NTRA Moment of the Year, Part 1

The NTRA Moment of the Year is a fan vote that earns its recipient an Eclipse Award (horse racing’s version of the Oscars) at the official ceremonies on Jan. 16 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. 
This year, fans can vote for their favorite candidate exclusively through Twitter, using designated hashtags for each moment. You can see the complete list of rules here and votes must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016. 
As I have in years past, I’ll give you my take on each NTRA Moment of the Year candidate illustrated with photos (which are mine unless otherwise noted) in two parts. Part one is below, listed chronologically in the order the moments were presented by the NTRA; and part two will be up tomorrow. Let me know in the comments what your favorite moment of 2015 was, and don’t forget to take to Twitter to make your vote count in this year’s Moment of the Year ballot! 
1. #TheChief 

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire
Allen Jerkens has been synonymous with horse racing excellence since he conditioned his first Thoroughbred to victory in 1950. He became the youngest trainer to ever be inducted to the Racing Hall of Fame at the age of 45, and among his many accomplishments he is likely best known for training two different horses to victories over the mighty Secretariat: Onion in the 1973 Whitney Handicap and Prove Out in the 1973 Woodward Stakes. Known as “The Chief” around the barn as well as “The Giant Killer” (a nickname he loathed) for his ability to condition horses to upset victories, Allen Jerkens was fixture on the New York and Florida racing scenes.

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire
Mr. Jerkens was quick with a funny story and was revered in Thoroughbred circles for being a consummate horseman whose hands-on approach molded some of the most beloved horses of the latter half of the 20th century. When Mr. Jerkens succumbed to an infection on March 18 in Florida, the racing world lost a giant whose legacy will never be forgotten. 

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire
To vote for the Chief, go to Twitter, use hashtag #TheChief and tag @NTRA. 
2. #APDerby

From the moment I arrived at Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby week, all eyes (and camera lenses) were focused on one horse: American Pharoah. The 2014 champion 2-year-old had decimated his competition on his trajectory toward the run for the roses, and every move the big horse made was scrutinized by fans and media in the days before the Derby. 

Any time American Pharoah (or his stablemate Dortmund) would have a bath, hordes of people would surround the scene hoping to catch a glimpse of the famed colts.

When Derby day arrived, a record crowd of 170,513 fans assembled under the twin spires for the festivities of the first Saturday in May. 

And they were in for the treat of a lifetime when betting and popular choice American Pharoah turned in the performance everyone hoped for to win the Kentucky Derby in the first leg of a historic Triple Crown bid.

To vote for American Pharoah’s Kentucky Derby win for the NTRA Moment of the Year, use hashtag #APDerby and tag @NTRA on Twitter!
3. #BensCat

Ben’s Cat is the racing fan’s racehorse; the big-hearted gelding is a staple of the mid-Atlantic circuit and he’s built up a substantial fan base in his six years of racing. On May 15, Ben’s Cat tried for a fourth win in the Jim McKay Stakes, a feat never before achieved. And it didn’t look like it would happen as Bold Thunder looked like he was the clear winner, leading by a length and a half turning into the stretch of the Pimlico turf course on that Friday afternoon. But Ben’s Cat was having none of that, inching up on his much younger rival as the pair battled to the finish line.

In a heroic bid, Ben’s Cat got to the wire a neck the best as the crowd at the Maryland track went absolutely bonkers.

I’ll never forget smiles on the faces of Ben’s Cat’s team as they greeted their charge and escorted him to the winner’s circle of the Jim McKay Stakes for the fourth time.

To vote for this as the Moment of the Year, tag @NTRA on Twitter and use hashtag #BensCat.
4. #APTripleCrown

What started with American Pharoah’s Kentucky Derby win on the first Saturday of May came to an ecstatic conclusion on a hazy June afternoon in the suburbs of New York City when American Pharoah cruised to victory in the Belmont Stakes to become the first Triple Crown winner America has seen in 37 years.

On his way, American Pharoah had to overcome not only the traditionally grueling Triple Crown race schedule, but one of the most spectacular rainstorms on Preakness record. He swam more than galloped to victory to earn his garland of black-eyed Susans for the second jewel of the Triple Crown on May 16 with the now-legendary downpour not dampening the spirits of all who watched Pharoah’s commanding win.

But it was the Belmont Stakes that cemented American Pharoah’s place in the sport’s most hallowed halls when he became the 12th Triple Crown winner in history. I’ll never forget the sound of 90,000 fans going absolutely crazy as the plain bay racehorse cruised under the wire to take his place in history.

It was my NTRA moment of the year, and quite frankly one of the best moments of my lifetime. You can join me in voting for this on Twitter by using the hashtag #APTripleCrown and tagging @NTRA.

5. #HonorCode

I’m not going to lie, if American Pharoah hadn’t won the Triple Crown this year, Honor Code’s breathtaking charge to win the Whitney Handicap would easily get my vote. (Actually, you can vote for as many moments as you like in this poll, so I may have to give #HonorCode a little love as well as vote for American Pharoah!) 
This striking horse is the last great son of A.P. Indy, one of the most dominant and influential Thoroughbred stallions of the last quarter-century. When Honor Code ran, you had to watch because you knew that you were going to see something special. Win or lose, the towering nearly-black Thoroughbred loved to come from behind and run his competition down at the wire. 
The Whitney Handicap is one of the best races at Saratoga - a meet stacked to the brim with outstanding Thoroughbred competition – and it was a doozy of a field this year. Some of the most talented older horses in the nation assembled for a chance at the winner’s circle of this storied race, but it was Liam’s Map who set a blistering pace throughout the Whitney and looked like he would steal the whole thing without ever being challenged. A sixteenth of a mile from the finish line it seemed that no one could possibly catch him.

You can see in the photo above that I have Liam’s Map centered in the frame of my camera. I was “on” him. I thought the gray had the race in the bag. 
Then Honor Code turned on the afterburners. I genuinely have never seen a horse move like this before. In just a few moments, he covered so much ground that his head was level with Liam’s Map’s tail. 

Just two strides later – and not a moment too soon – Honor Code drew even with and then passed Liam’s Map to capture the Whitney right at the wire. It was one of the most exciting finishes to a race I’ve seen in quite some time, and I still talk about it with my friends today.

Want to vote for this as the NTRA Moment of the Year? Be sure to use the hashtag #HonorCode and tag @NTRA in your tweet! 
Join me later on in the week for a look at my take on Part Two of the NTRA Moment of the Year candidates, and let me know in the comments what your choice is.