Preakness Quick Sheet: Get to Know the 2021 Preakness Horses
Knicks Go Crowned Horse of the Year to Highlight 2021 Eclipse Awards
RacingThe 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.