It took one morning of Breeders’ Cup-week training for Talismanic to become a favorite of North American racing photographers. It took two minutes, 26 seconds of Breeders’ Cup racing for Talismanic to become an Eclipse Award finalist with a chance to be named champion turf male of 2017.

“Oh yeah, Beach Patrol. Nice horse. Really nice horse! Can’t win the big one, though.”

So a racing conversation might have gone as recently as this past Aug. 11, at which point Beach Patrol was, perhaps, testing his connections’ patience. Like, c’mon already, horse – go ahead and win a race.

It’s an admirable approach, trainer Mark Casse’s orientation toward “what-if” questions.

What if, for instance, World Approval had during the summer of 2016 honed in on turf races at one mile or, at most, 1 1/8 miles?

Not really worth thinking about, according to Casse.

“I don’t look in the rearview mirror,” Casse said. “I’ve said a million times that training horses is like putting puzzles together: You try the pieces until you find one that fits.”

For Caledonia Road, an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly of 2017 is not guaranteed, but it’s pretty darn close to it.

Of the first 33 winners of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, an overwhelming 29 went on to be voted champion 2-year-old filly. (She’s a Tiger, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2013, finished first in the Juvenile Fillies, but was disqualified and placed second for interference.)

When it comes to the Eclipse Awards, one race does indeed have the power to make or break you. Such a scenario may end up applying to Moonshine Memories, who was voted an Eclipse Award finalist in the 2-year-old filly division.

The Eclipse Award for champion 2-year-old filly has been the exclusive property of dirt performers. This is understandable. Dirt racing is still the big game in U.S. Thoroughbred racing. But there has been a shift in recent years in the philosophy of the Eclipse Award electorate to one that is bound less by tradition, is more inclusive, and, as a result, is more accepting of turf performers.

From the auction ring in Saratoga to the farm in Montana to the racetracks in Southern California, Bolt d’Oro rarely failed to impress in 2017.

He won 3 of 4 starts, including Grade 1 victories in the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner Stakes, with his one hiccup a third-place finish as the favorite in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. For his achievements, Bolt d’Oro was voted a finalist for the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male.

Good Magic lost his first two races. But trainer Chad Brown never lost confidence in Good Magic.

Solomini didn’t exactly endear himself to trainer Bob Baffert early in his 2-year-old season. By the end of it, however, he gave Baffert a good feeling heading into 2018 that he has a Kentucky Derby contender.

A maiden victory and placings in three consecutive Grade 1 stakes earned Solomini a spot as a finalist for the Eclipse Award as North America’s top 2-year-old male horse of 2017.

It was a rainy, chilly day in Louisville, Ky., but the sun shone bright for Abel Tasman. The filly splashed home to her signature Kentucky Oaks victory on a sloppy track to score the first of three Grade 1 wins on the year, earning a spot as an Eclipse Award finalist in the 3-year-old filly division.

“We ruined our shoes and our sport coats, but it was well worth it,” trainer Bob Baffert said.