Cody’s Wish was honored as Horse of the Year at the 53^rd annual Eclipse Awards, held Jan. 25 at The Breakers Palm Beach in Palm Beach, Fla., culminating a career that saw the Godolphin homebred become one of the most popular racehorses of this century, based in large part through his association with the late Cody Dorman.

Bill Mott, trainer of Cody’s Wish, received his fourth career Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer and Godolphin was honored as both outstanding owner and outstanding breeder.

Below is a list of all 2023 Eclipse Award winners, with profiles courtesy of BloodHorse.

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Horse of the Year: Cody’s Wish

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owner: Godolphin

2023 record: 5 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

2023 earnings: $1,773,900

Signature wins: Churchill Downs Stakes presented by Ford, Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap, Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

Horse of the Year is Thoroughbred racing’s most coveted award and it also is the one with the most variables.

While championships in each division can be decided on the racetrack in head-to-head meetings, Horse of the Year is a horse of a different color.

Sometimes top contenders for the award do not face each other on the track, meaning an array of different factors are blended together so that a mixture of apples and oranges can be sorted into one standout recipient.

In 2023, all of those factors came together, highlighted by a sterling record on the racetrack and a powerful emotional bond with his namesake, to crown Godolphin’s now 6-year-old homebred Cody’s Wish as the Horse of the Year.

“To have Cody’s Wish become Horse of the Year is obviously a proud moment not only for the organization, but also our founder, Sheikh Mohammed. We’ve had some very nice horses in training before who didn’t quite earn the honor, like Bernardini,” said Godolphin USA’s director of bloodstock Michael Banahan. “So we knew how difficult it is to be Horse of the Year, making it an absolute honor to be involved with an organization that could breed and race a champion like Cody’s Wish.”

Named the champion older dirt male earlier in the ceremony, Cody’s Wish excelled on the racetrack for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, winning four of five 2023 starts, three of them Grade 1s. A decisive triumph in the Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap and a thrilling triumph by a nose over 2023 Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure in the final start of his career, the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, topped his achievements.

In addition to an outstanding record on the racetrack, what helped make Cody’s Wish the most compelling equine of 2023 was the heart-wrenching story attached to him.

Before the Curlin colt ever raced, the Make-A-Wish Foundation brought together the Godolphin homebred and Cody Dorman, a youngster living in Kentucky who was afflicted with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a genetic disorder that left him unable to talk or walk. The meeting led to naming the Curlin colt Cody’s Wish and a bond between the horse, the connections, and the Dorman family blossomed.

Since As Cody’s Wish needed four cracks as a 3-year-old in 2021 to break his maiden, the story of the young boy and the bay colt gained little attention at first, but as Mott developed Cody’s Wish into a graded stakes winner at 4, their bond started touching the hearts of more and more people with each passing race.

It went viral when Cody’s Wish captured the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland and Dorman was part of the winner’s circle celebration.

“It was an unbelievable year all around for Godolphin on the racetrack, but what was special was sharing the journey with Cody Dorman and his family. The opportunity the horse gave them to do something they had never done before was heartwarming, and the way the horse racing industry, racetracks, and fans embraced them was incredible,” Banahan said.

Tragically, Cody Dorman lost his battle for life on the trip home to Kentucky the day after the Nov. 4 Dirt Mile. He was 17 and left behind a legacy that for years will be attached to a Thoroughbred acclaimed as Horse of the Year.

“We had the fairy tale ending at the Breeders’ Cup and then when Cody passed away on the trip home it was devastating and became a roller coaster of emotions,” Banahan said. “The family was grateful for the time he spent with the horse. It was a special time that filled us with so many highs and lows.”

Cody’s Wish closed his career with a mark of 11-1-4 in 16 starts with earnings of $3,106,030. He is now standing his first season at Darley America in Kentucky.–Bob Ehalt

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Champion 2-year-old Male: Fierceness

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owner: Repole Stable

2023 record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

2023 earnings: $1,102,750

Signature win: FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance

Not only does Fierceness give owner Mike Repole the Eclipse Award for 2-year-old male a second season in a row and third time since 2010, the son of City of Light – Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty provides Repole the added satisfaction of being a homebred winner.

