A Look at the 2013 Horse of the Year Finalists
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Wise Dan won the 2013 Woodbine Mile in track record time (Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire).
Take a look at the seasons of 2013 Eclipse Awards Horse of the Year finalists Mucho Macho Man, Wise Dan, and Will Take Charge. Mucho Macho Man is also a finalist for the Older Male award while Will Take Charge is nominated for the 3-Year-Old championship. Wise Dan is the defending Older Male and Turf Male champion in addition to being 2012's Horse of the Year, all categories he is a finalist in this year.
Reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan followed up a dazzling 2012 season with another championship campaign in 2013, proving again why he is one of the best racehorses on the planet with six wins in seven starts. His stellar 2013 season included four Grade 1 victories highlighted by a repeat win in the Breeders' Cup Mile for trainer Charlie LoPresti and owner-breeder Mort Fink.
Mucho Macho Man's 2013 story is more than just a racehorse who had been always tantalizingly close to a breakthrough win finally finding Grade 1 glory. His was a tale of redemption in more ways than one. The 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up ended his 2013 season with a win in the $5 million classic and in the process gave 50-year-old Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens his first career Classic win and trainer Kathy Ritvo, a heart transplant recipient and survivor, her most important career victory. For Mucho Macho Man and his connections, including owners Dean and Patti Reeves, 2013 was a memorable ride.
Starting his year off with a victory in the Smarty Jones Stakes, it's no surprise that Will Take Charge's connections had high hopes for the colt. A winner of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on the Triple Crown trail, Will Take Charge didn't show his true potential until after the Triple Crown. After trainer D. Wayne Lukas removed his blinkers, Will Take Charge put on a show for racing fans. He won a nail biting Travers Stakes and followed that up with a win in the Pennsylvania Derby.
But perhaps his two best performances of the year were saved for last when he came within a nose of winning the Breeders' Cup Classic before beating one of the top older males by a head when he beat Game On Dude in the Clark Handicap. Will Take Charge looks to win champion 3-year-old male honors for his accomplishments this year and will be back in 2014, much to the delight of racing fans around the country.