Thoroughbred Daily News

Hallandale Beach, FL–With Saturday's racing action already in full swing, the afternoon's Pegasus World Cup races got underway with 15-1 chance Destino d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro) getting up late to win the GII Filly and Mare Turf over Crevalle d'Oro (Constitution).

Not particularly hurried coming out of the gate, the Brad Cox trainee broke well but was settled back near the back as 3-1 choice In Our Time (Not This Time) raced up to the front from her outside berth with And One More Time (Omaha Beach) and Movin' On Up (Accelerate) in close pursuit through an opening quarter mile in :23.43. With And One More Time gaining a slight edge over the favorite through a :46.87 half, Destino d'Oro still had a lot to do from well over 10 lengths back.

As And One More Time and In Our Time continued to exchange blows on the front end, Destino d'Oro was swung wide turning for home and began to unfurl her bay legs down the lane. Closing by leaps and bounds through the length of the stretch, she was up in time to score by a half-length over the closing Crevalle d'Oro with Movin' On Up hanging around to grab third.

“We broke and I knew she was probably going to come from off the pace,” said winning rider Junior Alvarado. “I thought I'm a little too far back having this much horse, so I'm going to have to start picking it up soon. When I switched leads at the three-quarter pole and was getting close at the five-eighths pole, I couldn't believe how much horse I had underneath me. She came with a helluva run at the end.”

A winner first out at Kentucky Downs in the summer of her juvenile season, she ran too good to lose, finishing third, in Keeneland's GII Jessamine Stakes in October. A winner in her 3-year-old debut in a Churchill allowance last June, she added a score in the GIII Pucker Up Stakes at Ellis Park in August.

Upped to 1 5/16 miles for the GIII Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 10, the bay faded to be eighth in the GI Queen Elizabeth Cup at Keeneland in October. In her most recent start, the Steve Landers-owned filly came home a head winner over And One More Time in the 8 1/2-furlong Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream on Dec. 13.

“She performed here last month and I was pointing for this after that,” said Cox. “I figured she ran well here and has been training really well at Payson since and she put in a big effort.”

Facing strictly 3-year-olds last season, Saturday's race represented the first time she was encountering older rivals.

“It's always a little bit of a concern [facing older horses]. There is always a bit of a concern but it's valuable to know going in if they have run well [over the local course] in the past.”

Asked about tactics going into the Pegasus, Cox explained, “I told [Junior] to play the break. She has won the [Pucker Up] when she broke really well, which caught us completely off guard and ran a great race that day. So I felt if she's up there, that's fine. She is honest and if she is in a good spot, she'll come running.”

Explaining her unusually flat performance at Kentucky Downs last season, Cox continued, “She was bottled up that day and we had to throw that out. When she came back for the QEII, she probably wasn't doing quite as well.”

“I was thinking about stopping on her, but she came out of the QEII well enough and we shipped her down [to Gulfstream] and I thought I'd back up on her a bit and she trained well. She ran well in the Tropical Park Oaks and she hasn't missed a beat since.”

While Cox hasn't pegged an exact race for the 4-year-old's next start, he expects her to return to Grade I company before long.”
“The goal would be to give her a shot in a big race like the Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland this spring,” he said. “We'll probably need one more run before than, and since she ran well here, maybe she'll have a race here before that.”

The final foal out of GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes heroine Heart of Destiny, Destino d'Oro is a granddaughter of SP Doc's Destiny, dam of MGSP Brother Bobby (Out of Place). This is the family of GI Ashland Stakes winner Rosalind (Broken Vow).

#3 DESTINO D'ORO ($33.20) comes flying down the outside to win the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup F&M Turf Invitational (G2) at @GulfstreamPark. The daughter of Bolt d'Oro (@spendthriftfarm) was ridden by @JuniorandKellyA and is trained by @Bradcoxracing. Steve Landers Racing owns. pic.twitter.com/kctfGCiwX4

