren-trained Acclamation gets little credit. The bay son of Unusual Heat will not make the trip to Churchill following a minor setback, but that doesn't take away from the superb season this one has put forth. And we think he needs more acclaim for his year, especially in the voting for Horse of the Year. Acclamation started his campaign with a pair of subpar runs but has really turned it on since, rolling up five straight victories from distances spanning nine to 12 furlongs, all in Grade 1 or 2 company. The Pacific Classic score further proved his versatility, showing he could win on the main oval against the top handicap runners in California. With so many marginal candidates currently being discussed for Horse of the Year, it's nonsensical to think that Acclamation should not be thrown into in the mix, perhaps put on the top of the current list of contenders. Acclamation put in a full body of work comparable to or better than his foes, owns more Grade 1 tallies than any horse but one (tied with Cape Blanco with three), proved the ability to win at various trips and on different surfaces, and gets a lot of style points for the ease in which he won his races. Some claim that the California-bred five-year-old, who is fully expected to come back and compete in 2012, hasn't proven himself against much this year. But that is an arbitrary point, isn't it? The belief here is that there is so much parity in racing that maybe all of these horses are really good. It is possible, however, that none of them are standouts. So when in doubt, we go the resume. And there is no denying that Acclamation has a CV equal to or better than nearly every horse who has competed in 2011. As for the conceived lack of competition the bay has faced, we note that the Acclamation defeated a pair of Grade 1 winners in the Pacific Classic, toyed with some of the best miler/middle-distance runners out West in the Grade 1 Eddie Read, and proved tons the best against the top stayers in California, including 2010 Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Champ Pegasus. Acclamation has some flaws: his abysmal showing at Charles Town didn't exactly prove that he can ship with success and his loss in the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile (a decent fifth in his seasonal debut) might turn some voters off. I admit that the future stallion is not an overwhelming Horse of the Year candidate, but the whole lot of challengers have flaws as well. And Acclamation's accomplishments to date stack up somewhat favorably to them all. Below is a list of the current Horse of the Year contenders (in no official order): Havre de Grace -- Probable leader has been nearly flawless in 2011 and proved her mettle with a pretty convincing score in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes over the boys at Saratoga in the summer. Daughter of Saint Liam has been a dominant force in her division throughout the year, but if she were to fall short of making the exacta in the Classic, her chances would be greatly diminished. With that said, she can put this issue to bed with a strong showing in the Breeders' Cup. And it will be no surprise to see her continue to run well. Havre de Grace is five-for-six in 2011, a nose shy of being unbeaten, with wins on four different ovals. Flat Out -- Durable son of Flatter has "danced every dance" since the summer for conditioner Scooter Dickey. The sturdy bay should be lauded for his consistency at the highest level, and is a worthy adversary no doubt, but the loss to Havre de Grace could lead to his undoing. His string of performances in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap (win), Grade 1 Whitney Handicap (second), Woodward (second) and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup (win) are excellent. Stay Thirsty -- "Other" Todd Pletcher-trained sophomore has taken down the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes and Grade 3 Gotham Stakes this season, and finished second in the Belmont Stakes and third in the recent Jockey Club Gold Cup. The son of Bernardini has put in a strong second half of the year, but it seems hard to look past his poor showings in both the Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Florida Derby. He needs to win the Classic to earn votes, period. Cape Blanco -- Irish import had a fine summer on the grass in the states before retiring due to injury earlier this month. The Aidan O'Brien-trained stalwart pulled off a most-impressive Grade 1 triple, winning the Man o' War, Arlington Million and, most recently, the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, but the five-year-old toppled a pair of small fields in his three stateside efforts and is in the discussion for champion turf horse only. Union Rags -- Mega-talented son of Dixie Union has been the best of his class to this point for conditioner Michael Matz and the freshman colt could turn out to be any kind. The unbeaten youngster is the sure-fire favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and a win there makes him a lock for an Eclipse Award. But even if he wins impressively at Churchill and all the top contenders falter in the Classic, Union Rags would still be a stretch. Voters aren't likely to side with a two-year-old with such a limited resume. Game on Dude -- Bob Baffert trainee would boast wins in the Classic, Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes, as well as a nose second in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup, if he were to run the race of his life at Churchill. However, the son of Awesome Again was fourth on the Polytrack in the Pacific Classic, placed in both the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap and Charles Town Classic, and there is plenty of doubt whether he can transfer his Santa Anita form elsewhere. Game on Dude won't be one of the favorites in the Classic wagering, but he'll be a deserving Horse of the Year candidate with a win. Uncle Mo -- The ultra-talented sophomore is no doubt a brilliant individual, and the star of the Pletcher barn, but his season to this point consists of a win in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap and the listed Timely Writer S. Even a Classic tally wouldn't bolster his Horse of the Year resume enough in my opinion. In a year where no winner of a Triple Crown race has won since his historic score, and that there is no dominant handicap runner at this juncture, it might be hard just having three names on the Horse of the Year ballot if a surprise occurs in the Breeders' Cup Classic on November 5. The name Acclamation would surely be among my trio.
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