The Galloping Hat Rack

There were so many unique and special moments in horse racing this year that just a simple “top 10” list would fail to credit too many deserving races that captured our attention and highlighted our weekends. The races that were picked were judged on the basis of excitement (most important), tenacity, and the general long-term significance of the race.

20) Queen’s Plate: Lone filly Inglorious steals Canada’s riches - In Canada’s equivalent of the Kentucky Derby, 16 colts went to the post only to be passed by the lone female Inglorious. With great gusto, she courageously rocketed past them all including favorite Check Your Soul to cash a sizeable upset as the first filly to win the race in 20 years. Watch replay

19) Florida Derby: Dialed In duels with 60-1 longshot Shackleford - In the event that would ultimately crown him as the Kentucky Derby favorite, Dialed In laid his guts out at Gulfstream when clinched in a powerful stretch duel with pacesetter Shackleford. It was the most enthralling Derby prep race of the year with Dialed In launching a furious bid from the back to catch and overpower the budding Shackleford. Watch replay

18) Shadwell Turf Mile: Gio Ponti makes an astonishing late run to clinch a second consecutive Shadwell Mile win - Just as racegoers were beginning to question whether Gio still had it in him mere weeks away from the Breeders’ Cup, he turns one last gear on to hop from a seemingly firm third place to the win. Watch replay

17) Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational: Cape Blanco runs the race of his life against Dean’s Kitten - Going postward it was all Cape Blanco’s to win, seeing as the Euro invader had already beaten the best America had to offer twice beforehand the same year in the 1 ½ mile Joe Hirsch. But rolling down to the wire to go with him was an adamant Dean’s Kitten, who pushed just about every button to make Cape Blanco work for this, his last and possibly greatest victory. Watch replay

16) Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile: Caleb’s Posse ridicules the field in the final furlong - “He looks like he just jumped in at the quarter pole!” Bouncing back from a fuzzy finish in the Indiana Derby, the year’s most quick-footed three-year-old leaped at Shackleford in the waning moments of the Dirt Mile to grab his very impressive and second G1 win over the best dirt milers. Watch replay

15) Forego Stakes: Jackson Bend all heart - In his first attempt at a big G1 in quite some time, Jackson Bend toasted an extraordinary comeback to the winners’ circle in winning the Forego Stakes by more than 3 lengths. The colt had raced without a win twelve times before winning the James Marvin, and this graded stakes was his crowning achievement. Watch replay