Columnist Ralph Siraco: One man’s Eclipse thoughts …

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Jan. 29, 2001 | 9:57 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Friday. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.

On Tuesday night at the Sanger Theatre in New Orleans,the hardware will be handed out for thoroughbred racing's annual Eclipse Awards.

The Eclipse is the Sport of Kings' Oscars, and both equine and human stars will be honored for their crowning achievements of 2000.

Voting for the winners comes from three representative bodies of thoroughbred racing. They are the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers Association. Members of each organization individually vote in each category. Those votes are tallied to account for one united vote for each body.

As a member of the NTWA, I have had the privilege of a ballot since 1995. And while some categories were easy decisions, some have come with lengthy deliberation.

So, here is my exit poll for the 30th annual Eclipse Awards, hoping these votes produce better results than that of our recent presidential debacle.

With no pregnant, dimpled or hanging chads, the envelope please:

Although Point Given won his last start of 2000 with a solid victory in the Hollywood Futurity in December, Macho Uno beat him in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile -- allbeit by a slim nose. Macho Uno got the vote by winning on the championship day. Point Given, however, may get even at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

Fusaichi Pegasus promised much more with a stunning Kentucky Derby victory than he eventually delivered. Giant's Causeway held his own with a vintage crop in Europe, but Tiznow impressed with a spectacular trio of solid victories within a six-week span at the end of the year.

Although many have reasoned the Derby winner could take the sophomore trophy while Tiznow garners the big one, in their only meetings both finalists were beaten by Tiznow in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Case closed -- Tiznow gets the vote.

After dominating her gender early in the year, she caught the Derby trail until sidelined with an injury. Although Surfside was beaten by Spain in the Breeders' Cup, she came back to beat the boys in the Clark Handicap to gain my vote. Surfside gets the nod.

She won seven Graded stakes -- with six in a row -- in 11 starts. The only time she was off-the-board was while sustaining a career-ending injury in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. That notwithstanding, my vote was for Riboletta, hands-down.

Kalanisi competed against arguably a vintage year of European runners with two victories and three runner-up efforts from five over-the-pond starts. He won the Breeders' Cup Turf in his only stateside start.

After a failed Kentucky Derby run, War Chant returned to the races on the grass and overwhelmed his competition with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile after a breathtaking win in the Oak Tree Mile. Although they both deserve the trophy, I cast my vote for War Chant.

If Tout Charmant wins the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, she wins the vote. Same for Perfect Sting. Perfect Sting beat Tout Charmant in the Breeders' Cup and gets the vote.

In the end, it was the horse who performed flawlessly at the end of the year that got my vote.

Tiznow matured into a solid Horse of the Year contender by winning in the Grade I Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Sept. 30, and followed that with a win in the Grade II Goodwood Handicap at Oak Tree on Oct. 15.

His connections showed their confidence by putting up a six-figure supplement to run in the Breeders' Cup. On Nov. 4, Tiznow outgamed Giant's Causeway, Fusaichi Pegasus, Lemon Drop Kid and others to win the Breeders' Cup Classic.

They went for and got the gold. Tuesday night they pick up the gold trophy. My vote for Horse of the Year is Tiznow.

Congratulations to all the equine and human stars that made the 2000 racing season one to remember -- for all the good reasons.