The Thoroughbred industry celebrated its champions Jan. 28 during a virtual ceremony presented by Spendthrift Farm to announce its 2020 Eclipse Award winners. For the 17th time in the last 21 years a Kentucky-bred earned top honors as Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Authentic was crowned Horse of the Year.

Owned by Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing and trained by Bob Baffert, Authentic dominating the voting, receiving 224 of the 238 first-place votes for Horse of the Year. He was also honored as Champion 3-Year-Old Male.

A son of 2020’s leading sire Into Mischief, Authentic, bred by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, captured five of seven starts in his championship season. He became the first horse since American Pharoah in 2015 to capture both the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. In addition to those two victories, Authentic also won the Haskell Invitational (G1), the San Felipe S. (G2), and Sham Stakes (G3), and finished second in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), and the Preakness Stakes (G1). All told in his career, Authentic won six of eight starts and earned $7,201,200.

The Kentucky-breds honored with Eclipse Awards for their exploits in 2020 are:

2-Year-Old Male
Essential Quality
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Godolphin

2-Year-Old Filly
Vequist
Owners: Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Swilcan Stable
Breeder: Swilcan Stable

3-Year-Old Filly
Swiss Skydiver
Owner: Peter Callahan
Breeder: WinStar Farm

Older Dirt Male
Improbable
Owners: WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing
Breeder: St. George Farm and G. Watts Humphrey Jr.

Older Dirt Female
Monomoy Girl
Owners: Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group (Stuart Grant), and Bethlehem Stables
Breeder: FPF LLC and Highfield Ranch

Male Sprinter
Whitmore
Owners: Robert LaPenta, Ron Moquett, and Head of Plains Partners
Breeder: John Liviakis

Female Sprinter
Gamine
Owner: Michael Lund Petersen
Breeder: Grace Thoroughbred Holdings LLC

Female Turf Horse
Rushing Fall
Owner: e5 Racing Thoroughbreds
Breeders: Fred Hertrich II and John Fielding