Bill Mott Wins Fourth Eclipse Award

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott won his fourth Eclipse Award as the nation's leading trainer in 2023. The 70-year-old saddled the winners of 10 Grade I races in 2023, including Eclipse finalists Cody's Wish, Elite Power, and Just F Y I, and his stable recorded earnings of $17.43 million–most ever in his storied career. Mott also earned Eclipse championships in 1995, 1996 and 2011.

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Eclipse Awards 2023: A Rough Morning Line For Horse of the Year

The winners in 10 equine and seven human categories will be revealed beginning around 7:30 Thursday evening at the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. A who's who of the American Thoroughbred industry will be dressed to the nines as the newest group of champions is announced.

Of the equine divisions–as is frequently the case–the majority feature little suspense, while there exists a fair bit of intrigue and arguments to be made for multiple horses in the older dirt male division, the female sprint division, the female turf category, and, not least, for the granddaddy of them all: the statuette for American Horse of the Year for 2023.

By the estimation of this writer, five horses amassed a body of work deserving of a spot on the ballot for the top prize. I am not a morning-line maker, so please no critiquing of the odds, but to follow is a highly unscientific attempt at handicapping those who could be announced as Horse of the Year finalists during Thursday's ceremonies (Ed's note: while the divisional finalists were announced a few weeks ago, the finalists for Horse of the Year were not revealed at that time).

White Abarrio (Race Day, 5-2): To win the GI Whitney S. and GI Breeders' Cup Classic consecutively and in a fashion as convincingly as he did, the Rick Dutrow, Jr.-trainee got my vote for Thursday's top honors. Though he was fairly well-beaten by the candidate below in the GI Met Mile–while admittedly in receipt of six pounds–the effort was anything but a disaster, and he did turn the tables in no uncertain terms in the Whitney, when Cody's Wish was sportingly tried over a stamina-sapping nine furlongs. He's my idea of Horse of the Year, but perhaps not the likeliest winner.

Cody's Wish (Curlin, 6-5): The lone blemish in the Whitney aside, and I am willing to be forgiving of it, Cody's Wish's campaign was brilliant, as he won three times at Grade I level (one more than White Abarrio) and once at Grade II. To take something of a contrarian point of view, his Vosburgh didn't exactly pass the eye (or speed) test and he was very game–if not spectacular–in defending his GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The story is heartwarming and it sadly turned heartbreaking, but I am duty bound to judge horses' ability. Sentimentality might win the day and there were some misguided opinions that 'the story matters sometimes' and not what these athletes did on the racetrack, but I went the other direction in a category this guy may well win.

Elite Power (Curlin, 8-1): One of his spectacular sire's three Eclipse winners last year and it would be a surprise if he didn't become the third back-to-back winner in the sprint division. But did he do enough to be HOTY? Probably not. The big chestnut won the season series with fellow finalist Gunite (Gun Runner) by a score of 3-1 (including the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint) and he was dominating in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Enormous talent who has every chance to make his mark as a stallion at Juddmonte, but no better than the distant third choice here.

Up to the Mark (Not This Time, 20-1): In another year, Up to the Mark–who will be favored in the male turf division–may have had a say here, as he sensationally won Grade I races at a mile, nine furlongs and 10 furlongs, and was hardly disgraced when trying a mile and a half for the first time in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. It is no stretch to mention him in the same breath as Bricks and Mortar and Wise Dan–he's not out of his depth there–but unlike those two, he is an unlikely winner here, though it wouldn't be a total shock if he made the final three.

Idiomatic (Curlin, 50-1): She is regally bred and it would be a stretch to call her a 'rags-to-riches' story given her pedigree and connections. But it's fair to say she surprised even those closest to her in 2023, as she went from a Turfway allowance win on Jan. 4 to close an eight-for-nine season with a tough-as-nails victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. According to published reports, she remains in training as a 5-year-old in 2024. That's good news for fans, and bad news for anyone who owns anything in the Distaff division. Who knows, maybe she scoops this award at next year's ceremony.

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Cody’s Wish Wins Moment Of The Year

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) and Daily Racing Form announced that for the second year running, the story of Cody's Wish has been voted the FanDuel Racing/NTRA Moment of the Year based on the results of nearly 4,000 votes case via Twitter in an online poll. Cody's Wish thrilled his fans, including his late namesake Cody Dorman, with a successful defense of his title in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 4

The Moment of the Year will be recognized during the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards Presented by FanDuel, John Deere, Keeneland and The Jockey Club Thursday at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida.

The 13 eligible 2023 moments were selected to illustrate the wide range of equine achievements and human emotions, as well as exceptional displays of athleticism. Voting concluded at midnight on Jan. 17.

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Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Legacy Farm

As we approach the opening of the 2024 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why.

