Comments on: Filly champs at four: Busher and Twilight Tear http://colinsghost.org/2010/03/filly-champs-at-four-busher-and-twilight-tear.html Thoroughbred Racing History Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:29:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kevin http://colinsghost.org/2010/03/filly-champs-at-four-busher-and-twilight-tear.html/comment-page-1#comment-594 Kevin Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:25:02 +0000 http://colinsghost.org/?p=482#comment-594 Hi Emily: Thanks for commenting. When I talk about Horse of the Year, I look at 1936 and after. All prior Horse of the Year awards were not officially voted but "awarded" later. Here is how racing historians Edward Bowen explains it: "...starting with 1936 as the dawn of official championships meant that a great deal of American Turf history existed in a sort of limbo. Not long before the advent of the Eclipse Awards, Kent Hollingsworth, then editor of the Blood Horse, pored over the history of racing as passed down by such stalwart journalists as John Hervey, Walter Vosburgh, Joseph A. Estes, and Joe Palmer. Based on his conclusions relative to their opinions, Hollingsworth published in The Great Ones a list of division and overall champions (Horse of the Year) starting in 1870,” You can read more about the topic, and why I consider Rachel A as the 3rd 3-year-old filly to win horse of the year, in a post I did last year: http://colinsghost.org/2009/11/and-2009-horse-of-year-is.html Thanks! Hi Emily: Thanks for commenting. When I talk about Horse of the Year, I look at 1936 and after. All prior Horse of the Year awards were not officially voted but “awarded” later. Here is how racing historians Edward Bowen explains it:

“…starting with 1936 as the dawn of official championships meant that a great deal of American Turf history existed in a sort of limbo. Not long before the advent of the Eclipse Awards, Kent Hollingsworth, then editor of the Blood Horse, pored over the history of racing as passed down by such stalwart journalists as John Hervey, Walter Vosburgh, Joseph A. Estes, and Joe Palmer. Based on his conclusions relative to their opinions, Hollingsworth published in The Great Ones a list of division and overall champions (Horse of the Year) starting in 1870,”

You can read more about the topic, and why I consider Rachel A as the 3rd 3-year-old filly to win horse of the year, in a post I did last year:
http://colinsghost.org/2009/11/and-2009-horse-of-year-is.html

Thanks!

]]> By: Emily http://colinsghost.org/2010/03/filly-champs-at-four-busher-and-twilight-tear.html/comment-page-1#comment-592 Emily Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:13:20 +0000 http://colinsghost.org/?p=482#comment-592 What about Miss Woodford, Horse of the Year as a 3yo and a 4yo in the 1880s? Beldame was also HOY as a 3yo, although she had a dropping-off in form at 4. What about Miss Woodford, Horse of the Year as a 3yo and a 4yo in the 1880s? Beldame was also HOY as a 3yo, although she had a dropping-off in form at 4.

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