KINGSTON, Jamaica – There is no clear-cut leader at this time for the Horse of the Year 2021 title.
THE QUICK GALLOPER'S leading candidates are Calculus, She’s A Wonder, and King Arthur.
Calculus of the three horses mentioned has a slight advantage but the lucrative Jamaica Day race meet will go a long way in helping to clear the smoke hovering around any consideration about the Horse of the Year title.
THE QUICK GALLOPER'S view is that a Calculus victory in the Jamaica Cup (9 ½ furlongs – Grade One - $6 million total purse) will vault the 2021 Derby and St Leger winner ahead of the chasing pack. Calculus trained by Gary Subratie has already won at the Open Allowance level albeit after two tame attempts but when he did, it was with authority, and some luck.
If Calculus is successful in the Jamaica Cup against the likes of Oneofakind, Further and Beyond, King Arthur, Billy Whizz, Eroy, and Crimson, that is, the cream of the three-year-olds and older horses, he will sit alone on the 2021 Horse of the Year pedestal.
King Arthur has repeatedly demonstrated his toughness and his class at the highest level with three victories in the top grade. King Arthur still has more to prove, and a win in the Jamaica Cup will be a big boost to his quest of becoming the Horse of the Year. Victory by King Arthur in the Ian Levy Cup in December will seal the deal.
The filly She’s A Wonder is the leader thus far in the stakes earned category, just a tumps ahead of Calculus.
Trained by Ian Parsard, She’s A Wonder has lived up to her nomenclature, with victories in the 1000 Guineas, the Oaks, and in Open Allowance, the first time of asking.
In the Port Royal, She A Wonder will probably face stablemates Father Patrick and Rojorn Di Pilot, Laban, Duke, Patriarch, Eagle One, Awesome Treasure, Victory Turn, and God of Love.
Victory by She’s A Wonder in the Port Royal Sprint (Open Allowance – Graded Stakes – six furlongs) will add significantly to the Horse of the Year stocks of this filly.
The Jamaica Cup Race Day might not answer all the relevant Horse of the Year questions but it will go a long way in answering some of the more pertinent considerations.
