Wise Dan was all heart to prevail in his comeback from colic surgery (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

T: WISE DAN had a real gut problem that forced him to undergo emergency colic surgery in May. But there's never been anything wrong with his metaphorical guts, as he proved once again in his victorious comeback in the August 30 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga. Under the top weight of 127 pounds, the sure-fire Hall of Famer fought to keep his nose in front in near course-record time. That aptly sums up his perfect four-for-four season, which didn't showcase his old brilliance as much as his implacable will to triumph over adversity.

F&M: CHARLIE EM was apparently no match for the 3-5 Customer Base turning for home in the June 26 Possibly Perfect at Santa Anita. Soldiering on in pursuit, however, Charlie Em was the soul of never-say-die pluck. Customer Base got an overconfident ride, and Charlie Em had a six-pound pull at the weights, but her almost-palpable determination made an otherwise forgettable race memorable.

Main Sequence was unstoppable in his tail-swishing glory (Breeders' Cup Ltd. Photo)

T: MAIN SEQUENCE deserves this four times over. His tail-flashing, last-to-first move in the July 6 United Nations in his U.S. debut was the harbinger of things to come. Looking up against it in the stretch of the August 17 Sword Dancer, the Graham Motion charge suddenly lurched into gear and got up in time. Main Sequence cut it fine again in the September 27 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, prompting me to underestimate him foolishly going into the November 1 Breeders' Cup Turf. But the Niarchos Family homebred was only saving his best for last. Readily outkicking the high-class Flintshire, Main Sequence continued his perfect sequence stateside and enjoyed his most "comfortable" margin so far -- a half-length.

F&M: LADY ELI was dazzling in the October 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, thereby compelling me to bestow a rare honor upon a two-year-old. While the Chad Brown pupil had been similarly emphatic in the Miss Grillo, her performance at Santa Anita made me a believer. SPARKLING REVIEW gets an honorable mention for inhaling her opponents in both the October 17 Valley View and the November 15 Mrs. Revere, and remaining unbeaten on turf.

Karakontie and Anodin ran up to their BC Mile bloodlines (Breeders' Cup Ltd. Photo)

T: KARAKONTIE and ANODIN both had direct pedigree connections to two of the most illustrious Breeders' Cup Mile heroines, and the French colts did them proud by running one-two at Santa Anita. Two-time Mile star Miesque is the great-granddam of Karakontie, while Anodin is a full brother to three-time Mile legend Goldikova. Normally Karakontie's 30-1 surprise would have been honored in the "biggest upset" category. Anytime I get an excuse to mention Miesque and Goldikova, though, I'll take it -- voila, a new category.

F&M: CROWN QUEEN, a half-sister to three-time Eclipse Award winner Royal Delta, is living up to her exquisite pedigree for the same connections. The $1.6 million purchase was a rapid improver in 2014, crowning her perfect season in the October 11 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. Crown Queen has raced exclusively on turf so far. Royal Delta, of course, never raced on turf. The tantalizing question is: will Crown Queen have an opportunity to try dirt for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in 2015?

Mr Speaker (right) silenced the eventual Secretariat and Cox Plate winner (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography/Chelsea Durand)

T: MR SPEAKER rallied from last at odds of 23-1 in the July 5 Belmont Derby Invitational, turning in a career-best performance to overrule Aidan O'Brien's 2-1 hotshot Adelaide (who's on my International honors list). To be fair, Mr Speaker was eligible to rebound off a subpar effort in the May 26 Pennine Ridge, and a return to his prior turf/synthetic form would give him a chance. But the Shug McGaughey trainee wielded real authority to bring the gavel down on Adelaide after the Irish colt appeared to have made the winning move. More inscrutable was the romp by 39-1 longshot LOCHTE in the February 9 Gulfstream Park Turf, where he upstaged a solid cast in his stakes debut.

F&M: HARD NOT TO LIKE was a bit hard to like in a contentious Jenny Wiley on April 12, but the 13-1 chance maneuvered through the field for a last-gasp surprise. It was very much a case of the last shall be first, for she had been last across the wire in the 2013 edition of the Keeneland feature.

