The 2021 Eclipse Awards put an exclamation point on a banner year for Knicks Go, who took home champion older dirt male and Horse of the Year honors.

The Eclipse Awards were held Feb. 10, 2022, on the West Coast at Santa Anita Park after being at Gulfstream Park for an extended stretch and then held virtually last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association, the awards presentation was hosted by Acacia Courtney, Britney Eurton, Gabby Gaudet, and Michelle Yu.

Other standouts from the racetrack honored Thursday night include champion older dirt female Letruska; unbeaten champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu; trainer Brad Cox; owner and breeder Godolphin; and Joel Rosario, who earned his first Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey.

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA

Horse of the Year: Knicks Go

Trainer: Brad Cox

Owner: Korea Racing Authority

2021 record: 7 starts – 5 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

2021 earnings: $7,324,140

Signature wins: Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, Whitney Stakes, Longines Breeders' Cup Classic

Notable: Knicks Go capped a banner season with a front-running 2 ¾-length victory in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, a victory that cemented his Horse of the Year credentials as well as an Eclipse Award as champion older dirt male.

Eclipse Sportswire

Champion Older Dirt Male: Knicks Go

Trainer: Brad Cox

Owner: Korea Racing Authority

2021 record: 7 starts – 5 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

2021 earnings: $7,324,140

Signature wins: Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, Whitney Stakes, Longines Breeders' Cup Classic

Notable: Knicks Go utilized his dazzling speed to carve out an outstanding season that included three Grade 1 wins among five victories, all by at least 2 ¾ lengths. Outside of a disappointing trip to Saudi Arabia and subsequent defeat when cutting back to a mile, Knicks Go was simply dominant in 2021 by running the opposition into submission in two-turn races.

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Champion Older Dirt Female: Letruska

Trainer: Fausto Gutierrez

Owner: St. George Stable

2021 record: 8 starts – 6 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

2021 earnings: $1,945,540

Signature wins: Ogden Phipps Stakes, Apple Blossom Handicap, Juddmonte Spinster Stakes, Personal Ensign Stakes Presented by Lia Infiniti

Notable: Letruska’s championship campaign was built upon a five-race winning streak from April through October that included four Grade 1 wins, beginning with an unforgettable comeback win over champion Monomoy Girl in the Apple Blossom in what was one of the most exciting stretch duels of the year.

Susie Raisher/NYRA

Champion Male Turf Horse: Yibir

Trainer: Charles Appleby

Owner: Godolphin

2021 record: 8 starts – 4 wins – 1 second –1 third

2021 earnings: $2,878,083

Signature wins: Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes

Notable: Yibir won two group stakes in six races in England before closing out his 3-year-old season with a bang in North America. He won the Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes by 2 ½ lengths in September at Belmont Park then closed from well off the pace to defeat older males in the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf in November at Del Mar.

Eclipse Sportswire

Champion Female Turf Horse: Loves Only You

Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi

Owner: DMM Dream Club Co.

2021 record: 6 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 1 third

2021 earnings: $6,424,772

Signature wins: Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Longines Hong Kong Cup

Notable: Japanese international star Loves Only You came to the United States and conquered in her only start, rallying boldly to win the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and stamp herself one of the best racemares on the planet. She further solidified that claim in her final start in the Longines Hong Kong Cup, in which she defeated a star-studded group of 11 challengers.

Eclipse Sportswire

Champion 3-Year-Old Male: Essential Quality

Trainer: Brad Cox

Owner: Godolphin

2021 record: 7 starts – 5 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

2021 earnings: $3,420,000

Signature wins: Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, Runhappy Travers Stakes

Notable: After an unbeaten 2-year-old campaign that resulted in an Eclipse Award, Essential Quality delivered a memorable encore with a championship season that included a thrilling 1 ¼-length win in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets and a neck win over Midnight Bourbon in the Runhappy Travers Stakes.

Coady Photography

Champion 3-Year-Old Filly: Malathaat

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owner: Shadwell Stable

2021 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 1 third

2021 earnings: $1,563,000

Signature wins: Central Bank Ashland Stakes, Longines Kentucky Oaks, Alabama Stakes

Notable: Malathaat emerged as a star of the 3-year-old filly division in the spring with back-to-back wins in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes and Longines Kentucky Oaks. She confirmed her class with a win in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes during the summer at Saratoga before being beaten by just a half-length in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff in her final start of the year.