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 24, 2026

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
PEGASUS WORLD CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF INVITATIONAL S. PRESENTED BY THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE ALLIANCE-GII, $490,500, Gulfstream, 1-24, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.33, fm.
1–DESTINO D'ORO, 120, f, 4, by Bolt d'Oro
                1st Dam: Heart of Destiny (GISP, $242,089), by Lion Heart
                2nd Dam: Doc's Destiny, by Doc's Leader
                3rd Dam: Ventured, by Codex
($20,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $25,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $185,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Steve Landers Racing LLC; B-Hurstland Farm, Inc. & James H. Greene Jr. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Junior Alvarado. $285,000. Lifetime Record: 8-5-0-1, $829,884. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Crevalle d'Oro, 118, m, 5, Constitution–Sonoma d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro. ($60,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $220,000 4yo '25 FTDAUG; $500,000 4yo '25 KEENOV). O-TCC Stables LLC, Iavarone, Michael and Iavarone, Jules; B-Sandra Sexton (KY); T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo. $95,000.
3–Movin' On Up, 118, m, 5, Accelerate–Stifle Yourself, by Cairo Prince. O-Kenneth L. Ramsey; B-Estate Of Harvey A. Clarke (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.. $47,500.
Margins: HF, HF, HF. Odds: 15.60, 31.50, 7.30.
Also Ran: Whiskey Decision, Heredia (GB), Caitlinhergrtness, And One More Time, Proctor Street, In Our Time, Breath Away (GB), Ready for Shirl, Classic Q. Scratched: Awesome Czech, Candy Quest.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Destino d’Oro Runs Down Rivals to Win Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Litigation (Twirling Candy) posted four victories last season, with three in a row at one point, and he got right back to winning ways in his 2026 bow.

Breaking his maiden in the middle of his campaign last year, he picked up two additional wins in succession against allowance company sprinting on the grass, defeating GISW Troubleshooting (Not This Time) while he was at it, and rallied belatedly at Keeneland in October to miss collecting his fourth in a row. He redeemed himself two back Oct. 31 when he defeated a Churchill allowance group across town and post his best career figure to date with a 92 Beyer. Litigation was last seen Dec. 20 at this venue running sixth in the Janus Stakes after being jostled at the break, and checked at the three-eighths marker.

Made the lukewarm 5-2 favorite here, he watched the race unfold from eighth as 3-1 second choice Coppola (Into Mischief) set the early fractions of :20.79 and four furlongs clocked in :43.20 as the field launched rallies behind that leader coming off the bend. Swung seven wide in upper stretch, Litigation roared home in the final strides to nail 96-1 longshot Full Disclosure (Cajun Breeze) by a neck. My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) matched strides with the lead group in the final yards, and lost the photo for second by a nose, having to settle for third.

During the running, around the sixteenth pole, Unconquerable Keen (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) clipped heels and lost the rider, completing the race without Umberto Rispoli and was collected by an outrider afterwards. The Stewards conducted a review of the running, but reported to not find any reason to alter the original order of finish.

Litigation is the third stakes horse for dam Argue behind his half-sisters Slimey (Quality Road), purchased by Japanese connections in 2023, and SW Quality Response (Quality Road), who was exported to Australia in 2022. All of the winner's half-siblings to make it to the races have gotten their picture taken, and all four sisters, including the two black-type mares, are winner producers. The first live foal after several years of poor breeding luck for Argue, Litigation has a juvenile full-brother in the wings. The mare is due to Blame in 2026.

GULFSTREAM PARK TURF SPRINT S. PRESENTED BY SEMINOLE HARD ROCK, $155,000, Gulfstream, 1-24, 4yo/up, 5fT, :55.03, fm.
1–LITIGATION, 120, c, 4, Twirling Candy–Argue, by Storm Cat. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Stone Farm; B-Stone Farm (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch; J-Mario Gutierrez. $87,420. Lifetime Record: 9-5-1-0, $362,641. *1/2 to Slimey (Quality Road), SP, $265,964.
2–Full Disclosure, 118, g, 7, Cajun Breeze–Theladysaidno, by Concerto. O-Sherry Racing, Inc.; B-Shadybrook Farm Inc (FL); T-Mohamed Jehaludi. $33,200.
3–My Boy Prince, 122, g, 5, Cairo Prince–Hopping Not Hoping, by Silent Name (Jpn). (C$115,000 Ylg '22 CANSEP). O-Gary Barber; B-Murray Graham Smith (ON); T-Mark E. Casse. $14,100.
Margins: NK, NO, 1HF. Odds: 2.90, 96.40, 4.20.
Also Ran: Asher's Edge, And Uwish, Coppola, Sam the Sham, Incanto (Ire), Eamonn, Out On Bail, Unconquerable Keen (Ire). Scratched: Khaadem (Ire), Sosua Summer.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Less than 48 hours after Team Godolphin celebrated Horse of the Year success, among other plaudits, at the Eclipse Awards ceremonies in nearby Palm Beach, 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Knightsbridge (Nyquist) kept the good times rolling, as he contested a hot pace outside of his less-experienced chief market rival Life and Times (Justify), got the better of that duel turning for home and kicked on gamely to take out Saturday's GIII Fred W. Hooper Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Favored at 4-5 off a maiden success at the graded level in the seven-furlong GIII Mr. Prospector Stakes last time, the May foal bounced away alertly from gate six and argued the pace from the outside, as the rail-drawn Life and Times–big-figure winner of each of his two career starts to date–showed the way through an opening quarter mile in :23.64 down the chute and the duo were well and truly after one anonther after four furlongs in :45.25.

