Shigeki Kikkawa

Not every good 2-year-old who raced in Southern California in 2011 resided in Bob Baffert’s barn.

Favorites didn’t exactly perform on cue during the 2011 Breeders’ Cup, winning just four of the 15 races. Only one of the nine favorites came through on Saturday of the two-day BC weekend at Churchill Downs, and that was a gelding named Regally Ready, whose convincing triumph in the $1 million BC Turf Sprint was enough to make him an Eclipse Award finalist in a division normally reserved for dirt runners.

Patrick Lang/Lang Photography

Much like the boy-band Hanson became in 1997 with its improbable hit song MMMBop, the nearly white Thoroughbred Hansen became an overnight sensation with a blowout maiden victory late in the evening of Sept. 9 at Turfway Park.

The colt’s connections hope the horse has more staying power than did the band.

Barbara D. Livingston

In music, Katy Perry sings about the one that got away.

The good ones – the real good ones – have the uncanny knack of revealing themselves early. Such was the case with My Miss Aurelia.

Michael Amoruso

It pays Grace Hall a high compliment that she is an Eclipse Award finalist in the 2-year-old filly division considering that her connections simply wanted to lay the foundation for her to fulfill her considerable potential at 3.

Dynaformer–Fantastic Find, by Mr. Prospector. The bloodlines shout destiny, championship, quality, Eclipse Award even.

But in this category? At this age?

In three weeks, Black Jack Blues did more than any other 2011 American steeplechase starter. He won his only two starts, both stakes, earned $171,000, and laid waste to the best field of the season.

And he wound up an Eclipse Award finalist by leading the division in earnings. His chief competition comes from a another runner owned by Irv Naylor, Tax Ruling, who extended his quality over a longer period by winning Grade 1 stakes in May and November.

Todd Pletcher received his trainer’s license in December 1995. Nine years and one month later, he was recognized as North America’s outstanding trainer when he won his first Eclipse award, for 2004. He immediately became the trainer to beat by winning again for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010.

Bill Mott, 58, won the Eclipse Award in 1995 and 1996. He had one of his better years in 2011 with purse earnings of $10,731,249, his highest total since 1996 and the third-highest of his career. That placed him fourth among trainers in North America.