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Irad Ortiz, Jr. Wins Third Straight Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey

It's Irad Ortiz, Jr.'s world and we're all just living in it. The 28-year-old from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico who has grown up into a superstar before the racing world's eyes continued his dominance in 2020, leading to a third consecutive Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. While his total earnings dipped over $10 million from his 2020 sum, that can be almost entirely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the cancellation of much of the racing calendar through March and April and dramatic purse cuts that plagued the entire year, Ortiz was particularly cautious about the coronavirus, spending more than a month out of the saddle from Mar. 19 to Apr. 25. Nevertheless, he still paced all jockeys last year by banking over $23 million and once again proved his tireless work ethic by riding 1,271 horses despite his five-week break, a number that trailed just Tyler Gaffalione and Luis Saez among riders in the top 25 in earnings. Yet again leading the country in total wins, he also racked up 27 graded stakes wins–just one behind Flavien Prat for top billing–from 100 mounts and clearly led all jockeys with 52 stakes scores.

Following up on capturing his first GI Breeders' Cup Classic victory toward the end of 2019, Ortiz started 2020 off with a bang by piloting home Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. He added top-level triumphs in the GI Whitney S. aboard Champion Older Dirt Male Improbable (City Zip), GI Jockey Club Gold Cup on Happy Saver (Super Saver), GI Breeders' Cup Sprint with Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) and GI Hollywood Derby on Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}). In addition to Whitmore, he also scored with Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint to bring his career World Championships wins to an even dozen.

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Crispin Awarded Eclipse for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey

Continuing the influx of Puerto Rican jockeys transferring their skills adroitly to racing in the mainland U.S., Alexander Crispin made a name for himself on the mid-Atlantic circuit in 2020. The 22-year-old, who studied at the famed Escuela Vocacional Hipica Agustin Mercado Reveron jockey school that produced John Velazquez, both Ortiz brothers, Manny Franco and myriad other successful Puerto Rican riders, Crispin first landed at Turfway Park in March and bounced around to Belterra Park and Indiana Grand before settling in the mid-Atlantic at Delaware Park in the summer. That's where he scored his first stakes victory aboard Singlino (Uncle Lino) in the $100,000 First State Dash Sept. 26, and he kept his momentum going at Laurel, finishing the year with over 100 total victories and more than $2 million in earnings, both second among all apprentices, while boasting a 19% strike rate.

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Vequist & Essential Quality Take Home Juvenile Championships

Vequist (Nyquist) cemented her status as the leader of what appeared to be an open division earlier in the fall with a decisive score in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 6.

The dark bay finished second in her July 29 debut at Parx, but her connections clearly had plenty of faith in her after that effort, sending her to Saratoga for the GI Spinaway S. Sept. 6. She demolished the field that day, earning her diploma by 9 1/2 lengths and becoming her freshman sire's first Grade I winner. Second to Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) as the favorite next out in Belmont's GI Frizette S. Oct. 10, Vequist turned the tables on that rival next out at the World Championships at Keeneland, winning by two lengths at odds of 6-1.

Essential Quality (Tapit) started on his path towards the roses and stamped himself as the top juvenile male of the year with a perfect 2020 season. Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off a dominant graduation in his Sept. 5 unveiling at Churchill Downs, the Brad Cox trainee scored another good-looking win in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. Oct. 3. The gray returned to that venue for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 6, where he rallied from well back to register a 3/4-length victory.

Owned and bred by Godolphin, Essential Quality is out of GSP Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality), a half-sister to champion juvenile filly Folklore (Tiznow), whose own half-sister Rhodochrosite (Unbridled's Song) is the dam of 2020 Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

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Swiss Skydiver and Authentic Top Sophomore Divisions

Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) dominated the 3-year-old filly division in 2020 and even defeated some of the top older males of her generation, making her the clear-cut choice for this award. Kicking off her sophomore season with a third in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at Fair Grounds in February, the $35,000 KEESEP buy rebounded with a trio of decisive victories in the Mar. 28 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, May 1 GIII Fantasy S. and June 6 GII Santa Anita Oaks. Trainer Ken McPeek tried his charge against males for the first time in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland July 11, where she finished a valiant second to Art Collector (Bernardini).

Returning to winning ways with a facile victory in Saratoga's prestigious GI Alabama S. Aug. 15, Swiss Skydiver checked in second to Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) next out in the delayed GI Longines Kentucky Oaks Sept. 4. Despite that loss, McPeek and owner Peter Callahan had enough faith in their star filly to take on males yet again, this time in the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3. Swiss Skydiver dueled stride-for-stride with fellow champion and GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (Into Mischief) in the lane, turning back that foe in the final strides for a gutsy victory. The chestnut is the sixth filly to win the Preakness and the first since Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) in 2009. She was last seen finishing a disappointing seventh behind two-time Eclipse winner Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) after stumbling at the start of the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7.

Over the summer many would have thought Tiz the Law (Constitution) would be taking home the award for top sophomore male, but Authentic (Into Mischief) seized the throne after a sensational fall campaign during which he took home the season's two biggest prizes. A good-looking debut winner at Del Mar in November of 2019, the leggy bay demolished the field in the GIII Sham S. at the start of 2020, despite ducking in harshly in the lane. Following suit with a game victory in the GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita in March, the $350,000 KEESEP acquisition tasted defeat for the first time at the hooves of Honor A.P. (Honor Code), finishing second in the June 6 GI Santa Anita Derby after breaking a step slow, traveling wide and drifting in the stretch.

Off to a sharp start next out in the nine-furlong GI Haskell Invitational S. July 18, Authentic took the field wire-to-wire, holding off a determined Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic) by a nose. Many doubted his ability to see out the GI Kentucky Derby's 10-furlong distance after that effort, but the May foal silenced all doubters with a front-running victory over favored GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. victor Tiz the Law. The Bob Baffert pupil did not get his preferred position on the front end in the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3 and came up a neck short of champion filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) after a gritty stretch duel. Facing his elders for the first time including champion stablemates Improbable (City Zip) and Maximum Security (New Year's Day) in the Nov. 7 GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Authentic went straight to the lead on a Keeneland oval favoring speed and ran his rivals off their feet for a 2 1/4-length score. Following that career-high, the colt was retired to the Spendthrift stallion barn, where he will stand alongside his red hot sire Into Mischief.

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