Going nicely in hand on the turn, Knightsbridge nosed in front under a hold at the five-sixteenths, opened a winning margin and held sway to the wire, as 26-1 Back Em Up (Take Charge Indy) spiced up the exotics. Life and Times managed to hold on for third.

“Our horse was on his game today,” said Bill Mott, who won his fifth Eclipse Award Thursday evening. “He's had his third race in this cycle and finally up to showing what we thought he could do. He's showed signs of that before. Some of his races have been very easy wins, but today was against the better field and he drew away from them pretty handily.”

Mott indicated that the GIII Gulfstream Park Mile on Feb. 28 could be next for his charge.

Named a 'Rising Star' when demolishing Churchill maidens by better than 10 lengths in November 2023, Knightsbridge took a course-and-distance allowance by nine lengths the following March, but was not seen again until that October, when he dead-heated for third in the GIII Perryville Stakes at Keeneland. Runner-up in a mile allowance here last Feb. 15, the dark bay resumed from a nine-month absence to take a muddy Aqueduct allowance Nov. 22 before romping in the Mr. P. last time.

Pedigree Notes:

Knightsbridge is one of 22 horses to strike at the graded level for his sire, and the cross over Bernardini has been a particularly potent one, resulting in top-level scorers champion Immersive, 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Nysos and Gretzky the Great. Godolphin's 2024 GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes hero Encino is also bred on the same cross.

A half-brother to Grade I winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense)–himself a winner of the Gulfstream Park Mile–Knightsbridge is out of an unraced daughter of $5.75-million Fasig-Tipton November acquisition Round Pond, who won the 2006 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff the same day the aforementioned Street Sense took out the Juvenile. Tyburn Brook is therefore a half-sister to GISW Highland Falls (Curlin), former UAE Group 1 winner Long River (A.P. Indy) and SW & GSP Lake Lucerne (Dubawi {Ire}). This is also the family of G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Black Minnaloushe.

Tyburn Brook is also the dam of the 3-year-old filly Lady Brompton (Street Sense) and a yearling full-brother to Speaker's Corner. She is due to produce a full-sibling to Knightsbridge in 2026.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
FRED W. HOOPER S. PRESENTED BY VISIT LAUDERDALE-GIII, $150,000, Gulfstream, 1-24, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:35.12, ft.
1–KNIGHTSBRIDGE, 124, h, 5, by Nyquist
                1st Dam: Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Round Pond, by Awesome Again
                3rd Dam: Gift of Dance, by Trempolino
'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $90,210. Lifetime Record: 7-5-1-1, $379,755. *1/2 to Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), GISW, $739,963. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Back Em Up, 118, g, 4, Take Charge Indy–Archer City, by Silver City. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($37,000 RNA Wlg '22 KEENOV; $65,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $32,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Keough and Meaney, LLC and TCC Stables, LLC; B-Chris & Mackenzie Johnson (KY); T-Bobby S. Dibona. $29,100.
3–Life and Times, 118, g, 5, Justify–Silky Serenade, by Unbridled's Song. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Michael B. Tabor; B-Chelston (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $14,550.
Margins: 4 3/4, 3HF, 1. Odds: 0.80, 26.70, 1.70.
Also Ran: Racing Driver, Tour Player, Steal Sunshine, Catalytic, Nelson Avenue. Scratched: Con Compania (Chi).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

#6 KNIGHTSBRIDGE ($3.60) had plenty left late after an all out battle with Life and Times from the start to win the $175,000 Fred W. Hooper (G3) at @GulfstreamPark. The son of Nyquist (@DarleyAmerica) was ridden by @JuniorandKellyA, trained by Bill Mott, and owned by @godolphin. pic.twitter.com/lJJYndSS21

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 24, 2026

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Edited Press Release

Ahead of the OBSOnline January Sale and January Winter Mixed Sale, OBS has upgraded its internet bidding platform for both live and timed auctions.

For new users, please go to the login page bid.obssales.com/login and register to be a new bidder.

