Columnist Ralph Siraco: Reflecting on the past year in the Sport of Kings

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Dec. 29, 2003 | 9:31 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

As we ring in the new year on Thursday, pause for reflections of 2003 are in order.

It was a year when the sport of kings reached mainstream America on both the small and big screens. The movie "Seabiscuit" premiered at the beginning of summer, just when racing was wrapping up another Triple Crown season. As the best-selling book became alive on the silver screen, a "real-life" Seabisuit-type story was playing out on the big stage of Belmont Park.

Funny Cide, a New York-bred gelding, had burst upon the scene with his eclectic entourage of owners in tow riding a school bus to his Triple Crown engagements, to the like of fans across the country that lived their "small-town guys" hitting the big-time fairy tale.

The first Empire State-bred winner of the Kentucky Derby had to withstand the embarrassing scrutiny of hisjockey Jose Santos with accusations of using an illegal electrical device to win the run for the roses before his clear-cut victory over Derby favorite Empire Maker became "official" days after his victory.

And although Empire Maker would skip the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, Funny Cide raced to a lopsided victory in the Preakness Stakes setting up a Triple Crown try in the Belmont Stakes. On a rainy dismal afternoon a packed Belmont Park would witness Funny Cide giving way to Empire Maker in the 1 1/2- mile Triple Crown finale to end the Sakatoga Stable fantasy tour.

The movie "Seabiscuit" debuted to much fanfare and rave reviews as a whole new generation of prospective fans spiked attendance at key racetracks throughout the country in search of a little Seabiscuit nostalgia. Although the flick would be at video stores by Christmas, the story of Seabiscuit is certain to help create new awareness to the great sport of thoroughbred racing.

As the Breeders' Cup Pick Six betting scandal of 2002 came to an end with the sentencing of the Drexel trio serving terms from a year to 37 months in prison for trying to pull off a $3 million payday, the New York Racing Association and six former employees were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit tax fraud. While NYRA president Terry Meyocks resigned his post during the investigation, the case came to a close recently.

The former employees were found guilty of the charges, but, the government levied a deferred prosecution deal that came with a $3 million fine for the NYRA.

Four Kentucky Derby winners died in 2003. Spectacular Bid, who took the Derby in 1979, along with 1981 winner Pleasant Colony, 1983 victor Sunny's Halo and 1986 winner Ferdinand all passed away during the year.

As far as equine competition on the track, Mineshaft is the odds-on favorite to win the 2003 Horse Of The Year and take down the gold trophy at the Eclipse Awards this year. Although he passed the year-end championship day to compete in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic, Mineshaft had already done enough to garner the honor.

The son of 1992 Horse Of The Year A.P. Indy, Mineshaft won seven of nine races in 2003 that included the Pimlico Special, Suburban Handicap, Woodward Stakes and the Jockey Club Gold Cup -- all Grade I events. He finished second in the only two races he did not win during a stellar year of performances.

Defending Horse Of The Year champion Azeri had her consecutive win streak snapped at 13 when she lost the Lady's Secret at Santa Anita in October. She had won all four of her other starts this year. That may earn her enough to win the Older Female Eclipse trophy.

The Juvenile Filly Eclipse is wrapped up with what should be a unanimous decision in the division. Halfbridled ended her complete domination of first-year fillies with a sensational victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies event to remain undefeated in four lifetime starts.

Next week we will look back at the human stars of the 2003 racing year.