In an eventful three-start campaign, Fierceness proved the talk of Saratoga Race Course when he debuted with an 11 ¼-length maiden win Aug. 25, but when bumped up to the Grade 1 level for his second start, he struggled on a sloppy Aqueduct main track, finishing seventh in the Oct. 7 Champagne Stakes.

But his third start of 2023 would provide one more all-important opportunity and Fierceness would deliver. Back on a fast track for the FanDuel Racing Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park, Fierceness tracked the early pace under John Velazquez before taking command entering the stretch and adding to his advantage all the way to the wire to win by 6 ¼ lengths.

“I didn’t know I got a Breeders’ Cup award for being the breeder, too, so that’s two (trophies); I like that,” Repole said after the Juvenile. “Stay Thirsty was my horse. Nonna Bella was my horse, and I’m also a big shareholder in City of Light. If I don’t have those shares in City of Light, I probably wouldn’t have bred to City of Light. So the way these things come together are really, really special.”

Repole campaigned 2022 champion 2-year-old male Forte in partnership with St. Elias Stable and he also campaigned 2010 champion 2-year-old male Uncle Mo. Fierceness is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut on Feb. 3 in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.–Frank Angst

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Champion 2-year-old Filly: Just F Y I

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owner: George Krikorian

2023 record: 3 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

2023 earnings: $1,317,750

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

Owner-breeder George Krikorian tallied his first homebred Eclipse champion in 2023 with undefeated Just F Y I, winner of the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Under trainer Bill Mott’s guidance, the daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify won her racing debut Aug. 26 at Saratoga Race Course by a head and her gritty display in the last furlong of that six-furlong race earned her a shot next out in the Frizette Stakes at Aqueduct on Oct. 7. She took the one-mile Frizette by 3 ¾ lengths at Aqueduct, which was the second top-level win of the day for Krikorian at the Queens, N.Y., track along with War Like Goddess’ victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes.

Overcoming the far outside post position, Just F Y I closed out the season with a 1 ½-length triumph in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies over Jody’s Pride.

“It’s pretty unusual for a horse to win a Grade 1 off of just one maiden race,” Mott said after the Juvenile Fillies score. “She showed us she could do it; we didn’t force her. She just showed that she was ready to run and we felt like as well as she had run, that she deserved a shot in the Frizette and it paid off.”–Eric Mitchell

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Champion 3-year-old Male: Arcangelo

Trainer: Jena Antonucci

Owner: Blue Rose Farm

2023 record: 5 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

2023 earnings: $1,754,900

Signature wins: Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, Travers Stakes

Wins in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets and the Travers Stakes separated Blue Rose Farm’s Arcangelo from the rest of a highly competitive division and delivered him the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old male.

Arcangelo started his racing career with a fourth in a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park, but after that, it was nothing but winners’ circle visits. Following a maiden win in another Gulfstream race, the son of Arrogate picked up his first graded stakes win by a head in the May 13 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park.

Off that prep, Arcangelo still had much to prove in the June 10 Belmont Stakes. He stepped into the starting gate the fifth betting choice – but like his year, it was not about the start but rather the finish as he rallied from sixth and opened a clear advantage in the stretch, holding off 2022 champion 2-year-old male Forte by 1 ½ lengths.

The win made Jena Antonucci the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race.

“People offered me a lot of money and we had faith in (Arcangelo). He’s special, too, but the way Jena works with you, she gives you confidence to stay with her and take the gamble that you are going to win with the horse,” said Blue Rose Farm’s Jon Ebbert.

As the summer progressed, the 3-year-old division remained up for grabs, with Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Mage, Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure, and Forte each carrying strong credentials. But Arcangelo’s Travers Stakes victory on Aug. 26 – against a field that included all three rivals—set him above the rest.

After his impressive 3-year-old season, Arcangelo was retired to Lane’s End to start his breeding career.