Eclipse Sportswire

Champion 2-Year-Old Male: Corniche

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Owner: Speedway Stables

2021 record: 3 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

2021 earnings: $1,262,000

Signature wins: American Pharoah Stakes, TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance

Notable: A clear standout in the 2-year-old male division, Corniche won his three starts by a combined margin of 9 ¼ lengths and was not seriously challenged in any of his starts, capping a championship season with a front-running 1 ¾-length win in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

Eclipse Sportswire

Champion 2-Year-Old Filly: Echo Zulu

Trainer: Steven Asmussen

Owners: L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds

2021 record: 4 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

2021 earnings: $1,480,000

Signature wins: Spinaway Stakes, Frizette Stakes, NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

Notable: Echo Zulu scripted a storybook season that featured four wins in as many starts by a combined margin of 22 lengths with her closest call a four-length romp in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes. The clear class of the 2-year-old filly division cemented her Eclipse Awards credentials with a 5 ¼-length runaway victory in the NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Eclipse Sportswire

Champion Male Sprinter: Jackie’s Warrior

Trainer: Steven Asmussen

Owners: J. Kirk Robison and Judy Robison

2021 record: 7 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 1 thirds

2021 earnings: $1,051,400

Signature wins: Amsterdam Stakes, H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes

Notable: After winning a pair of Grade 1 races as a 2-year-old, Jackie’s Warrior again proved an elite competitor by winning four of seven starts, including a three-race winning streak over the summer that included the Amsterdam Stakes, H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes, and Gallant Bob Stakes.

Lauren King/Coglianese Photo

Champion Female Sprinter: Ce Ce

Trainer: Michael McCarthy

Owner: Bo Hirsch

2021 record: 6 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

2021 earnings: $888,000

Signature wins: Princess Rooney Invitational Stakes, Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint

Notable: One of the fastest and most consistent racehorses in the United States for several years, Ce Ce put it all together in 2021 for a championship campaign that included four wins in six starts, capped by a career-defining victory by 2 ½ lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Eclipse Sportswire

Outstanding Jockey: Joel Rosario

2021 wins: 228

2021 earnings: $35,421,978

Leading horses: Knicks Go, Echo Zulu, Gufo, Jackie’s Warrior, Malathaat, Kimari, Idol

Notable: Rosario started out the year on a high note with a win aboard Knicks Go and bookended that with a victory on the de facto Horse of the Year in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. In between, he added wins in the Santa Anita Handicap with Idol, Resorts World Sword Dancer Stakes with Gufo, and Whitney Stakes on Knicks Go on his way to his first Eclipse Award. Rosario also added a second Breeders’ Cup win by guiding Echo Zulu to victory in the NetJets Juvenile Fillies during a season in which he amassed more than $35 million in purse earnings worldwide.

Eclipse Sportswire

Outstanding Apprentice Jockey: Jessica Pyfer

2021 wins: 59

2021 earnings: $2,857,333

Leading horses: Rakassah, Ole Silver, Tizhotndusty, Becca Taylor

Notable: Pyfer has established herself as a top rider on the competitive Southern California circuit, finishing sixth in the rider standings at Santa Anita Park for the 2020-2021 winter-spring meet with 36 wins and in the top 10 in the rider standings at the competitive Del Mar summer meet with 10 wins.

Eclipse Sportswire

Outstanding Trainer: Brad Cox

2021 wins: 269

2021 earnings: $31,832,345

Leading horses: Knicks Go, Essential Quality, Mandaloun, Shedaresthedevil, Juju's Map, Juliet Foxtrot

Notable: A year after winning his first career Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer, Cox pushed the envelope further in 2021 by establishing a single-season North American earnings record of $31,832,345 ($33,332,345 counting international earnings). Cox also secured his first victory in a Triple Crown race when Essential Quality prevailed in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets and won both the Pegasus World Cup and Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic with Knicks Go.

Godolphin's Jimmy Bell, jockey William Buick, trainer Charlie Appleby (Eclipse Sportswire)

Outstanding Owner: Godolphin

2021 wins: 84

2021 earnings: $17,403,204

Leading horses: Essential Quality, Yibir, Space Blues, Maxfield, Mystic Guide, Modern Games, Althiqa, Wild Beauty, Walton Street

Notable: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, led all owners by purse earnings in 2021 and secured his second victory in a U.S. classic race when Essential Quality prevailed in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. Godolphin’s spectacular season also included three victories at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships with Yibir winning the Longines Turf, Space Blues talking the FanDuel Mile Presented by PDJF, and Modern Games winning the Juvenile Turf. The championship campaign was capped by Maxfield’s win in the Grade 1 Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs. Godolphin led all owners in North America with 23 graded stakes wins and 11 Grade 1 victories.