Instructions for NEW users:

• Go to the login page–bid.obssales.com/login
• Select the “Register Now” button
• Follow the prompts
• Be sure to check your emails for account activation invitations

For existing users, as part of the migration process, existing passwords could not be moved over. To regain access in the new platform, existing users will need to go to the login page bid.obssales.com/login and use the “Forgot Password” feature to establish a new password.

Instructions for EXISTING users:

• Go to the login page–bid.obssales.com/login
• Click “Forgot Password”
• Re-enter the email used for the existing account
• An email will be sent to the email address provided with a link to reset your password.
• Follow the prompts and you will be able to access the bidding platform.

If you do not receive a password reset email, please check your spam or junk folder.

The post OBS Updates Online Bidding Platform appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Tom Ryan, the racing manager for SF Racing, tweeted Friday morning that Madaket Road (Quality Road) will not compete in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.

“Madaket Road won't participate in the Pegasus,” read Ryan's tweet. “He seems to have an abscess brewing – unfortunate timing. He will ship back to California shortly.”

SF Racing is co-owner of the 4-year-old colt who is trained by Bob Baffert. He was 10-1 in the morning line and is coming off a fourth-place finish in the GI Malibu Stakes. With the scratch of Madaket Road, Lightning Tones (Tonalist) will draw into the race.

Madaket Road won't participate in the Pegasus. He seems to have an abscess brewing – unfortunate timing. He will ship back to California shortly.

— Tom Ryan (@TomRyanKY) January 23, 2026

The post Madaket Road Will Scratch From Pegasus World Cup Invitational appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

On Thursday in Palm Beach, Bob Duncan was honored with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence acknowledging his contribution to the sport of horse racing through his work at the starting gate.

I loudly applaud the NTRA, DRF and National Turf Writers & Broadcasters for recognizing Bob's unique talent and gift to racing with this award. I applaud Bob himself for his approach to his craft and the shining example he has set in handling horses with respect as partners in winning races.

Bob and his craft are known to anyone that has worked on a racetrack in the U.S.–myself included. But it was through his efforts with Quality Road as a 4-year-old that I came to better understand just how insightful, dedicated and generous Bob is with horses and people.

After being scratched at the starting gate for the 2009 GI Breeders Cup Classic and being reluctant to load on a plane to return from California to New York, Quality Road was branded as a talented but unpredictable rogue. At that time, as General Manager for Ned Evans Spring Hill Farm, the owner/breeder of Quality Road, I knew this label was inaccurate as did his trainer Todd Pletcher, jockey John Velazquez and anyone close to the horse.

Going forward, we employed Bob to reeducate Quality Road at the gate in an effort to allow him to reach his full potential. At a point where he could have been retired as a Grade I-winning, multiple track record setting 3-year-old known for bad behavior, instead, through Bob's work and wisdom, as a 4-year-old Quality Road won three more Grade Is, set another track record, redeemed his reputation and retired to stud with the highest stud fee of his intake year.

As a result, Quality Road bred high-quality mares making him champion freshman sire. He has gone on to become a leading stallion of multiple champions with 17 Grade I winners and counting, plus he will leave a positive and lasting mark on the breed.

None of this would have been possible without Bob Duncan. What he turned around in Quality Road, he has prevented happening in countless other horses. Bob's work ethic, empathy, nonverbal communication skills and innate respect for the horse as a sentient being, led to the development of a philosophy and approach to horse handling at the starting gate that has benefitted horses and horsemen for decades.

From my perspective though, Bob's biggest gift is the example he has set–an example of horsemanship, respect, partnership, empathy and understanding. Communicate with the horse in terms he can understand, not ignorantly expecting him to learn our language. Treat the horse with respect; like with people, it must be given to be reciprocated. Develop a partnership with the horse, not a dominant/submissive relationship, if you want him to give you his all. These examples and so many more to follow in our approach to horse handling.

In this day and age where the horse can be viewed as an asset to be developed, whose nature, athleticism and will must adapt to our schedule and expectations, Bob's example glaringly reminds us that taking care of the horse, putting the horse's best interests first is not only the ethical, moral and right thing to do, it just so happens to be good business as well.

On behalf of the horse, thank you Bob!

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The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has canceled Saturday's live racing program at Aqueduct Racetrack due to arctic temperatures and sub-zero wind chill values forecast to impact the metropolitan area throughout the day, the association said in a press release on Friday morning.

Additionally, Laurel Park in Maryland has also canceled their 10-race Saturday card due to the expected frigid temperatures.

