The Results are in!

The results of the voting on our first Veterans of the Season awards are in! I'm sure you are all anxiously awaiting the results (unless you read the comments on my previous post -- then you know who the winners are!) so let's get right to them!

Drumroll please. . .

VETERAN OF THE SEASON

1st - RAHY'S ATTORNEY (2 votes)
2nd - Chamberlain Bridge (1 vote)

The King of Woodbine has been around for what seems like forever. Rahy's Attorney, a seven-year-old bay gelding by Crown Attorney, made his debut at the Canadian track in November 2006. He broke his maiden there in early 2007. He won the Woodbine Mile (gr. I) in 2008. Twenty-eight of his thirty-seven races have come at Woodbine, including his first seventeen.

Rahy's Attorney has always been a miler -- that is, until this year. Just when it appeared as though the old guy might be losing a step or two, he suddenly turned in to a turf marathoner. On February 19th, in the grade II Mac Diarmida Stakes (gr. II), he finished a very strong second to grade I winner Prince Will I Am. He then turned the tables in the grade III Pan American Stakes at a mile and a half, courageously holding off Musketier and Prince Will I Am to win the race by three-quarters of a length while stopping the clock in 2:25.85.

It appears as though Rahy's Attorney has more stamina than anyone thought. Perhaps he isn't quite as quick as he used to be; no longer able to succeed in top class races at a mile. But it's beginning to look like he may be a better marathoner than he ever was as a miler.

These two performances earned him the honors as Veteran of the Season, an award which he fully deserves. Congratulations to Rahy's Attorney, winner of the inaugural Veteran of the Season award!

You can relive his Pan American Stakes victory by watching the replay at Bloodhorse.com. Here's the link:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/race/USA/GP/2011/3/26/10/pan-american-s-gr-3

Champion Sprinter

1st - CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE (2 votes)
2nd - Garden Dancer (1 vote)

Congratulations to CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE, a seven-year-old gelding whose thrilling victory in the Rail Splitter Stakes in February earned him the Champion Sprinter award over the remarkable Garden Dancer.

Here's a link to the replay of the Rail Splitter Stakes:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/race/USA/HOU/2011/2/12/9/rail-splitter-s

Champion Miler

1st - Dubious Miss (3 votes, unanimous choice)

Dubious Miss easily took home honors as Champion Miler, receiving all three votes to win the award unanimously. Although he has yet to win a race this year, his strong second to Gran Estreno in the Colonel E. R. Bradley Handicap (gr. III) was enough to secure him the award.

Here's the replay of the Colonel Bradley:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/race/USA/FG/2011/1/22/9/colonel-e-r-bradley-h-gr-3

Champion Marathoner

1st - Rahy's Attorney (3 votes, unanimous choice)

The Veteran of the Season award was not the only honor bestowed upon Rahy's Attorney by the Veterans of the Season voters. He was also elected Champion Marathoner over Dubious Miss, Interpatation, and Presious Passion in a unanimous vote.

Most Courageous Performance

1st - Cost of Freedom (1 vote)
1st - Rahy's Attorney (1 vote)
1st - Chamberlain Bridge (1 vote)

The Most Courageous Performance catagory yielded a three-way tie between Cost of Freedom, Rahy's Attorney, and Chamberlain Bridge -- all of whom received one vote.

Cost of Freedom was nominated for his game third, beaten a head, in the Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes -- in which he ran the opening half mile in :42 3/5 and still held on well to the finish. Rahy's Attorney earned his vote by merit of his courageous victory over Musketier and Prince Will I Am in the Pan American, while Chamberlain Bridge's Rail Splitter victory impressed another voter. Therefore, they all receive the award.

Relive Cost of Freedom's performance in the Sunshine Millions by watching the replay. Here's the link:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/race/USA/GP/2011/3/26/10/pan-american-s-gr-3

In conclusion, congratulations to Rahy's Attorney, Chamberlain Bridge, Cost of Freedom, and Dubious Miss! Hopefully, they will successfully defend their titles in July when we vote on the Veterans of the Season awards once again!

-Keelerman