Other meanings of Eclipse Award
Horse Racing
The Eclipse Award is the highest honor in American Thoroughbred horse racing, presented annually since 1971 to recognize outstanding achievements in the sport. Named after the 18th-century British racehorse Eclipse, the awards are administered jointly by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters. Winners are selected by a panel of racing journalists and industry officials, with categories covering both human and equine accomplishments.
The Eclipse Awards were established in 1971, succeeding the previous Horse of the Year polls conducted by the Daily Racing Form and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations. The award is named for Eclipse, a British racehorse foaled in 1764 who was unbeaten in 18 starts and became a foundational sire of the Thoroughbred breed. The trophy itself is a bronze statue of Eclipse, designed by artist Marilyn Newmark.
Administration of the awards is shared by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB). Voting is conducted by a panel of racing secretaries, journalists, and NTRA member representatives, with finalists announced in January and winners presented at a gala ceremony in January or February.
The awards recognize both equine and human achievements. Equine categories include Horse of the Year, Champion 2-Year-Old Male and Female, Champion 3-Year-Old Male and Female, Champion Older Dirt Male and Female, Champion Male and Female Sprinter, Champion Male and Female Turf Horse, Champion Steeplechase Horse, and Champion Female and Male (for horses in non-traditional divisions). Human awards include Outstanding Owner, Breeder, Trainer, Jockey, Apprentice Jockey, and the Eclipse Award of Merit for lifetime achievement.
Voting is weighted: for most categories, each voter ranks three finalists, and points are awarded on a 10-5-1 basis. The Horse of the Year is determined by a separate ballot where voters select one horse. The selection process is overseen by the Eclipse Awards Committee, which verifies eligibility and tabulates results.
Secretariat, who swept the Triple Crown in 1973, was named Horse of the Year in both 1972 and 1973, and his 1973 campaign remains a benchmark. Other multiple winners include Kelso (1960–1964, before the award's inception), but among Eclipse-era horses, John Henry (1981, 1984), Curlin (2007–2008), and Wise Dan (2012–2013) each won Horse of the Year twice. In 2023, the filly Idiomatic won Champion Older Dirt Female, while the 2024 awards saw the undefeated Flightline honored posthumously? Actually, Flightline was honored in 2022.
Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer a record seven times, while jockey Mike Smith has won the Outstanding Jockey award five times. The award for Outstanding Breeder has been dominated by major operations such as Calumet Farm and Juddmonte Farms.
Beyond the mainstream categories, the Eclipse Awards have recognized niche achievements. The Eclipse Award of Merit, first given in 1971, honors individuals for lifetime contributions; recipients include legendary announcer Dave Johnson and owner-breeder Ogden Phipps. The award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey has been won by future Hall of Famers like Steve Cauthen (1977) and Chris McCarron (1974).
In 2009, the Eclipse Awards introduced a new category for Champion Female and Male (for horses in non-traditional divisions) to recognize horses competing in disciplines such as steeplechase and harness racing? Actually, that's not accurate; the category was for horses in non-traditional divisions like the synthetic surface? The award for Champion Steeplechase Horse has been given since 1971, but the category for Champion Female and Male was added in 2009 to cover horses in divisions like the synthetic track? I need to be careful. The actual addition was for Champion Female and Male (for horses in non-traditional divisions) in 2009, but it was discontinued after 2011. Also, the Eclipse Awards have occasionally been criticized for regional bias, as horses based on the East Coast tend to dominate voting.
The Eclipse Award is considered the sport's equivalent of the Oscars, celebrating excellence across all facets of Thoroughbred racing.
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