Kotashaan Horse

Kotashaan, who led one of the strongest grass divisions in years by winning six stakes in California, was named thoroughbred racing's horse of the year for 1993 Friday night, becoming the first French-bred to win the award since the filly All Along in 1983. The announcement, at the Eclipse Awards dinner in New Orleans, was not unexpected. Two weeks ago it was announced that Kotashaan had defeated Lure by 43 votes in balloting for best male turf horse.

Kotashaan, who led one of the strongest grass divisions in years by winning six stakes in California, was named thoroughbred racing's horse of the year for 1993 Friday night, becoming the first French-bred to win the award since the filly All Along in 1983. The announcement, at the Eclipse Awards dinner in New Orleans, was not unexpected. Two weeks ago it was announced that Kotashaan had defeated Lure by 43 votes in balloting for best male turf horse.

The horse-of-the-year vote for 1993 won't be revealed until Feb. 4, but Kotashaan was guaranteed the title Thursday when it was announced that he had beaten Lure in a close Eclipse Awards election for best male grass horse. With last year's dirt horses unable to establish any consistency, Kotashaan will become the first grass horse to win horse-of-the-year honors since John Henry in 1984.

Trainer Paco Gonzalez doesn't have to beat the drums for Bien Bien. He has Richard Mandella to do it for him. "Just think what Bien Bien would have done if it hadn't been for my horse," Mandella said. "It took everything Kotashaan had to beat Bien Bien in those races. Take Kotashaan out of those races and Bien Bien's almost got the record that my horse had."

Trainer Paco Gonzalez doesn't have to beat the drums for Bien Bien. He has Richard Mandella to do it for him. "Just think what Bien Bien would have done if it hadn't been for my horse," Mandella said. "It took everything Kotashaan had to beat Bien Bien in those races. Take Kotashaan out of those races and Bien Bien's almost got the record that my horse had."

Kotashaan, the California-based, French-bred horse, can take a big step toward being selected the horse of the year in the United States by winning the Japan Cup on Sunday. A victory in the world's richest horse race would be the seventh in 10 starts this year--all on the turf--for Koashaan, winner of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Turf in his last start on Nov. 6 at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old horse drew the No. 7 post for the Japan Cup, worth $3.65 million with a winner's purse of $1.57 million.

The best race of the weekend here won't be today's $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap, a Grade I that has been won in years past by stars such as Fastness (twice), Kotashaan, the horse of the year in 1993, Marquetry and Tight Spot. Rather, the marquee event is the $250,000 San Diego Handicap, which will be run for the 60th time late Sunday afternoon. A prep for the $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug.

Buoyed by the Breeders' Cup, Oak Tree at Santa Anita concluded its meeting with significant gains in total and average handle and total attendance. Total handle was up 39.8% over last year for the 31-day meeting, which concluded Monday. The combined handle was $244,682,794 compared to $175,073,560 last year. The average handle of $7,892,993 was up 21.7% over last year's $6,484,206 and the combined total attendance of 944,549 was up 15.8% above 1992's figure of 815,862.

In an unusual news conference, three prominent trainers told reporters Saturday that their horses have tested positive for the same prohibited medication after victories in the past month. One of the horses, Lady Blessington, tested positive after Mark Hennig saddled her for a victory worth $66,300 in the Buena Vista Handicap on Feb. 27.

The year was 1979, when Affirmed and Spectacular Bid were the leading candidates for horse-of-the-year honors. Talk about a tough vote. Affirmed, a 4-year-old, was beaten twice at Santa Anita before finishing the year with seven consecutive victories. The younger Spectacular Bid won the Florida Derby, the Flamingo, the Blue Grass, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness before leaving his own division to win the Marlboro Cup in the fall. His record for the year was 10 victories in 12 starts.

The horse-of-the-year vote for 1993 won't be revealed until Feb. 4, but Kotashaan was guaranteed the title Thursday when it was announced that he had beaten Lure in a close Eclipse Awards election for best male grass horse. With last year's dirt horses unable to establish any consistency, Kotashaan will become the first grass horse to win horse-of-the-year honors since John Henry in 1984.

Kotashaan, the California-based, French-bred horse, can take a big step toward being selected the horse of the year in the United States by winning the Japan Cup on Sunday. A victory in the world's richest horse race would be the seventh in 10 starts this year--all on the turf--for Koashaan, winner of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Turf in his last start on Nov. 6 at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old horse drew the No. 7 post for the Japan Cup, worth $3.65 million with a winner's purse of $1.57 million.

A grandson of Northern Dancer and a son of Danzig, Zignew is a 4-year-old colt whose races have never been as good as his breeding. Northern Dancer won the Kentucky Derby in 1964; 29 years later, Sea Hero, a grandson of Danzig, did the same. But Zignew spent his 3-year-old season unable to bridge the competitive gap between allowance company and stakes races. Trainer Speedy Smithwick moved the colt from dirt to grass and back to dirt while trying to find the answer.