As previously reported, NYRA has also shifted Sunday's live racing program to Wednesday due to a powerful winter storm expected to bring heavy snowfall to the region.

Saturday's featured Interborough Stakes will be brought back for Friday, Feb. 6, with entries to be taken on Saturday, Jan. 31.

The Big A will remain open for simulcasting on Saturday but closed to the public on Sunday.

Racing will resume at Laurel Park on Friday, Jan. 30.

The post Falling Temps: NYRA And Laurel Cancel On Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The podium at the 55th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony was awash in Godolphin blue Thursday, with a homebred from that global bloodstock powerhouse, Sovereignty (Into Mischief), running away with both Horse of the Year and 3-year-old male championship honors.

Sovereignty's on-track tour de force included emphatic Grade I victories in the 2025 Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes, and those headline-grabbing wins helped to trigger a cascade of accolades for the colt's human connections.

Godolphin took home its sixth straight Eclipse recognition as outstanding owner and its fifth consecutive trophy as America's top breeder.

Plus, Sovereignty's trainer, Bill Mott, was voted the nation's top trainer for the fifth time at the Eclipse Awards, a feat that is ultra-impressive considering his hardware in that category now spans three full decades (1995, 1996, 2011, 2023 and 2025).

Sovereignty's Horse of the Year distinction, announced as the culminating honor during a two-hour ceremony Jan. 22 at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida, was the second such award in three years for the Godolphin/Mott team, joining Cody's Wish, who was Horse of the Year in 2023.

Mott has now trained Horse of the Year champions in four different years, with the mighty Cigar in 1995 and 1996 joining the recent two for Godolphin.

“First of all, I can't express how proud I am to be the one to hold this award,” Mott said while flanked by the Godolphin crew after the Horse of the Year announcement.

Trainer Bill Mott flanked by his assistants | NTRA

“I mean, it is so telling of the entire Godolphin team, his Royal Highness, [Godolphin founder] Sheikh Mohammed [bin Rashid Al Maktoum], what he's done for racing in this country and all around the world is just amazing,” Mott said.

“And being able to be part of winning his first Kentucky Derby, and another Horse of the Year, is just unimaginable, unexplainable, and I'm proud to be standing up here with the Godolphin team.”

As always, the acceptance speeches that stood out were the ones that reflected gratitude back on the horse.

“As a team, we will continue to do as we do and be who we are for the love of the Thoroughbred,” said Godolphin trainer Johnny Burke in accepting the team's outstanding owner award.

“Thank you to Sovereignty for the ride of a lifetime,” said Michael Banahan, Godolphin's bloodstock director, in collecting the 3-year-old male championship trophy.

Danny Mulvihill, the United States farm manager for Godolphin, focused on the unique Grade I Kentucky Oaks and Derby double that his team parlayed in the span of 24 hours last May after Sovereignty's off-the-pace winning Run for the Roses put the exclamation point on the previous-day's victory by fellow homebred Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) in the Oaks.

“For any of you guys that foal mares in the middle of the night and the [Derby and Oaks] dreams are alive when those foals hit the ground,” Mulvihill said, “well, I guess this year was our turn for both.”

Ted Noffey's connections | NTRA

The undefeated 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Ted Noffey is aiming to make it two years in a row that an Into Mischief colt wins American's most important and historic horse race.

Even though Ted Noffey is the early Derby favorite for 2026 based on an unblemished 4-for-4 record in 2025 that he capped with an emphatic win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, a member of his ownership team at Spendthrift Farm said the group is too busy enjoying the ride to give much consideration to what recognition the colt's accomplishments might bring.

“Regardless of what he did [in 2025], we take nothing for granted, said Eric Gustavson, co-owner and president of Spendthrift. “It's always good to remind ourselves that we aren't here without the majestic horse.”

Super Corredora (Gun Runner), another Breeders' Cup victress (GI Juvenile Fillies), whose win on the final Friday of October has her connections dreaming of the Kentucky Oaks on the first Friday in May, elicited similar feelings from Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, a syndicate that is one of the filly's ownership partners.

“This is why we do what we do,” Finely said, summing up his elation in a concise but candid manner that most racetrackers can relate to.

Although a number of the Eclipse Award winners on Thursday were groups or individuals with a global footprint in the game, several were rooted more locally and modestly.

Team Book'em Danno | NTRA

A case in point is the team behind champion male sprinter Book'em Danno (Bucchero), a New Jersey-bred gelding who raced for a New Jersey-based partnership of friends and business acquaintances under the stable name Atlantic Six Racing.

