Horse of the Year | Horse Racing Free Tips

Virtual Eclipse Awards Thursday

The 50th annual Eclipse Awards, honoring champions of 2020, will be held virtually Thursday beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. The ceremony, presented by Spendthrift Farm, will be televised on TVG and RTN and streamed by a number of other industry outlets, including on the TDN website. The official digital program can be viewed at NTRA.com. GI Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic winner Authentic (Into Mischief) appears likely to take home Horse of the Year honors, along with champion 3-year-old male for a 2020 campaign that also included a win in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. and seconds in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and GI Preakness S. Fellow Bob Baffert trainee Improbable (City Zip) is also a Horse of the Year finalist as well as presumed champion older male. He took a trio of prestigious Grade I events last year–the Hollywood Gold Cup S., Whitney S. and Awesome Again S. before finishing second in the Classic. Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), the leader in the champion older female category, rounds out the Horse of the Year finalists. Named champion 3-year-old filly in 2018, the Brad Cox pupil missed of all 2019, but capped a four-for-four 5-year-old season with her second GI Breeders' Cup Distaff title. She subsequently sold to Spendthrift Farm for $9.5 million at Fasig-Tipton November. See Friday's TDN for a complete recap of the awards.

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Authentic, Improbable, Monomoy Girl to Fight Out Horse Of The Year

Authentic (Into Mischief), winner of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic; ‘TDN Rising Star’ Improbable (City Zip), a dual Grade I winner and runner-up in the Classic; and Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), who capped a four-for-four season with a second victory in the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, are the finalists for 2020 Horse of the Year as Eclipse Award finalists were announced Saturday on TVG.

Authentic is one of three individual Eclipse finalists in four separate categories for the all-conquering Into Mischief, whose daughter Gamine was nominated for both 3-year-old filly and champion female sprinter in a campaign that saw her post wide-margin victories in the GI Longines Acorn S. and GI Test S. against her peers and a defeat of fellow dual-category finalist Serengeti Empress (Alternation) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Into Mischief’s third finalist is Dayoutoutoftheoffice, who defeated Vequist (Nyquist) in the GI Frizette S. in October before the latter turned the tables on Breeders’ Cup Friday at Keeneland. Nyquist is the lone freshman sire of 2020 to be represented by a finalist.

Improbable, who is also a favorite for champion dirt male, was a convincing winner of the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita, the GI Whitney S. and GI Awesome Again S. before falling 2 1/4 lengths shy in the Classic. Monomoy Girl missed the entirety of the 2019 season with a series of setbacks, but proved the queen of the mountain in the dirt female division, completing her undefeated campaign with a smooth win in the Distaff over Valiance (Tapit). She later sold to Spendthrift Farm for $9.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars and remains in training for a 6-year-old season in 2020.

Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) was also named a finalist in two divisions (dirt male and sprinter), while recent Lane’s End Farm import Daredevil is the only other stallion to have multiple finalists, with GI Preakness S. heroine Swiss Skydiver and GI Kentucky Oaks upsetter Shedaresthedevil each in the running for champion 3-year-old filly.

The other Eclipse Award finalists, which include no fewer than six ‘TDN Rising Stars’ are as follows:

2YO Male

Essential Quality (Tapit), ‘TDN Rising Star‘

Fire At Will (Declaration of War)

Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music)

2YO Female

Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), ‘TDN Rising Star‘

Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief)

Vequist (Nyquist)

3YO Male

Authentic (Into Mischief)

Nadal (Blame), ‘TDN Rising Star‘

Tiz The Law (Constitution)

3YO Female

Gamine (Into Mischief), ‘TDN Rising Star‘

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil)

Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil)

Older Dirt Male

Improbable (City Zip), ‘TDN Rising Star‘

Maximum Security (New Year’s Day)

Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg})

Dirt Female

Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute)

Monomoy Girl (Tapizar)

Serengeti Empress (Alternation)

Male Sprinter

Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg})

Volatile (Violence)

Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect)

Female Sprinter

Gamine (Into Mischief), ‘TDN Rising Star‘

Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead)

Serengeti Empress (Alternation)

Turf Male

Channel Maker (English Channel)

Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB})

Zulu Alpha (Street Cry {Ire})

Turf Female

Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB})

Rushing Fall (More Than Ready), ‘TDN Rising Star‘

Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal)

Steeplechase

Moscato (GB) (Hernando {Fr})

Rashaan (Ire) (Manduro {Ger})

Snap Decision (Hard Spun)

Horse of the Year

Authentic (Into Mischief)

Improbable (City Zip)

Monomoy Girl (Tapizar)

Owner

Godolphin

Klaravich Stables

Spendthrift/MyRacehorse/Madaket/Starlight

Breeder

Peter Blum Thoroughbreds

Calumet Farm

WinStar Farm LLC

Jockey

Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Joel Rosario

John Velazquez

Apprentice

Luis Cardenas

Yarmarie Correa

Alexander Crispin

Trainer

Steve Asmussen

Bob Baffert

Brad Cox

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Horse Of The Year, 16 Divisional Eclipse Awards Finalists Named

Led by Horse of the Year candidates Authentic, Improbable and Monomoy Girl, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) on Saturday announced the finalists for the 2020 Eclipse Awards, recognizing excellence in Thoroughbred racing.

Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be announced on TVG, and other outlets, during a virtual ceremony of the 50th annual Eclipse Awards, presented by Spendthrift Farm, on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. ET.

Of the 249 eligible voters represented by the NTRA, consisting of member racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, the NTWAB, and Daily Racing Form, 238 (95.58%) took part in the voting. Finalists were determined in each category by voters' top three selections, using a 10-5-1 point basis. Eclipse Award winners are determined solely by first-place votes.

The 2020 Eclipse Awards finalists (in alphabetical order) are:

Horse of the Year: Authentic, Improbable, Monomoy Girl

Two-Year-Old Male: Essential Quality, Fire At Will, Jackie's Warrior

Two-Year-Old Filly: Aunt Pearl (IRE), Dayoutoftheoffice, Vequist

Three-Year-Old Male: Authentic, Nadal, Tiz the Law

Three-Year-Old Filly: Gamine, Shedaresthedevil, Swiss Skydiver

Older Dirt Male: Improbable, Maximum Security, Vekoma

Older Dirt Female: Midnight Bisou, Monomoy Girl, Serengeti Empress

Male Sprinter: Vekoma, Volatile, Whitmore

Female Sprinter: Gamine, Glass Slippers (GB), Serengeti Empress

Male Turf Horse: Channel Maker, Order of Australia (IRE), Zulu Alpha

Female Turf Horse: Audarya (FR), Rushing Fall, Tarnawa (IRE)

Steeplechase Horse: Moscato (GB), Rashaan (IRE), Snap Decision

Owner: Godolphin LLC; Klaravich Stables Inc.; Spendthrift Farm LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, and Starlight Racing

Breeder: Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds LLC, Calumet Farm, WinStar Farm LLC

Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, Brad Cox

Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr., Joel Rosario, John Velazquez

Apprentice Jockey: Luis Cardenas, Yarmarie Correa, Alexander Crispin

In addition to honoring the 17 winners in the horse and human categories, Thomas Goldsmith will receive the Eclipse Award as the 2020 Horseplayer of the Year. Members of the media will be honored for outstanding coverage in six categories.

Eclipse Awards voting is conducted by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), and Daily Racing Form. The Eclipse Awards ceremony is produced by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

The Eclipse Awards are sponsored by Spendthrift Farm, Keeneland, Racetrack Television Network, Four Roses Bourbon, Daily Racing Form, Breeders' Cup, FanDuel Group, The Stronach Group, TVG, Dean Dorton, Stonestreet Farm, Jackson Family Wines, Florida HBPA, Runhappy, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Hallway Feeds and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.

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Horse of the Year Azeri Pensioned

American Horse of the Year Azeri (Jade Hunter-Zodiac Miss {Aus}, by Ahonoora {GB}) has been pensioned from broodmare duty. The chestnut will instead become a lead horse, educating weanlings and yearlings at the Northern Horse Park in Japan according to a recent video posted by the park. The news was first reported by Daily Racing Form.

Bred by Allen E. Paulson, Azeri raced in his living trust’s colors to wins in 11 Grade I races, while picking up titles as Champion Older Mare in 2002/03/04 and a Horse of the Year title in 2002. She won three editions of the GI Apple Blossom H. (02-04) and two editions each of the GI Vanity H. (02/03) and GI Milady Breeders’ Cup H. in the same two years, respectively. In addition, she won the 2002 GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff, 2002 GI Santa Margarita Invitational H. as well as the 2004 GI Spinster S. and 2004 GI Go for Wand H. For the first several seasons of her career she was trained by Laura de Seroux before being transferred to D. Wayne Lukas for her 2004 campaign. In total the game chestnut earned $4,079,820 with 17 wins from 24 starts.

During the American portion of her broodmare career Azeri’s three foals were led by MGSW and GI Juddmonte Spinster third Wine Princess (Ghostzapper) and GSP Arienza (Giant’s Causeway). She was purchased for $2.25 million by Katsumi Yoshida at Keeneland November in 2009 and had another nine foals in Japan. From that bunch, the best were the MGSP Leukerbad (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and GSP Shirvanshah (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Overall, Azeri foaled nine winners from nine runners. Her latest produce is a Drefong filly of 2020.

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