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THOROUGHBRED BEAT JANUARY 26, 2006 by James Scully Eclipse trio -- Here are some final thoughts on three of Monday night's Eclipse Award winners. SAINT LIAM (Saint Ballado) came a long way over the last two years to earn Horse of the Year and older male honors. The bay horse made his career bow in late February of 2003 at Gulfstream Park and broke his maiden in his second start in late March. He earned only one more victory before being transferred to Richard Dutrow Jr. near the end of his three-year-old season, his best effort being a non-threatening second in July's Iowa Derby. From nine starts in 2003, Saint Liam gave no indication that he would develop into the world's best dirt horse. The Kentucky-bred stepped forward with some respectable performances early in his four-year-old campaign, finishing second to Peace Rules in the New Orleans H. (G2) and third behind Peace Rules and Ole Faunty (Quiet American) in the Oaklawn H. (G2), but he didn't find his best form until September's Woodward S. (G1). Sent off at nearly 12-1, Saint Liam fully extended Ghostzapper to the wire, falling only a neck short. He went on to win four prestigious Grade 1 events, including the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), and earned BRIS Speed ratings of 117 (twice) and 116 in 2005. Saint Liam's running style also changed during his championship season. He was a front runner at four, ripping off half-mile splits in :45 and change while showing the way in the Oaklawn H. and Woodward, and would not be rated when making his 2005 bow in the Donn H. (G1), leading wire to wire for a 3 3/4-length victory over the quick Roses in May, who easily captured the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) in his next outing. Saint Liam raced close to the pace in his next two attempts, the Santa Anita H. (G1) and Stephen Foster H. (G1), but he wasn't displaying the same early zip in those races. When August's Whitney H. (G1) rolled around, Saint Liam wasn't able to stay in the same area code with the pacesetting Commentator (Distorted Humor) during the opening furlongs, prompting Dutrow to enter a pair of rabbits to benefit Saint Liam in the Woodward next out. I'll admit that I attributed his sudden loss of early speed as a sign that he was over the top, but I was wrong, way wrong. Saint Liam turned in a world-class performance from off the pace in the Woodward, toying with his rivals through the stretch at Belmont Park, and he relaxed beautifully during the early stages of the Breeders' Cup Classic, launching his powerful rally on the far turn en route to another convincing victory in his career finale. Champion sprinter LOST IN THE FOG (Lost Soldier) proved to be an incredible traveler during 2005. Over the span of 10 months, he made seven cross-country trips from his Northern California base to the East Coast, winning the first six in brilliant fashion. Transportation has improved over the years with direct flights and other conveniences, but we're still talking about shipping an animal nearly 3,000 miles. That can take something out of a horse, especially one who is doing it about every six weeks. Lost in the Fog proved incredibly resilient, earning BRIS Speed ratings of 114, 109 and 108 while racking up a Grade 1 and three Grade 2 victories on the East Coast, but the travel schedule figured to catch up to him eventually. The lone aberration (Breeders' Cup) on his remarkable record came at the end of a very long and difficult campaign. Champion turf male LEROIDESANIMAUX (Brz) (Candy Stripes) turned in an outstanding 2005 campaign prior to his first setback, a narrow runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1), and did so with tremendous speed. He was the most exciting front-running turf specialist that North American racing had seen since Lure, who sparkled during the early 1990s, winning back-to-back running of the Breeders' Cup Mile on the engine. The Bobby Frankel-trained Leroidesanimaux actually won eight straight starts, dating back to early 2004, and his Atto Mile (Can-G1) performance in mid-September truly sparkled. He tackled a solid field of rivals that afternoon at Woodbine and ripped off early fractions in :23 and :45 4/5 before exploding at the top of the stretch, effortlessly drawing clear for a 7 3/4-length triumph that netted him a 110 Speed rating. It's a shame that he didn't get to show his best at Belmont Park in late October. Compromised by foot problems that lead to him wearing aluminum pads, Leroidesanimaux couldn't get to the lead in the opening half-mile, but he still managed to finish a courageous second. Bad form -- Even if the criteria is being a celebrity with horse racing connections, Jerry O'Connell is the worst possible host for the Eclipse Awards. He appeared uncomfortable from the moment he appeared on stage and told unfunny jokes. The material wasn't necessarily bad, it was just delivered poorly. O'Connell did a terrible job introducing presenters, and his call for a round of applause celebrating the Hall of Famers in the audience was embarrassing. Derby Future Wager -- Pool 1 gets underway Thursday and the mutuel field (all other three-year-olds) looms as the big favorite once again. The mutuel field has been the favorite in the opening pool each year since Churchill Downs introduced the wager in 1999, but it's been a bad bet in recent years. Two of the last three Derby winners, Giacomo (Holy Bull) and Funny Cide (Distorted Humor), were listed among the 23 individual wagering interests in all three pools, and the mutuel field in Pool 1 has been successful only three times in seven years. The last two (Smarty Jones and War Emblem) returned only $5.60 and $7.60, respectively. If you relish the opportunity to take a short price on such uncertainty in late January, #24 is available this weekend.
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