“In this sport, you need a lot of luck, a lot of dedication, and an exceptional horse,” said Atlantic Six's managing partner, Jay Briscione. “Tonight we celebrate all three.”

Rich Mendez's family-and-friends partnership, Morplay Racing, is a co-owner of the 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' and newly crowned champion female sprinter Shisospicy (Mitole).

Mendez wanted the sport's newer generation of participants to know that a trip to an Eclipse Awards podium like he had just made might not be as far a journey as it seems, even if you're just starting out.

“I come from absolutely nothing,” Mendez said. “Any young person that has dreams, [know that I am an example] that anyone can make it. If you work really, really hard and stay focused, you can make it.”

For a more detailed list of 2025 Eclipse Award winners, see TDN's additional coverage here.

The post Respect and Admiration for the Horse Carries the Evening at the Eclipse Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Sovereignty (Into Mischief) capped off yet another massive evening at the Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's far-flung Godolphin operation, capping the festivities at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, by being named America's Horse of the Year for 2025 by a wide margin.

It marks the second time in three years that a horse bred and raced by Godolphin stole the show, following on from Cody's Wish (Curlin), who took down top honors in 2023. Godolphin was also named outstanding owner and breeder Thursday evening, and largely for his work managing the big colt, Bill Mott earned his fiith Eclipse as outstanding trainer. He also called the shots on the career of Cody's Wish.

“First of all, I can't express how proud I am to be the one to hold this award,” said Mott, accepting the night's most-coveted trophy. “I mean, it is so telling of the entire Godolphin team, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed. What he's done for racing in this country and all around the world is amazing. To be able to be part of winning his first Kentucky Derby and another Horse of the Year is just unimaginable, unexplainable. I'm so proud to be standing here with the Godolphin team: Michael (Banahan), Dan (Pride), the whole entire group.”

Though the racing public at large was denied the opportunity to see what Sovereignty could do against his elders when unfortunately withdrawn from the GI Breeders' Cup Classic early that week, there was no denying his brilliance over a six-race campaign that saw him win the first and third legs of the Triple Crown either side of a much-discussed and much-maligned decision to give the GI Preakness Stakes a miss.

If the objective was to have a relatively fresh horse for the second half of the season, it was certainly mission accomplished, as he was imperious in completing the Saratoga sophomore stakes double over the summer and by all accounts, would have been a very tough customer and favored in the Classic against the likes of Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and 'TDN Rising Stars' presented by Hagyard Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), Mindframe (Constitution) and Fierceness (City of Light) in the main event on championship Saturday.

Alas, it wasn't meant to be, some 201 members of the three voting blocs–the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) and Daily Racing Form (DRF)–were willing to cast a Horse of the Year vote in his favor. Sovereignty's name also appeared on the first line each of the 219 ballots (with one absention) for champion 3-year-old male, making him the evening's lone unanimous winner.

But for single votes cast for the impressive GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Gstaad (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and Spendthrift Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Further Ado (Gun Runner), the latter ownership's 'TDN Rising Star' Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) would have also been a unanimous choice for champion 2-year-old male off a 4-for-4 season that was capped by success in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Oct. 31. The fillies' counterpart also supplied the champion 2-year-old filly in the form of Super Corredora (Gun Runner), who comfortably beat GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint victress and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Cy Fair (Not This Time) by a count of 146-49.

Ted Noffey | Breeders' Cup/Eclipse Sportswire

For the fourth time in the space of just five years, a Charlie Appleby-conditioned son of Dalham Hall Stud's magnificent Dubawi (Ire) provided Godolphin with the Eclipse statuette for champion turf male. 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Notable Speech (GB) endured a bit of a frustrating run in Europe in the first part of 2025, but that all changed in his last two starts of the preparation, including a fast-finishing victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile to improve on a somewhat unlucky third in the same event 12 months prior. It was coincidentally a fourth win in five years in that race for Godolphin-bred and -raced sons of Dubawi. Rebel's Romance (Ire), the reigning Eclipse turf champion, was a distant second in this year's balloting.

Up-and-coming trainer Cherie DeVaux was represented by the first champion of her burgeoning career when Lael Stables' She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) took home the hardware in the turf female category, with Grade I victories north and south of the border. She received 151 of the 220 first-place votes, outdistancing the 3-year-old filly who defeated her in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Gezora (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}), who tallied 36 votes.