Godolphin connections at the 2021 Dubai World Cup. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Outstanding Breeder: Godolphin

2021 wins: 136

2021 earnings: $18,447,150

Leading horses: Essential Quality, Yibir, Space Blues, Maxfield, Mystic Guide, Modern Games, Althiqa, Wild Beauty, Walton Street

Notable: The breeding operation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum enjoyed a tremendous year from a stellar roster of homebreds that shone on the biggest stages worldwide, specifically in North America and as it pertains to the Eclipse Awards. Godolphin homebreds won the Belmont Stakes and three races at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships as Godolphin led all North American breeders by purse earnings, graded stakes wins (22) and Grade 1 wins (11, including one under their Darley banner).

Steeplechase Horse: The Mean Queen

Trainer: Keri Brion

Owner: Buttonwood Farm

2021 record: 8 starts – 6 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

2021 earnings: $312,293

Signature wins: Jonathan Sheppard Handicap, Lonesome Glory Handicap, Grand National Hurdle Stakes

Notable: The 5-year-old capped a magnificent season with a hard-fought, half-length win in the Grand National Hurdle Stakes Oct. 16 at Far Hills to close out an Eclipse Award-winning season with three straight wins in races classified as Grade 1s by the National Steeplechase Association.

Voting Overview

In voting that concluded Jan. 10, 2022, Eclipse Awards voters cast their ballots to rank the top three horses and individuals in each Championship division on a 10-5-1 point system.

This voting established the top three finalists in each division, whose names were released on Jan. 15, 2022. 

The tallies below represent only first-place votes from members of the consolidated voting entities, NTRA, Daily Racing Form, and National Turf Writers And Broadcasters. 

Voter participation rate: 235/245= 95.9% 

(Name, First-Place Votes)

Two-Year-Old Male

Corniche, 214; Jack Christopher, 12; Modern Games, 2; Tiz the Bomb, 2; Frosty Storm, 1; Gunite, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.

Two-Year-Old Filly 

Echo Zulu, 233; Baytown Valleygirl, 1; Twilight Gleaming, 1.  

Three-Year-Old Male 

Essential Quality, 131; Medina Spirit, 84; Life Is Good, 18; Hurricane Nation, 1; Hot Rod Charlie, 1. 

Three-Year-Old Filly 

Malathaat, 227; Going Global, 3; Shantisara, 2, Bella Sofia, 1; Eida’s Storm, 1; Santa Barbara, 1.      

Older Dirt Male

Knicks Go, 232; Maxfield, 2; Lil Latigo, 1.

Older Dirt Female 

Letruska, 221; Marche Lorraine, 11; Damisela, 1; Gamine, 1; Monomoy Girl, 1.

Male Sprinter

Jackie’s Warrior, 110; Aloha West, 50; Flightline, 33; Golden Pal, 19; Dr. Schivel, 18; Extravagant Kid, 1; Life Is Good, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3. 

Female Sprinter

Ce Ce, 136; Gamine, 97; Bella Sofia, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.

Male Turf Horse

Yibir, 135; Domestic Spending, 33; Space Blues, 33; Golden Pal, 14; Colonel Liam; 11; Smooth Like Strait, 6; Town Cruise, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2. 

Female Turf Horse

Loves Only You, 136; War Like Goddess, 70; Santa Barbara, 10; Going Global  6; Althiqa, 5; Shantisara, 2; Con Lima, 1; My Sister Nat (FR), 1; Regal Glory, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.    

Steeplechase Horse

The Mean Queen, 210; Snap Decision, 2; Voter Abstentions, 23. 

Owner

Godolphin LLC, 216; Klaravich Stables LLC, 7; End Zone Athletics Inc, 2; Korea Racing Authority, 2; Gary Barber, 1; Calumet Farm, 1; LNJ Foxwoods, 1; St. George Stable LLC, 1; Voter Abstentions, 4.

Breeder

Godolphin LLC, 205;  Calumet Farm, 8;  Angie Moore, 7; Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, 6; Gail Rice, 3; Nick Alexander, 1; Fred W. Hertrich III and John Fielding, 1; Spendthrift Farm LLC, 1; Voter Abstentions, 3.  

Trainer

Brad Cox, 189; Steve Asmussen, 33; Charlie Appleby, 3; Bob Baffert, 2; Chad Brown, 2; Karl Broberg, 1; Michael McCarthy, 1; Todd Pletcher, 1. Voter Abstentions, 3.

Jockey

Joel Rosario, 213; Irad Ortiz Jr., 17;  Paco Lopez, 1; Flavien Prat, 1; Luis Saez, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2. 

Apprentice Jockey

Jessica Pyfer, 156; John Hiraldo, 46; Charlie Marquez, 12; Voter Abstentions, 21.