As this disaster of a year comes to a final end. The New Year's Eve celebration will be more special than it has been in the past. As the Horse Racing industry took a big hit with COVID-19 closing down most of the country and hitting the sport at the most drastic time possible (during the Kentucky Derby Prep Season), the sport is now looking ahead to next season. As we push ahead in another year in horse racing and our live's let's take a look back at the year and the highlights worth noting in a year full of chaos.
January
The 2020 Sham Stakes kicked off the 2020 Kentucky Derby trail at Santa Anita Park. 6 horses ran a mile on the dirt and the victor would go on and have a glorious 2020 season and that is Authentic
The Pegasus Cup was won by Mucho Gusto comfortably outlasting Mr. Freeze and War Story. Mucho Gusto was entered into the race as a last minute decision by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and connections, which would pay off in the $3 million dollar race.
February
Independence Hall was a heavy favorite coming into this race being undefeated. Luci Panici made a rally in the final turn on Sole Volante and ran down the heavy favorite and opened to a wide length win.
March
49-1 Longshot upsets, King Guillermo wins the Tampa Bay Derby for Victor Martinez a former Major League
Baseball Player.
Florent Gerous and Brad Cox teamed up here to get Wells Bayou across the wire first to get himself 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Others entered were Enforceable, Modernist, Ny Traffic, and Major Fed.
Kicking off a great 2020 for this 3 year old Tiz The Law would continue his undefeated Spring by romping in the Florida Derby setting himself up to be the horse with all the buzz during the COVID lockdown.
Dubai World Cup
* Cancelled due to COVID-19 Restrictions. Thunder Snow won 2018 & 2019.
April
This was a duel between Honor A.P. and Authentic. Honor AP would go 4 wide to sweep the corner and make the pass early in the final stretch. These 2 would square off again later in the year.
Wood Memorial
* Cancelled due to COVID-19 Restrictions
Vekoma won his first Grade 1 in the $250,000 Runhappy Carter Handicap. After having a stellar 2 and 3 year old career, this win really capped off his accomplishments.
The Division 1 Ark Derby was won by Bob Bafferts Charlatan as he went off as the 2/5 favorite and won with ease. The Division 2 Ark Derby also went to a Bob Baffert trained colt, Nadal. Who was the post time favorite and beat out King Guillermo and Finnick the Fierce.
Winner CeCe for Mike McCarthy and Victor Espinoza
June
In an out of order year the Belmont Stakes was the first race of the Triple Crown to be ran. By this time many horses had succomb to injury or were resting and waiting for the Kentucky Derby in September now. Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law lived up to every single one of his press clippings and pulled away to a decisive, 3 ¾-length victory for jockey Manny Franco and trainer Barclay Tagg in the $1 million stakes as a 4-5 favorite.
Bob Baffert's Gamiine would easily win in the Acorn with a short field of only 7.
Tom's d'Etat beats By My Standards setting himself up for a Breeders Cup Classic run later in the year and was labelled top horse for most of the summer.
July
Authentic beats out NY Traffic and gets another big win for his Summer Stakes and points toward the Kentucky Derby after this win.
August
Another big victory for Barclay Tagg and Tiz The Law in the Travers, beating a short field of 7.
Steve Asmussen and Joe Bravo win here with Pneumatic.
Abel Cedillo and Maximum Security out duel Midcourt and Higher Power setting himself up for the Breeders Cup Classic in November.
September
Florent Geroux and Brad Cox pull the upset in the Oaks with Shedaresthedevil at 15-1, out running Swiss Skydiver and heavy favorite Gamine.
Spendthrift Farm, Myracehorse.com, Madaket Stables and Starlight Racing’s Authentic grabbed the lead shortly after the start and then held off a stretch bid from odds-on favorite Tiz the Law by 1 ¼ lengths to win the 146th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby.
October
Swiss Skydiver scores an upset for the girls as she beats the boys with Robby Albarado. Swiss Skydiver gave both McPeek and Albarado arguably the most meaningful victory in their hugely successful careers.
Essential Quality kicked off his road to the 2021 Kentucky Derby with 10 points with his win in this prep race.
November
Breeders Cup
* All Breeders Cup Race Results can be found HERE.
Kendrick Carmouche guides True Timber to a 5 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile.
December
Charlatan, coming off an eight-month layoff, won Santa Anita’s opening day feature, the Grade 1, $300,000 Malibu Stakes, by 4½ lengths.