Outside of Sovereignty and Ted Noffey, the next most-dominant divisional winner was D J Stables' Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) who attracted all but 37 of the votes to earn champion 3-year-old filly honors. Equally adept on the turf and on the dirt, the homebred defeated GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint heroine and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Shisospicy (Mitole), who picked up 24 votes to finish a clear second.

The latter was also third behind She's So Pretty in the turf female category, but was not denied her own moment in the spotlight when her connections accepted the Eclipse Award for champion female sprinter. Her wire-to-wire tour-de-force in the Turf Sprint earned her top honors over Splendora (Audible), the convincing winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

The older dirt male divisions, both short and long, were the subject of many a heated discussion across social media since the Eclipse finalists were announced on Jan. 4. In the older dirt male division, the voters ultimately decided that Forever Young's historic victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic was the most convincing piece of form in a division which never truly yielded a leader over the course of the season. In the end, the voting was surprisingly decisive, as the G1 Saudi Cup winner received 117 votes to the 50 for the reigning champion 3-year-old colt and defending Classic winner Sierra Leone.

The male sprint division tossed up the evening's closest contest, but by a count of 115 to 82, Eclipse voters rewarded Atlantic Six Racing's Book'em Danno (Bucchero) for his consistent body of work from March through to the end of August, a stretch which included an unprecedented sequence of victories at Saratoga, among them the GI Forego Stakes. His absence from the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint proved no detriment, as he outpointed Bentornato (Valiant Minister), who posted a pair of towering Beyer Speed Figures in his two starts–including in the Sprint–but was penalized for the abbreviated campaign.

Book'em Danno | Sarah Andrew

Similar to its male counterpart, the 2025 dirt female division was characterized by unpredictability and the lack of a dominating presence. 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) was not the same animal that was anointed Horse of the Year and champion of her generation during these ceremonies 12 months ago, but a pair of elite-level successes which took her career total to seven earned her a third statue, this one for champion older dirt female. 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Scylla (Tapit) finally put it all together in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, but was soundly defeated into second in divisional balloting.

In the battle for champion steeplechase horse, Riverdee Stables' Cool Jet (Ire) (Jet Away {GB}) was also rewarded for his consistency, romping from on or near the pace in the Commonwealth Cup in May, the Mariann de Tejada Memorial in October and the Noel Lainge in early November.

On the heels of yet hugely successful year in the saddle, Flavien Prat picked up his second straight Eclipse Award as outstanding journeyman jockey, while Pietro Moran landed the Eclipse for outstanding apprentice in a season highlighted by a victory in the King's Plate.

A total of 240 ballots were distributed to members of the three aforementioned voting blocs, of which 220 (91.7%) were returned. In voting that concluded Jan. 1, 2026, 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. 4, 2026. The Eclipse Awards are determined by first-place votes only.

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Godolphin homebred 3-year-old Sovereignty (Into Mischief) has been named the 2025 Horse of the Year.

In the final award of the evening, the Champion 3-Year-Old Colt added the ultimate prize to a 2025 campaign which saw him win five of six starts including three Grade I's.

Beginning the year with a win in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream, he was defeated just once when second in the GI Curlin Florida Derby. He would go undefeated from there, piling up wins in the GI Kentucky Derby, the GI Belmont Stakes, the GII Jim Dandy Stakes and the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes.

From six starts, he earned $5,692,020.

Sovereignty is Godolphin's second Horse of the Year in the last three years, joining Cody's Wish in 2023.

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GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner-up She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) have been named Best Turf Male and Female.

'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Notable Speech, owned and bred by fellow Eclipse winner Godolphin, also won the GI Rogers Woodbine Mile Stakes, finishing his year with back to back wins on North American shores.

She Feels Pretty won three of five starts for trainer Cherie DeVaux in 2025 including the GIII Modesty Stakes, the GI New York Stakes and the GI E. P. Taylor Stakes. She finished runner up in her other two starts for owner Lael Stables.

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The Eclipse Award for Older Dirt Male and Female have gone to Japan's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and last year's Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna).

Forever Young, who returned to Del Mar in 2025 to win the GI Breeders' Cup Classic after coming up just short in 2024, also won this year's G1 Saudi Cup and ran third in the G1 Dubai World Cup, his only non-winning effort across his four starts for trainer Yoshito Yahagi and owner Susumu Fujita.

The 2024 Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna ran six times in 2025 for trainer Ken McPeek and an ownership group that includes Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. (J. G. Sikura), Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek), Mark Edwards and Judy Hicks. She won the GI Apple Blossom Stakes and the GI Personal Ensign Stakes, earning $1,597,250 across her six starts.

