The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) announced Thursday, Jan. 22, that Kentucky-bred Sovereignty, who won five races last year, including the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the Belmont Stakes (G1), was named the 2025 Horse of the Year at the 55th Annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards ceremony.
The Eclipse Awards, honoring excellence in North American Thoroughbred racing, are voted on by the NTRA, consisting of member racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, Daily Racing Form (DRF), and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.
Owned and bred by Godolphin and trained by Bill Mott, Sovereignty received 201 out of a possible 220 first-place votes for Horse of the Year. As a 3-year-old, Sovereignty won the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park, the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, the Belmont Stakes, the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), and the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. He was ridden in all his races by Junior Alvarado. In addition to capturing Horse of the Year, Sovereignty was also voted Champion Three-Year-Old Male.
It was a big night for Sovereignty’s connections, as Godolphin, his owner and breeder, swept the Outstanding Owner and Breeder Eclipse Awards, and Mott was voted Outstanding Trainer.
The complete list of 2025 Eclipse Award winners, which includes seven Kentucky-breds:
- Two-Year-Old Male: Ted Noffey (KY)
- Two-Year-Old Filly: Super Corredora (KY)
- Three-Year-Old Male: Sovereignty (KY)
- Three-Year-Old Filly: Nitrogen (KY)
- Older Dirt Male: Forever Young
- Older Dirt Female: Thorpedo Anna (KY)
- Male Sprinter: Book’em Danno
- Female Sprinter: Shisospicy (KY)
- Male Turf Horse: Notable Speech
- Female Turf Horse: She Feels Pretty (KY)
- Steeplechase Horse: Cool Jet
- Owner: Godolphin LLC
- Breeder: Godolphin
- Jockey: Flavien Prat
- Apprentice Jockey: Pietro Moran
- Trainer: Bill Mott
- Horse of the Year: Sovereignty (KY)