Debate Continues for 3-Year-Old Male Eclipse

Bayern, California Chrome, and Shared Belief all had remarkable campaigns last year—but who was the best 3-year-old of 2014? With the Jan. 17 Eclipse Awards ceremony right around the corner, the debate continues.

When Bayern and California Chrome were also named finalists for Horse of the Year, along with Main Sequence, that likely eliminated any chance of Shared Belief winning the award for champion 3-year-old colt, leaving us with a battle between the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner and the colt who won two of the Triple Crown races.

Bayern took six of 10 starts in 2014, including grade I victories in the $1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational Stakes and the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic. His other victories last year included his maiden win and an allowance win at Santa Anita Park to preface a powerful victory in the June 7 Woody Stephens Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont Park.

In most years, a win in both the Haskell and the Classic should put a horse over the top with voters, but Bayern won the Classic after surviving a controversial stewards' inquiry. At the start, the speedy 3-year-old colt by Offlee Wild   ducked in, impeding favorite Shared Belief and Whitney Stakes winner Moreno (gr. I), who was expected to run with Bayern early in the mile-and-a-quarter contest.

Instead, Bayern went to the lead by himself and never looked back, holding off both Toast of New York and California Chrome to take the Classic by a nose for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in a thrilling three-horse finish.

Shared Belief finished fourth, beaten less than four lengths despite the poor start which caused him to check twice, losing all chance.

After a lengthy review, the stewards let the result stand, and while they thought they made the right call, many Eclipse Award voters did not. It will be interesting to see who the voters went for when the award is announced.

The debated result gave Bayern a 2-1 advantage over California Chrome in the three times they met as California Chrome easily defeated Bayern in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), where Bayern broke poorly, but Bayern soundly defeated California Chrome in the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) after California Chrome was boxed in throughout.

California Chrome won six of nine starts in 2014 including four grade I victories, taking the Santa Anita Derby, the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, the Preakness, and the Hollywood Derby on the grass.

On June 7 the son of Lucky Pulpit   was favored to become racing's 12th Triple Crown winner in the Belmont, but he ultimately finished fourth—beaten less than two lengths—after stumbling at the start and apparently being stepped on by longshot Matterhorn.

After a three-month break, trainer Art Sherman returned California Chrome to action in the Pennsylvania Derby where he suffered from a troubled trip, finishing sixth—his only start resulting in a finish outside the top four in 2014.

He just missed in the Classic, when beaten a neck, before rebounding in the Hollywood Derby and easily notching his fourth grade I victory of the year, his first time trying the grass.

Shared Belief won five of six starts in 2014, including three Grade I victories, but his controversial fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic will likely cost him any chance at any Eclipse Award.

Owned in a partnership that includes television talk host Jim Rome, Shared Belief didn't start his year until May 26, recovering from a leg injury, and took the grade I TVG Pacific Classic, the Awesome Again Stakes and the Malibu Stakes.

I voted for California Chrome in both the 3-year-old division and for Horse of the Year.

While Bayern did edge out California Chrome in two of three meetings they had in 2014, I believe California Chrome had the better season, winning the first two legs of the Triple Crown, while showing his versatility by winning another grade I race on the turf.

Bayern did get hot in the second-half of the season but his win in the Classic was tainted in my eyes and I can't look past it.