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Bill Mott, who brought along Champion 3-Year-Old Male Sovereignty (Into Mischief) to wins in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont, and Travers, has been been given the Eclipse Award for Best Trainer.

In addition to Sovereignty, Mott also trainer 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Scylla (Tapit) to a win in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff.

From 662 starts, Mott finished out 2025 with a record of 106-85-97 and earnings of $17,165,020.

This is Mott's fifth Eclipse Award; he was previously honored in 2024, 2011, 1996 and 1995, 1996.

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Also honored in these same categories for 2024, Godolphin has been given the Eclipse Award for Best Owner and Best Breeder during Thursday night's ceremony.

Godolphin both bred and raised 2025's GI Kentucky Derby winner and Champion 3-Year-Old Male Sovereignty (Into Mischief) along with GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro).

They also picked up top-level wins with homebred Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and El Cordobes (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

As owners, Godophin earned more than $22,395,556, the best year to date for the royal blue silks.

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The 9-year-old Cool Jet (Ire) (Jet Away {GB}) has been named the Eclipse Award Steeplechase Horse.

Trained by Jack Fisher and owned by Riverdee Stable, Cool Jet won three of six starts in his sixth year of racing, picking up victories in the GI Commonwealth Cup Stakes, the GIII Mariann de Tejeda Memorial Stakes and the GIII Noel Laing Stakes.

He also hit the board at both Blue Ridge and during the Foxfield Spring Meet in the Good Night Shirt Hurdle Stakes.

He finished the year with earnings of $190,500 across those six starts.

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New Jersey-bred Book'em Danno (Bucchero) and Breeders' Cup winner Shisospicy (Mitole) won top Male and Female Sprinter at the Eclipse Awards.

A winner in four of his five starts in 2025, Book'em Danno finished his year with three straight wins all at Saratoga in the GIII True North Stakes, the GII Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes and the GI Forego Stakes for trainer Derek Ryan and owner Atlantic Six Racing.

'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Shisospicy went undefeated on American shores after February for trainer Jose D'Angelo, winning the GIII Mamzelle Stakes, the GII AGS Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs and beating the boys in the GI Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint .

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Already an Eclipse Award winner from last year, Flavien Prat has gone back to back and has once again been named Best Jockey.

His 2025 campaign of 1,256 starts earned a record of 309-234-188 with earnings of over $40,460,428.

His picked up wins aboard Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the GI Whitney Stakes and was named the Leading Rider for Keeneland's Spring meet. He also set a new NYRA record for wins on a single card, earning seven wins on the final day of the Belmont the Big A meet on Nov. 2.

He also won a pair of Breeders' Cup races with Nysos (Nyquist) in the Dirt Mile and Splendora (Audible) in the Filly and Mare Sprint.

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GI Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) has been named the top 3-Year-Old Male and GI Alabama Stakes winner Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) as top 3-Year-Old Filly in their respective categories at the Eclipse Awards.

Beaten just once in 2025 when second in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, Sovereignty wrapped up his year with wins in the Derby, the GI Belmont Stakes, the GII Jim Dandy Stakes and the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes, earning more than $5,600,000 in six starts for owner/breeder Godolphin and trainer Bill Mott.

Nitrogen began her year on the turf but easily found her footing on the dirt as well, racking up five graded stakes wins over both surfaces culminating in her victory in the GI Alabama Stakes at Saratoga for trainer Mark Casse and D.J. Stable. She finished her season second behind older fillies in both the GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes and the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

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Pietro Moran has been named the Eclipse Award winner for best Apprentice Jockey.

After launching his career in Canada in 2023, the 20-year old was named a Sovereign Award finalist for Apprentice Jockey in 2024.

His 2025 campaign included wins aboard Mansetti (Collected) in the King's Plate, becoming the third youngest jockey in history to win the race. He finished the year with a record of 863-140-117-139 and earnings of $6,083,835 and a winning percentage of 16%.

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Breeders' Cup winners Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) and Super Corredora (Gun Runner) were honored as Eclipse Award Champion 2-Year-Old Male and 2-Year-Old Female respectively Thursday night to open the 55th Annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Ted Noffey put together an undefeated juvenile campaign for owner Spendthrift Farm, winning the GI Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes and the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity before defeating Mr A.P. (Honor A.P) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.

Having just broken her maiden less than three weeks prior when she entered the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Super Corredora took the field gate to wire in an 8-1 upset for trainer John Sadler and owners Spartan Equine Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, Robert Gardiner and Michael Olszewski.

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