“He’s such a cool guy, and his personality was bigger than the stall or the barn. We were able to get him to focus for the two minutes of his races and put that big personality to work. His desire to win and to want to be a champion is something that you can’t bottle,” said Antonucci.–Joe Perez

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Champion 3-year-old Filly: Pretty Mischievous

Trainer: Brendan Walsh

Owner: Godolphin

2023 record: 6 starts – 4 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

2023 earnings: $1,703,250

Signature wins: Longines Kentucky Oaks, Acorn Stakes Presented by Great Jones Distilling Co., Test Stakes

Longines Kentucky Oaks victress Pretty Mischievous was crowned champion 3-year-old female at the Eclipse Awards after scoring three Grade 1 wins during her 2023 campaign.

A stunning physical specimen, Pretty Mischievous was bred to be a queen. The Godolphin colorbearer is a product of perennial leading sire Into Mischief and the Grade 1-winning Tapit mare and $3.5 million acquisition Pretty City Dancer.

Although trainer Brendan Walsh called the filly a star from day one, the plucky Pretty Mischievous had to prove her naysayers wrong time and time again throughout 2023. After beginning her season with a decisive win in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton and then a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks Presented by Fasig-Tipton, she went off at odds of 10.37-1 in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks while her stablemate Wet Paint was sent to post as the favorite.

Under a masterful ride from Tyler Gaffalione, Pretty Mischievous grabbed the lead turning for home and held all comers at bay, prevailing by a neck to become Godolphin’s first Kentucky Oaks winner.

“We had multiple highlights throughout the year but (the Kentucky Oaks win) was definitely at the top of the list,” Godolphin USA director of bloodstock Michael Banahan said. “To win the Oaks with a homebred filly was extremely special and it was just a big team effort; for all the people who raised Pretty Mischievous from the time she was foaled to all the way through.”

Pretty Mischievous followed her Kentucky Oaks triumph with wins in the Acorn Stakes Presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. and the Test Stakes, both Grade 1s, and finished 2023 with a runner up effort in the Cotillion Stakes.

“Last year was a phenomenal ride. We’re very proud of her. To run in six races last year and win three Grade 1s and a Grade 2 was super,” Banahan said.–Molly Rollins

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Champion Older Dirt Male: Cody’s Wish

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owner: Godolphin

2023 record: 5 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

2023 earnings: $1,773,900

Signature wins: Churchill Downs Stakes presented by Ford, Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap, Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

Even with the résumé of a brilliant miler, Godolphin’s now 6-year-old homebred Cody’s Wish was named the champion older dirt male at the 53^rd Eclipse Awards ceremony.

In recent years, the Eclipse Award for the outstanding older dirt male has been the private domain for the older route runners who have shined in races such as the Whitney Stakes, FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Stakes, and Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Recent years’ champions such as Flightline, Knicks Go, Improbable, and Vino Rosso surely fit into that mold.

In 2023, Cody’s Wish broke through that glass ceiling.

Owner of a record of four wins in five 2023 starts, his victories under regular rider Junior Alvarado came at a mile or less and his lone defeat took place at 1 1/8 miles in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

But at his sweet spot of a mile or seven furlongs, Cody’s Wish was perfect, winning the seven-furlong Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford; the prestigious Metropolitan Handicap; and finally his epic career finale in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, when he prevailed in a pulsating stretch duel with Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure.–Bob Ehalt

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Champion Older Dirt Female: Idiomatic

Trainer: Brad Cox

Owner: Juddmonte Farms

2023 record: 9 starts – 8 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

2023 earnings: $2,400,280

Signature wins: Personal Ensign Stakes, Juddmonte Spinster Stakes, Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff

After Juddmonte’s Idiomatic won a first-level allowance optional claimer at 1 ¼ miles at Turfway Park last January, trainer Brad Cox and Juddmonte manager Garrett O’Rourke spoke on the phone, hopeful the developing runner could turn into a Delaware Handicap contender.

