2023 Eclipse Awards by the numbers

Did you know?

By Frances J. Karon

We’ll take a closer look at one or more of the 2023 Eclipse Award winners in future posts, but for now, here are some quick observations of this year’s champions by the numbers:

Seventeen point two

Idiomatic’s height in hands. That’s bigger than Horse of the Year Zenyatta’s 17.0 1/2 hands (of which the “and a half” has often been misinterpreted as 17.2). Idiomatic may very well be the tallest Eclipse-winning mare in history.

Champion older dirt female Idiomatic after winning the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster at Keeneland last year.

Nine

Idiomatic is the ninth Juddmonte homebred in the first four generations of her pedigree: Idiomatic, Lockdown, First Defence, Rising Tornado, Honest Lady, Silver Star, Toussaud, Zafonic, and Monroe.

Individual Eclipse champions conditioned by four-time outstanding trainer Bill Mott: Ajina, Cigar, Cody’s Wish, Elite Power, Escena, Just F Y I, Paradise Creek, Royal Delta, and Theatrical.

Seven

Champions who won a 2023 Breeders’ Cup race: Cody’s Wish, Elite Power, Fierceness, Goodnight Olive, Idiomatic, Inspiral, and Just F Y I.

Six

Times Godolphin has been leading owner, in 2009, 2012, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Five

Consecutive years Into Mischief has sired at least one Eclipse winner: Pretty Mischievous (2023); Wonder Wheel (2022); Gamine (2021); Authentic and Covfefe (2020); and Covfefe (2019).

Stallions in Fierceness’s uninterrupted direct male line who have sired at least one Eclipse winner but were not themselves champions: City of Light – Quality Road – Elusive Quality – Gone West – Mr. Prospector.

City of Light, sire of a second-crop champion, at Lane’s End.

Four

Consecutive female-line generations bred by Cheveley Park Stud: Inspiral – Starscope – Moon Goddess – Mystic Goddess.

Consecutive female-line generations bred by Juddmonte Farms: Idiomatic – Lockdown – Rising Tornado – Silver Star.

Horses of the Year to sire a Horse of the Year since 1971 (the inception of the Eclipse Awards as we know them): Secretariat, 1972-1973 (Lady’s Secret, 1986); Seattle Slew, 1977 (A.P. Indy, 1992); A.P. Indy, 1992 (Mineshaft, 2003); and Curlin, 2007-2008 (Cody’s Wish, 2023).

Hill ‘n’ Dale’s stallion Curlin’s influence on the Eclipse Awards is unmatched.

Three

Champions sired by Curlin: Cody’s Wish, Elite Power, and Idiomatic.

Champions produced from daughters of Tapit: Arcangelo (out of unraced Modeling), Cody’s Wish (Grade 1 winner Dance Card), and Pretty Mischievous (Grade 1 winner Pretty City Dancer).

Consecutive generations raced in the silks of George Krikorian: Just F Y I – Star Act – Starrer.

Consecutive generations raced in the silks of Mike Repole: Fierceness – Nonna Bella – Stay Thirsty/Nonna Mia.

Two

Consecutive years Curlin has had three individual Eclipse winners in a single season, after Elite Power, Malathaat, and Nest in 2022.

Eclipse winners whose fifth dam is Best in Show: Arcangelo and Idiomatic.

Champions retiring to Lane’s End for 2024: Arcangelo and Up to the Mark.

One

Stallion – Ghostzapper – to sire both an Eclipse winner (Goodnight Olive) and the dam of an Eclipse winner (Up to the Mark).

Ghostzapper, the 2004 Horse of the Year who now stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale, was represented as sire and broodmare sire of Eclipse winners in 2023.