Hardest Core was the storyline of Arlington Million week (Four Footed Fotos)

T: HARDEST CORE's tale could be a movie script. A useful type when trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, he was bought as a steeplechase prospect by Greg Bentley for his son Andrew, who has Down Syndrome. Things went horribly wrong when Hardest Core was gelded, and he nearly died. After more plot twists regarding his trainers, he wound up with Eddie Graham, suddenly blossomed on the flat, and upset 2013 Breeders' Cup Turf hero Magician in the August 16 Arlington Million. Andrew's joy made it that much better; he has a gift for helping us to keep everything in proper perspective. Although not as dramatic a story, TOM'S TRIBUTE has been a worthy tribute to the late Tom Braly. Racing for Braly's widow, Marilyn, Tom's Tribute hit the heights at Del Mar last summer when landing both the July 20 Eddie Read and August 24 Del Mar Mile.

F&M: MOULIN DE MOUGIN and ALEXIS TANGIER, half-sisters out of downhill machine Cambiocorsa, sent us on a roller-coaster of emotions within the span of an hour on September 27 at Santa Anita -- but with a happy ending for their connections, owner/breeder Ran Jan Racing and Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. Moulin de Mougin, among the top contenders in the Rodeo Drive, was uncorking a bold circling move on the far turn when she fell and crashed into the turf. It was heart-in-the-mouth, punch-in-the-gut time for a few seconds, until she bounced up and galloped off. Moulin de Mougin was later diagnosed with bone bruising and sent on vacation, but she escaped what could have been a catastrophe. Jockey Mike Smith was also all right as he came back to ride Shared Belief to an overland score in the next race, the Awesome Again. Then came the Unzip Me Stakes, on the downhill turf, and Alexis Tangier restored her connections' fortune with a winning stakes debut. She proved to be her mother's daughter, and won one for her half-sister.

Perennial Grade 1 bridesmaid Twilight Eclipse (right) lived in the shadow of Main Sequence (Bill Denver/Equi-Photo)

T: TWILIGHT ECLIPSE showed up in all six U.S. starts, most notably suffering heartbreakers at the hands of Main Sequence in the United Nations and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. The West Point standard-bearer was also third to his nemesis in the Sword Dancer and Breeders' Cup Turf (his sixth career Grade 1 placing). Before Main Sequence became the bane of his existence, Twilight Eclipse justified favoritism in the February 15 Mac Diarmida, threw in his lone clunker abroad in the March 29 Dubai Sheema Classic, and ran a gallant -- if non-staying -- fourth next time in the two-mile Belmont Gold Cup on June 6. Although KAIGUN had a few more blemishes, the Play the King and Seabiscuit winner should be mentioned for his trio of fine seconds in the Maker's 46 Mile (to Wise Dan), the June 7 Manhattan and September 14 Woodbine Mile.

F&M: LA TIA compiled a terrific 8-4-1-2 mark while racing on both turf and Polytrack in 2014. The only time she didn't crack the top three was in the loaded Beverly D., but the confirmed front runner still held on tough for fourth. The Illinois-bred capped her productive campaign with consecutive wins in the October 12 Athenia and November 30 Matriarch, earning a Grade 1 laurel in the latter. PARRANDA was a warrior all year, as her 10-4-2-2 record attests. Moreover, she mixed it up in good company on both coasts for two different sets of connections -- for Lone Stable and trainer Rodolfo Garcia at Gulfstream and for a partnership including Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer in California.

Dance with Fate had untapped potential (Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Tragically, we lost LAUGHING to colic at this time last year, just a few days after honoring her with our Comeback Player of the Year Award. The well-traveled VAGABOND SHOES had been happy to call Southern California home, for the seven-year-old gelding was in a purple patch of form, before breaking down fatally in the March 22 San Luis Rey. Blue Grass hero DANCE WITH FATE died after suffering irreparable injuries in a freak training accident on July 24 at Del Mar. The Peter Eurton trainee had raced on turf only once, but his convincing win in a Santa Anita allowance last January stamped him as one to follow on the surface. Fate never gave him another dance on the turf.