Those words were prophetic, as Idiomatic would win that Grade 2 stakes over the summer – but she also would achieve much, much more.

In total, the homebred Curlin filly won eight of nine starts in 2023 at age 4, capped by capturing the Personal Ensign Stakes, Juddmonte Spinster Stakes, and Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff in succession. Now, she has a 2023 Eclipse Award as champion older dirt female.

“Every single step along the way was such a pleasant surprise,” O’Rourke told BloodHorse before the ceremony.

Idiomatic’s eighth win of the year in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff left her as one of the winningest horses in the country. No other horse ranked in the top 100 in earnings captured more than six races throughout 2023.

“Obviously, I would say the beauty of her campaign and what she had done from the longevity of it was that we didn’t really have expectations beyond the next race at any point in time,” O’Rourke said.–Byron King

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Champion Male Sprinter: Elite Power

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owner: Juddmonte

2023 record: 5 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

2023 earnings: $2,370,000

Signature wins: Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint

From the start of the Eclipse Awards in 1971 through last year, just two horses were honored with multiple championships as North America’s top male sprinter: Housebuster (1990-91) (when the award was champion sprinter) and Roy H (2017-18).

Now, a third has joined their ranks: Elite Power.

During a five-race campaign that began with a successful trip to Saudi Arabia for the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint, Juddmonte’s Elite Power notched three other victories in New York and California. He won the June 10 True North Stakes at Belmont Park in his United States racing return, added the July 29 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap over a sloppy track at Saratoga Race Course, and closed out his career with a win in the Nov. 4 Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park.

The Curlin horse lost just once last year at age 5 when second in the Aug. 26 Forego Stakes at Saratoga behind Gunite. Elite Power outran that rival in three other matchups through the year, including the Breeders’ Cup.

“He just went on a steady improvement and just got better and better,” Juddmonte manager Garrett O’Rourke said. “Some horses have their ups and downs in their patterns, but he was a horse that just kept on moving forward all the time and finishing up obviously with the best performance of his life.”

Trained by 2023 Eclipse Award honoree Bill Mott, Elite Power was retired from racing following the Breeders’ Cup with a 9-1-1 record in 13 career starts with earnings of more than $3.7 million. He now stands at Juddmonte near Lexington for $50,000.–Byron King

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Champion Female Sprinter: Goodnight Olive

Trainer: Chad Brown

Owners: First Row Partners and Team Hanley

2023 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 1 third

2023 earnings: $1,176,250

Signature wins: Madison Stakes, PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint

In storybook fashion, Goodnight Olive delivered a repeat performance, giving owners First Row Partners and Team Hanley a second straight Eclipse Award in the female sprinter category. In 2023, the gutsy mare put forth her lifetime best performances, collecting three wins, a second, and a third, all in graded company.

The 5-year-old Ghostzapper mare capped her achievements with a second victory in the PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita Park in November, boosting her 2023 earnings to $1,176,250.

Overall, Goodnight Olive has accumulated $2,196,200 in earnings over three years on the track and has never been off the board in 12 starts. The mare is slated to start her next racing chapter following her purchase during the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale for a co-sale-topping $6 million to Gavin O’Connor, agent for John Stewart. Her new owner indicated she would return to trainer Chad Brown’s barn in 2024, hoping to continue the mare’s winning ways.–Lauren Gash

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Champion Turf Male: Up to the Mark

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owners: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable

2023 record: 7 starts – 5 wins – 1 second – 1 third

2023 earnings: $2,427,650

Signature wins: Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes, Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes, Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes

Up to the Mark’s Eclipse Award as champion male turf horse will ensure that one of the top seasons in North American grass racing in terms of distance versatility at the highest level of racing will long be celebrated.

On May 6, the then 4-year-old Up to the Mark landed the first stakes win of his career, that arriving at the highest level when he overwhelmed seven rivals in the 1 1/8-mile Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs. He next won the 1 ¼-mile Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park in June and the one-mile Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland in October, defeating subsequent FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF winner Master of the Seas in the latter race.

