Comebacks and Cartier Awards

Great Hunter and Spring at Last (not to be confused with the 2-year-old sprinter Spring Awakening – one wonders how she has been affected by the Broadway stagehands’ strike) are both back in training with Doug O’Neill and working toward comebacks.

Buzzards Bay is another familiar name absent from the track for some time – he’s set for the All American stakes this weekend. He’ll be taking on McCann’s Mojave and Wanna Runner, among others.

Talented 4-year-old mare Criminologist (again, not to be confused with her pop culture namesake, this time from Rocky Horror) is back and aiming for a fourth straight win in the Cardinal Handicap; on paper, she’s the one to beat and seems to be coming into her own.

Back across the pond, the Cartier Awards (the European equivalent of the Eclipse Awards) were announced yesterday; and most were quite predictable:

Horse of the Year/Older Horse Dylan Thomas	Owners: Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Three-Year-Old Colt Authorized	Owners: Saleh Al Homeizi & Imad Al Sagar Trainer: Peter Chapple-Hyam
Three-Year-Old Filly Peeping Fawn	Owners: Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Stayer Yeats	Owners: Sue Magnier & Diane Nagle Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Two Year Old Colt New Approach	Owners: Jackie Bolger & Sheikh Mohammed Trainer: Jim Bolger
Two Year Old Filly Natagora	Owner: Stefan Friborg Trainer: Pascal Bary
Sprinter Red Clubs	Owner: Ronnie Arculli Trainer: Barry Hills
Award of Merit	The Niarchos Family

It was pointed out that Dylan Thomas ran in Group I races every month from April to October and of course may yet try for the Japan Cup. The Niarchos family was given the Award of Merit (essentially a lifetime achievement recognition) for breeding and racing such greats as Nureyev, Miesque, and Kingmambo among many others. All in all, a good list.