Eclipse Awards by the Numbers

Events / Travel
Accelerate, left, and Justify, right, are finalists in multiple Eclipse Awards categories. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Each January horse racing honors its best at the Eclipse Awards, and this year’s ceremony is just days away. The 2018 awards are hosted by Gulfstream Park on Jan. 24, 2019, bestowing championship honors on the most accomplished horses (and humans) of the year.

This year’s Eclipse Award finalists include Pegasus World Cup contenders Accelerate and City of Light, making it an exciting prelude to the $9 million race that follows on Saturday.

Read on for the facts and figures surrounding this year’s Eclipse Awards.

2 – The number of 2018 finalists that were primarily trained in Great Britain, including Enable, winner of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, and Expert Eye, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile. They are the only two non-U.S. trained finalists.

2 – Total 2018 races lost by this year’s Horse of the Year finalists. Accelerate and Monomoy Girl each lost just once, while Justify went undefeated in six races.

3 – This year could be Chad Brown’s third consecutive Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer.

4 – Four finalists have previously been named champion in one or more categories: Abel Tasman (2017 champion 3-year-old filly), Gun Runner (2017 champion older male and Horse of the Year), Roy H (2017 champion male sprinter), and Unique Bella (2017 champion female sprinter).

6 – The number of Eclipse Awards won by 2012-13 Horse of the Year Wise Dan, more than any horse this century and third-highest total in the history of the awards.

6 – The number of 2018 Eclipse Award finalists trained by Bob Baffert. Baffert himself is a finalist for top trainer this year.

7 – The record number of outstanding trainer Eclipse Awards won by Todd Pletcher.

8 – The number of Eclipse Awards won by Forego from 1974-77, including three Horse of the Year titles.

9 – The number of champion 2-year-olds who went on to win the Kentucky Derby, including Nyquist in 2016. This year’s 2-year-old male finalists are Game Winner, Improbable, and Knicks Go.

14 – The total Grade 1 (highest level) victories in 2018 among the three Horse of the Year finalists.

18 – The number of racing victories by the awards’ namesake, Thoroughbred stallion Eclipse. He was undefeated in his racing career.

21 – The number of different trainers that have ever been named outstanding trainer. Ten of them have won more than once. Each of this year’s three finalists has won the award previously.

25 – The total number of Eclipse Awards that will be given this year, including 17 voted on by the media, one Eclipse Award of Merit, an Eclipse Award for the top horseplayer, and six awards for media coverage of the sport.

32% – The 2018 win percentage of trainer finalist Bob Baffert.

48 – This year is the 48th annual Eclipse Awards. Horse racing’s championship honors previously had different names and decision processes before being united as the Eclipse Awards in 1971. 

738 – The total number of 2018 wins by the three finalists for top trainer: Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, and Chad Brown.

$11,621,200 – Total dollars earned by the three Horse of the Year finalists in 2018.

$48,298,496 – Dollars won in 2018 by the 32 equine finalists for this year’s awards.

$66,420,959 – Total 2018 purse earnings by the three finalists for top jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz, and Mike Smith.

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