Stretching out to 1 ½ miles in his final 2023 start, Up to the Mark finished second by three-quarters of a length to Auguste Rodin in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park.

“I think he showed that he belongs with all the top turf horses in the world,” trainer Todd Pletcher said after the Breeders’ Cup Turf. “I think he lost nothing in defeat. It was a gallant effort and I am very proud of him.”

Overall, Up to the Mark has won six of 12 career starts for owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable and earned $2,511,050.– Frank Angst

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Champion Turf Female: Inspiral

Trainer: John Gosden

Owner: Cheveley Park Stud

2023 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

2023 earnings: $2,109,024

Signature wins: Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Prix du Haras de Fresnay Le Buffard Jacques Le Marois

Cheveley Park Stud’s remarkable mare, Inspiral, has gone from strength to strength, and 2023 proved to be her strongest yet, capping the year with a victory in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori on that day and conditioned by John and Thady Gosden in England, the Frankel mare cemented her spot on the podium as the 2023 Eclipse champion female turf horse.

Inspiral tallied two wins earlier in the season racing in Europe before her trans-Atlantic triumph in the Breeders’ Cup. Both were Group 1 victories: the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket and the Prix du Haras de Fresnay Le Buffard Jacques Le Marois at Deauville.

She closed out last year with earnings of $2,109,024 in five starts, adding to her impressive career record of 9-2-0 in 13 starts and bankroll of $3,639,932.–Lauren Gash

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Champion Steeplechase Horse: Merry Maker

Trainer: Archibald Kingsley Jr.

Owner: Hurricana Farm

2023 record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third

2023 earnings: $180,000

Signature win: Lonesome Glory Handicap

In the end, posting the best performance on the biggest stage – the Grand National Hurdle – proved the deciding factor in the competition for champion steeplechase horse, which went to Hurricana Farms’ Merry Maker. The gelding posted a record of 2-1-1 through five starts in 2023 and edged out Snap Decision and Awakened for the honor.

“It’s a journey with these horses, they develop over time and it takes time to grow into this kind of horse,” trainer Archibald Kingsley Jr. said after Merry Maker won the Lonesome Glory Handicap in September, which preceded his runner-up finish in the Grand National a month later. “You’re looking at a progression of a horse in his development.”–Joe Perez

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Outstanding Owner and Outstanding Breeder: Godolphin

2023 wins: 86 (as owner), 175 (as breeder)

2023 earnings: $17,270,223 (as owner), $20,907,146 (as breeder)

Leading horses (as owner): Cody’s Wish, Pretty Mischievous, Master of The Seas, Wet Paint, Nations Pride, Mawj, Matareya

Founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum in the 1970s, Godolphin continued its wave of blue-silked brilliance in 2023. The operation again claimed the Eclipse Award for both outstanding owner and outstanding breeder.

There has been no entity in racing more powerful than the mighty Godolphin stable over the past three years. Since 2021, the global racing and breeding operation has now netted seven Eclipse Awards, nine Breeders’ Cup wins, and a classic win in the 2021 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets with Essential Quality.

In 2023, runners for the stable bankrolled $17,270,223 in purses, leading all North American owners in earnings. The figure was the second-highest ever attained by the stable following its 2021 record earnings mark of $17,421,871. Paving the way for the stable was 2023 Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male Cody’s Wish, champion 3-year-old filly Pretty Mischievous, and FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF winner Master of The Seas.

“It’s a pretty special time for us,” said Godolphin director of bloodstock Michael Banahan. “It’s a long road to get to an Eclipse Award but to be able to do it four years in a row as owner and three years in a row as breeder is an unbelievable accomplishment. It’s a lot of hard work from the whole team, from foaling the mares to getting them raised as yearlings. There’s a lot of hurdles to get over and we’re just so grateful to be in that position to reap those rewards on the racetrack.”