Here we catch up with Larry Johnson, the owner of Legacy Farm in Bluemont, Virginia.

“I'm trying to go from primarily breed-to-race to more commercial opportunities,” said Johnson.

A GREAT TIME (10, Street Magician – Short Time, by Clever Trick) to be bred to Constitution
A homebred stakes winner of nearly $250,000 by my homebred stallion Street Magician (Street Cry {Ire}), she is a three-quarter sister to homebred Grade I winner Victor's Cry (Street Cry {Ire}). Her first foal by Gun Runner is a just-turned 2-year-old that I will race.
She is in foal to Justify, who I was fortunate to get for $100,000, and will be bred to Constitution, who I am a shareholder in. I believe he has his best days still ahead of him.

ALLWEWANTFORXMAS (15, Songandaprayer- Grecian Wings, by Mr. Greeley) to be bred to Cody's Wish
This MSP homebred is the dam of my Grade III winner of $400,000 Spun Glass (Hard Spun) and the stakes-placed winner of nearly $200,000 Xmas Surprise (More Than Ready). I will race her current 3-year-old by Hard Spun. Her 2-year-old by Gun Runner was a $325,000 Keeneland September Yearling.
She is booked to Cody's Wish, whose record and story needs no further explanation.

IN THE NAVY NOW (11, Midshipman – Looking Afar, by Broad Brush) to be bred to Maxfield
A relatively rare 2-year-old purchase for Mike Trombetta and me. She is a stakes winner of $250,000 and her first foal is the now stakes-placed filly Naval Empire (Empire Maker). Her current 3-year-old sold for $200,000 at Keeneland. She has a Street Sense 2-year-old that we retained and an Omaha Beach yearling. She is in foal to McKinzie and booked to Maxfield to leverage the quality of her current Street Sense 2-year-old.

NEVER ENOUGH TIME (6, Munnings – What Time it Is, by Partner's Hero) to be bred to Life Is Good
A homebred daughter of Munnings, she is a multiple stakes winner of $400,000. Her first foal is a Constitution yearling. She is back in foal to him and will be bred to Life Is Good, who averaged over $400,000 as a covering sire. The potential should be limitless.

PAST AS PRELUDE (13, Bernardini – Magical Meadow, by Meadowlake) to be bred to Charlatan
A homebred daughter of Bernardini and a half to my homebred graded stakes winner Street Magician. She is already the dam of the MSP earner of $245,000 Continentalcongres and the stakes-quality filly Future is Now (Great Notion). She is booked to Charlatan for this year. His racing ability and pedigree speaks for itself and his first crop has averaged nearly $200,000.

SKY COPPER (19, Sky Mesa – Legendary Priness, by Gone West) to be bred to Maxfield
This stakes-placed mare is already the dam of Sky's Not Falling, a current stakes winner of $400,000, and two stakes horses by Street Magician. Her current 2-year-old by McKinzie was a $230,000 RNA at Saratoga this past year. She has a McKinzie yearling and is in foal to him. She is booked to Maxfield for 2024, all to leverage the Street Cry influence (that has already worked). The 2024 breeding will also be a 3×3 breeding to Caress, the dam of Sky Mesa.

SPUN GLASS (7, Hard Spun – Allwewantforxmas, by Songandaprayer) to be bred to Medaglia d'Oro
Spun Glass is a newly retired homebred Grade III winner of $400,000. Her first breeding will be to Medaglio d'Oro, a proven Grade I sire who gets runners on all surfaces and distances. At his current fee, he is a remarkable value.

WALK OF STARS (13, Street Sense – Star Kell, by Star de Naskra) to be bred to Essential Quality
Walk of Stars is a homebred stakes winner and is a half to Strike the Moon (Malibu Moon), a multiple stakes winner of nearly $700,000, and What Time It Is (Partner's Hero), the dam of MSW Never Enough Time (Munnings). Her 3-year-old by Constitution was a $600,000 Keeneland September graduate. She has already produced the stakes placed Hollywood Walk (Animal Kingdom). She has a Maclean's Music yearling and is in foal to Jack Christopher, which will produce a breeding similar to Never Enough Time. She is booked to Essential Quality for 2024 to build on the Tapit bloodline that produced her $600,000 yearling.

WHAT TIME IT IS (Partner's Hero – Star Kell, by Star de Naskra) to be bred to Olympiad
What Time It Is is a MSP homebred with earnings of $220,000. Her current 3-year-old by Munnings was a $280,000 Saratoga grad and is currently in training with Wesley Ward. She has already produced MSW Never Enough Time (Munnings) and is currently in foal to Charlatan. She will be bred to Olympiad for 2024. Both of these stallions have been extremely well received by the market to this point.

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