Sure, usually reserved for a horse, this year it goes to a trainer. Richard Dutrow Jr. returned from a 10-year suspension and showed yet again he’s a magician with a horse. He took over White Abarrio in mid-season, added glue-on shoes and won the Whitney and Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“I don’t feel that I am back at the top, but I feel that the white horse is,” Dutrow said after the Breeders’ Cup. “I’m just hanging around him. As soon as I get stables like Todd (Pletcher) and Chad (Brown), then I’ll feel like I’m back on the top.

“Right now, I just feel like I’m lucky to be around him. I feel he’s on the top, and I love being around good horses like that. It just makes you feel like a good horseman, and that’s always what I wanted to be.”

Far from a feel-good story, this one leaves you confounded. It’s hard to argue with Dutrow’s results while wondering about all the rest.

No, not Biden, Trump or any of the other pretenders. This goes to Idiomatic. The Juddmonte homebred went to the post nine times and racked up eight wins and a second.

“She comes from a pedigree that is Juddmonte through and through,” Garrett O’Rourke said after the Breeders’ Cup. “And her dam is Juddmonte, grand dam is Juddmonte, her maternal grand sire is Juddmonte. That’s tremendously satisfying for an owner/breeder operation like Prince Khalid and his sons.”

In an era where horses rest more than they run, the daughter of Curlin won three races at Turfway Park in the winter and, more importantly, won three Grade 1 stakes in the fall. What a year.

In a season where racing was marred with far too many deaths on far too many big days, the loss of Maple Leaf Mel at Saratoga stings the worst.

The undefeated sprinter had done it all in her short career and had done it all in the Grade 1 Test. She broke her leg strides before the wire in front of a Saturday crowd at Saratoga.

At a solo desk in a solemn office late into a Saturday night, I typed the final three sentences of a story called The Worst Test. An empty stall. A lost star. A shattered dream. The toughest words I ever typed.

Cody Dorman and his best friend Cody’s Wish captivated the sport, the world, with one of the most endearing and inexplicable journeys.

A boy overcoming incomprehensible challenges, his family helping and coping with those challenges and a horse who rose to every occasion.

When Cody’s Wish won the Breeders’ Cup Mile, with Cody Dorman there, whew, what a story. It was the final day at the track for Cody’s Wish and, sadly, the final one for Cody Dorman, too. He died on the plane ride home the next day. Some stories don’t end the way you want.

As Cody’s dad, Kelly, said: “We were never as afraid of him dying as we were of him not being able to live.” Rest easy, Cody. Thank you for showing us all how to live.

Fayette Warrior did it the hard way in 2023. The seven-year-old son of Exchange Rate won 10 races from 18 starts to lead all horses (so far) during the year.

The chesnut gelding made his debut at Saratoga way back in 2018 and hit 19 tracks since, including victorious stops at Fonner Park, Energy Downs, Wyoming Downs, Sweetwater Downs and Columbus in 2023. You’ll need a GPS and a driver to find those off-the-path venues.

Kudos to nine-time winners Never Compromise and Divine Fashion, both are entered at Charles Town Saturday night.

Jena Antonucci proved yet again that you don’t have to be a super trainer to win the big ones.

In her 14th season training horses, Antonucci got her hands on her best horse.

Arcangelo won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Grade 1 Travers on his way to becoming the best three-year-old in a muddled division.

Unfortunately, he missed the Breeders’ Cup Classic and was retired with earnings of $1,754,900. That’s $1,445,350 more than Antonucci’s next best horse, Five Star Momma.

“Save nothing for the swim back.” It’s from the movie Gattaca and it’s how Ramiro Restrepo describes his approach to the horse business. Restrepo enjoyed the stroke of his life in 2023, co-owning Kentucky Derby winner Mage.

Another star from a smaller stable, the son of Good Magic won the biggest one on the biggest day. Third in the Preakness, second in the Haskell and seventh in the Travers, the chesnut colt didn’t get back in the water after that, retiring before the Breeders’ Cup.

Brad Cox won the most money and Steve Asmussen won the most races, but Bill Mott yet again showed why he’s still the modern-day leader.

The Hall of Famer choreographed stellar seasons with every kind of horse. Seven-year-old Casa Creed won the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga for the second straight year. Five-year-old miler Cody’s Wish won four Grade 1 stakes. Five-year-old sprinter Elite Power won three of four, including another Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Two-year-old filly Just F Y I went three-for-three, including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly. Six-year-old mare War Like Goddess banked $563,000.

Godolphin did it again, reigning supreme with 86 wins and over $17 million in earnings, that’s nearly $8 million ahead of Klaravich Stable in second.

The blue team turned it around with a homebred breeding programme that produced the likes of Cody’s Wish, Proxy, Wet Paint and Pretty Mischievous.

Sure, it looks easy, but Godolphin changed its approach and earnings have jumped from $5 million seasonally to over $16 million in each of the past three seasons. Give credit where credit’s due.

Irad Ortiz Jr. continued his dominance at the top of the tree, winning 343 races for over $38 million. White Abarrio led the way. Forte, Elite Power, Goodnight Olive, Up To The Mark and a gaggle of other stars contributed to another career year for the Puerto Rican jockey who is in line for his fifth Eclipse Award. Beyond Ortiz, Tyler Gaffalione continued his climb into elite status.

Veteran Javier Castellano returned as a go-to, big-time jockey, winning his first Kentucky Derby with Mage and adding the Travers with Arcangelo, the E. P. Taylor and Beverly D. with Fev Rover, the Jockey Club Gold Cup with Bright Future and the United Nations with Therapist. Ortiz or Castellano for Eclipse Award?

Ryan Moore on Auguste Rodin in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. We are living in an age of greatness.

Whoa, that’s a tough one. The Eclipse Award comes down to six nominees, which will be narrowed down to three finalists and eventually one winner.

Good old-fashioned Kentucky-breds Awakened and Snap Decision clash with Irish-breds Belfast Banter, Merry Maker, Noah And The Ark and Scaramanga. It’s anybody’s guess.

Auguste Rodin, Master Of The Seas, Gold Phoenix, Fev Rover and Mawj hit the top 100 on the earnings list.

Journeyman James Graham won his 3,000th career race in December. The hard-working veteran has hammered his own peg amongst the top jockeys. As he once said, “Keep trying. Always keep trying.”

Jockeys Alex Canchari and Avery Whisman took their own lives in 2023. A sad reminder of the demands of the sport and a wake-up call for the sport. If we allow it to wake us.

Icons lost. The sport said goodbye to Travers winner Point Given, top stallion Speightstown, Hall of Famer sprinter Xtra Heat, Derby winners Funny Cide and Fusaichi Pegasus and undefeated sprinter New York Thunder.

To trainers Lou Rondinello, Leon Blusiewicz, John Veitch, Ronnie Cartwright and Jonathan Sheppard.

To Hall of Fame jockey Bobby Ussery. And long sweet goodbyes to owners/breeders Brereton Jones, Alex Campbell Jr., Peggy Augustus, Burt Bacharach and Robert Lothenbach. Patches of racing’s quilt gone forever.