Godolphin’s 2023 leading owner title marks their sixth overall Eclipse Award in that category. The operation also won the award in 2009, 2012, and 2020-22. The stable landed its first of what are now three consecutive Eclipse Awards as breeder in 2021. Under the Darley Stable banner, Sheikh Mohammed received Eclipse Awards as outstanding owner in 2006 and outstanding breeder in 2012.–Molly Rollins

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Outstanding Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2023 wins: 366

2023 earnings: $39,192,585

Leading horses: White Abarrio, Up to the Mark, Elite Power, Forte, Goodnight Olive, In Italian, Atone, Red Knight, Brightwork, One in Vermillion           

It seems impossible that the phrase can be used so many times for one individual, but Irad Ortiz Jr.’s 2023 Eclipse Award-winning season was again record-breaking.

This is the fifth Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey received by Ortiz in the past six seasons. The 31-year-old won his first in 2018 and has since done the same every year since except for 2021 when he finished second behind Joel Rosario in voting. By winning a fifth championship, Ortiz ties Hall of Famer Laffit Pincay Jr. for second-most all-time. He is two away from Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey, who won the award a record seven times (1995-97, 2000-03).

After setting the single-season earnings record in 2022, Ortiz eclipsed the mark by more than $2 million in 2023 with North American earnings of $39,192,585. In a season in which he rode the second-highest number of horses in his career (1,560), Ortiz won at a 23% rate and 57% of his mounts finished in the money. He led North America in wins for a seventh straight season and his 366 total is a personal best.–Sean Collins

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Outstanding Apprentice Jockey: Axel Concepcion

2023 wins: 199

2023 earnings: $5,179,154

Leading horses: Field Pass, Poggibonsi

Having topped his counterparts by wins and earnings, Axel Concepcion is the winner of the 2023 Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice jockey.

The 18-year-old Puerto Rico native got off to a quick start at Camarero Race Track, beginning his riding career Jan. 1 and winning in his first two rides. Stateside, he won with his first mount at Fair Grounds Jan. 19 while still riding predominantly in Puerto Rico.

By the end of February, Concepcion settled into the Mid-Atlantic region. While primarily based in Maryland, the apprentice also frequented Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races and Parx Racing, among other tracks. He was leading rider at Laurel Park’s spring meet. In November, Concepcion moved his tack to Kentucky where he rode at Churchill Downs and Turfway Park.

Concepcion finished 14^th in wins amongst North American jockeys with 199 despite missing time with careless riding suspensions in the fall. He won with 20% of his 1,005 mounts. His 160 seconds and 159 thirds accounted for 52% in the money and earnings of $5,179,154.–Sean Collins

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Outstanding Trainer: Bill Mott

2023 wins: 103

2023 earnings: $17,437,147

Leading horses: Elite Power, Art Collector, Cody’s Wish, Just F Y I, Casa Creed, War Like Goddess

A 2023 season chock-full of high-profile wins by accomplished older horses and newcomers delivered Bill Mott his fourth Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer.

Mott, 70, has been running his own training stable since 1978, though he actually began conditioning horses when he was 15. In a career enriched by more than 1,000 stakes wins, of which 554 were in graded/group stakes, and more than $348 million in earnings worldwide, the 2023 racing season will be one of the Hall of Fame trainer’s most memorable.

A gifted horse with an extraordinary story named Cody’s Wish has taken Mott and his team on a remarkable journey. The Godolphin homebred by Curlin named after the late Cody Dorman assembled a career record highlighted by seven graded stakes wins – two of them in the 2022-23 runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Cody’s Wish received Eclipse Awards as Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male for 2023.

“It’s probably one of the most memorable rides that we’ve all been on, and I think it’s meant so much to so many people. Sometimes it’s a small group of people that gets to enjoy the win, but I think this one’s been for a lot of people,” Mott said after the 2023 Dirt Mile, which Dorman attended.

Cody’s Wish contributed only part of the fireworks for Mott during Breeders’ Cup weekend. He also saddled Juddmonte’s Elite Power to a second consecutive win in the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint and captured the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with George Krikorian’s homebred Just F Y I. Elite Power and Just F Y I were honored as champion sprinter and champion 2-year-old filly Jan. 25 at the Eclipse Awards.

