It was March in New Orleans, and Al Stall spent part of every morning tinkering with Blame. A jog here, a gallop there; nothing too serious. Stall would look out across the Fair Grounds racetrack, not entirely pleased with the condition of the dirt surface. Here was an exercise in patience.

At some point early in the 2010 racing season, the connections of Lookin At Lucky had to be pondering the age-old question: What’s in a name?

Bob Baffert had purchased Lookin At Lucky on behalf of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman for $475,000 at the Keeneland 2009 April sale after the colt, a son of Smart Strike out of the Belong to Me mare Private Feeling, worked an eighth-mile in 10 seconds. Within a few months, Lookin At Lucky had already won himself out with four straight wins, including the Best Pal, Del Mar Futurity, and Norfolk. So far, so good.

The crop of 2-year-old fillies trainer Todd Pletcher had in his care last season was about as deep as the Atlantic Ocean. R Heat Lightning rose to the fore when it counted most, and for her win in the Grade 1 Spinaway and runner-up finish in the Grade 1, $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, she was named a finalist for champion 2-year-old filly of 2010.

Fred Brei hit a heck of a lick the first weekend in November.

He won the Grade 1, $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Awesome Feather on Nov. 5, and two days later sold her at auction for $2.3 million. Awesome Feather had swept her division of the Florida Stallion Stakes leading up to the Breeders’ Cup, and for her accomplishments last year she is a finalist for champion 2-year-old filly of 2010.

After unveiling one good-looking 2-year-old after another during the Saratoga meet, trainer Todd Pletcher went into the Travers Day card knowing he had yet to take the wrapper off his top model. By the middle of the Aug. 28 Saratoga card, there was no mistaking which colt was best in class.

To Honor and Serve ran fast enough in his maiden win at Belmont Park on Oct. 2 to warrant consideration for a start in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. While his connections did give that race some thought, in the end owner Charlotte Weber of Live Oak Plantation and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott opted for a more conservative route.

Winners of the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year since 1971, when Thoroughbred racing's multiple year-end awards were merged into the Eclipses.

DRF WEEKEND: How Horse of the Year voters play the game | 2010 finalists

PAST CHAMPIONS: Winners in every division going back to 1936 (PDF)

Yelling has been heard on most every corner in horse racing’s little village the last two years.

“How could Zenyatta not have been named Horse of the Year in 2009?” comes an angry shout from somewhere in the darkness of the World Wide Web.

“Championships are decided on the racetrack,” another voice sternly intones. “Blame cannot be denied Horse of the Year honors in 2010.”

The three brightest lights in racing in North America in 2010 -- Blame, Goldikova, and Zenyatta -- on Thursday were announced as finalists for  2010 Horse of the Year by the three sponsoring organizations of the awards, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.

In 2010, Gio Ponti added to an already stellar reputation.

After a 2009 season in which Gio Ponti won two Eclipse Awards – outstanding older male and outstanding turf male – he was campaigned in 2010 through an international seven-race campaign that included two Grade 1 stakes wins, one each at Belmont Park and Keeneland.

He was first or second in six American starts, all stakes.