The Eclipse Awards: Celebrating Champion Thoroughbreds and Racing Excellence
The Eclipse Awards are the most prestigious honors in American Thoroughbred horse racing, annually recognizing top horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, and media contributors from the previous racing season. Named after the undefeated 18th-century British racehorse Eclipse — a foundational sire whose lineage transformed the modern Thoroughbred — these awards symbolize the pinnacle of achievement in the sport.
Origins and Evolution
Before 1971, different organizations selected champions in U.S. racing, often leading to conflicting choices for major titles like Horse of the Year. To unify these honors and establish a clear, standardized set of annual champions, representatives from the Daily Racing Form, the National Turf Writers Association, and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations collaborated to create a consolidated awards system: the Eclipse Awards.
The awards are presented each January following the end of the racing year, reflecting performances from the prior calendar year. Winners are selected by a panel representing the three founding organizations.
Each Eclipse Award trophy is uniquely crafted — designed by artist Adalin Wichman — and cast in bronze with a handcrafted Kentucky walnut base, making it both an artistic keepsake and a symbol of championship excellence.
2025 Finalists (Winners in Bold)
Finalists across the 17 main categories have been announced, showcasing a mix of emerging talent and established stars in American racing.
Equine Finalists & Winners (Bold)
Two-Year-Old Male: Brant, Gstaad (GB), Ted Noffey
Two-Year-Old Filly: Cy Fair, Explora, Super Corredora
Three-Year-Old Male: Baeza, Journalism, Sovereignty
Three-Year-Old Filly: Good Cheer, Nitrogen, Shisospicy
Older Dirt Male: Forever Young (JPN), Nysos, Sierra Leone
Older Dirt Female: Scylla, Splendora, Thorpedo Anna
Male Sprinter: Bentornato, Book’em Danno, Nysos
Female Sprinter: Kopion, Shisospicy, Splendora
Male Turf Horse: Deterministic, Notable Speech (GB), Rebel’s Romance (IRE)
Female Turf Horse: Gezora (FR), She Feels Pretty, Shisospicy
Steeplechase Horse: Cool Jet (IRE), Swore, Zanahiyr (IRE)
Human & Industry Finalists
Outstanding Trainer: Chad Brown, Brad Cox, Bill Mott
Outstanding Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., Flavien Prat, John Velazquez
Apprentice Jockey: Christopher Elliott, Yedsit Hazlewood, Pietro Moran
Owner: Godolphin LLC, Klaravich Stables, Spendthrift Farm
Breeder: Don Alberto Corp., Godolphin LLC, WinStar Farm
Horse of the Year: Forever Young, Sovereignty, Journalism
Dan Piazza – 2025 Horseplayer of the Year, a nod to excellence off the track.