Just for 2023, Mott won 103 races – 24 in graded stakes – out of 649 North American starts and banked $17,437,147 in purses, fifth-highest among all North American trainers and a career-best amount. His previous Eclipse Awards came in 1995, 1996, and 2011. Mott campaigned Hall of Famer Cigar during 1995-96, years in which Cigar was also voted Horse of the Year.–Eric Mitchell

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Voting Overview

In voting that concluded on Jan. 3, 2024, 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. 6, 2024.

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: 219/250= 88%

(Name, First-Place Votes)

Two-Year-Old Male: Fierceness, 205; Big Evs, 4; Muth, 3; Locked, 2; Prince of Monaco, 2; Nutella Fella, 1; The Wine Steward, 1; Timberlake, 1.

Two-Year-Old Filly: Just F Y I, 202; Hard to Justify, 9; Candied, 3; Tamara, 2; Brightwork, 1; Jody’s Pride, 1; She Feels Pretty, 1. 

Three-Year-Old Male: Arcangelo, 193; Auguste Rodin, 21; Arabian Knight, 2; Mage, 1; National Treasure, 1; Two Phil’s, 1.

Three-Year-Old Filly: Pretty Mischievous, 182; Randomized, 24; Mawj (IRE), 9; Ceiling Crusher, 2; Faiza, 2.     

Older Dirt Male: Cody’s Wish, 148;  White Abarrio, 65; Elite Power, 5, Defunded, 1.

Older Dirt Female: Idiomatic, 211; Goodnight Olive, 4; Echo Zulu, 3; Adare Manor, 1.

Male Sprinter: Elite Power, 183; Cody’s Wish, 35; Speed Boat Beach, 1.

Female Sprinter: Goodnight Olive, 140; Echo Zulu, 72; Maple Leaf Mel, 3; Caravel, 2; Kirstenbosch, 1; Pretty Mischievous, 1.

Male Turf Horse: Up to the Mark, 141; Auguste Rodin, 60; Master of The Seas, 12; Casa Creed, 1; Exaulted, 1; Integration, 1; Nobals, 1; Program Trading, 1; Red Knight, 1.

Female Turf Horse: Inspiral, 112; In Italian, 50; Mawj, 43; Anisette, 4; War Like Goddess, 3; Caravel, 2; Closing Remarks, 1; Didia, 1; Fev Rover, 1; Moira, 1; Surge Capacity, 1.     

Steeplechase Horse: Merry Maker, 69; Snap Decision, 50; Awakened, 25; Noah and The Arc, 24; Belfast Banter, 19; Scaramanga, 6; Voter Abstentions, 26.

Owner: Godolphin, 191; Klaravich Stables, Inc., 7; Juddmonte, 5;  Gary Barber, 2; Repole Stable, 2; Coleswood Farm, Inc., 1; Harris Farm, Inc., 1; George Krikorian, 1; Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables, LLC, 1; Bruno Schickedanz, 1; Voter Abstentions, 6.

Breeder: Godolphin, 202; Calumet Farm, 3; Brereton C. Jones, 3; Richard Barton Enterprises, 1;   George Krikorian, 1; Repole Stable, 1; Spendthrift Farm LLC, 1; Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, LLC, 1; Taylor Made Farm, 1; Voter Abstentions, 5.

Trainer: Bill Mott, 132; Brad Cox, 60; Steve Asmussen, 8; Chad Brown, 7; Jena Antonucci, 4; Todd  Pletcher, 3;  Bob Baffert, 1; Mark Casse, 1; Linda Rice, 1. Voter Abstentions, 2.       

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., 187; Javier Castellano,17; Flavien Prat, 7; Junior Alvarado, 4; Juan Hernandez, 1; Luis Saez, 1; Mike Smith, 1. Voter Abstention, 1.

Apprentice Jockey: Axel Concepcion, 166; Sofia Vives, 16; Jaime Torres, 14; Luis R. Rivera Jr., 7; Walter A. Rodriguez, 2; Voter Abstentions, 14.