Eclipse Award finalists announced
Press Release
January 5, 2026
Preakness winner Journalism, Pennsylvania Derby winner Baeza, New Jersey-bred sprinter Book’em Danno, and Laurel-based bug rider Yedsit Hazlewood are among the finalists for Eclipse Awards in their respective categories.
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) on Sunday announced the finalists for the 2025 Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards, recognizing excellence through the past year in Thoroughbred racing. Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be announced on FanDuel TV, and other outlets, during the 55th Annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards, presented by John Deere, The Jockey Club and the NTRA, on Thursday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2025 Horse of the Year.
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Of the 240 eligible voters represented by the NTRA, consisting of racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, the NTWAB, and Daily Racing Form, 221 (92%) 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 2025 Eclipse Awards Finalists, with the exception of Horse of the Year, (in alphabetical order) are:
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)
Owner: Godolphin LLC, Klaravich Stables, Inc., Spendthrift Farm LLC
Breeder: Don Alberto Corporation, Godolphin LLC, WinStar Farm, LLC
Trainer: Chad Brown, Brad Cox, Bill Mott
Jockey: Irad Oritz Jr., Flavien Prat, John Velazquez
Apprentice Jockey: Christopher Elliott, Yedsit Hazlewood, Pietro Moran
Finalists for Horse of the Year will be announced during the live show on January 22. In addition to honoring the 17 winners in the horse and human categories, Dan Piazza will receive the Eclipse Award as the 2025 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 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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