2017 Eclipse Awards: Clearsky Farms

The past five years have produced breakthrough after breakthrough for the Cleary family’s Clearsky Farms, all from a broodmare band much smaller than most of its contemporaries’.

In 2013, the Lexington, Ky., farm was represented by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day. The following year, Clearsky consigned eventual Grade 2 winner Mohaymen as a yearling for a sale-topping $2.2 million at the Keeneland September auction and followed that up in 2015 with Kentucky Derby runner-up Firing Line.

The 2016 season changed everything, led by champion Arrogate and Grade 1 winners Abel Tasman and Lord Nelson. Their success that year propelled the Cleary family to its first berth as finalist for the outstanding breeder Eclipse Award.

Two of the three principals that helped bring Clearsky Farms to that point in 2016 did so again in 2017. Horse of the Year finalist Arrogate won the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes and Dubai World Cup, en route to becoming North America’s all-time leading earner. Abel Tasman won a trio of Grade 1 races, including the Kentucky Oaks, and is a finalist for champion 3-year-old filly. Juvenile Untamed Domain also notched a Grade 2 win for Clearsky.

Clearsky Farms led all breeders by North American earnings ($10,959,419) and Grade 1 earnings ($9,227,200), and tied with Besilu Stables and WinStar Farm for the most Grade 1 wins (four). All of this was accomplished with just 49 starters.

Clearsky Farms was founded in 2008 by the late Eamon Cleary, and is now run by his sons Bernard and Eamonn, along with farm manager Barry Robinette.

:: PEGASUS PLAYER'S PACKAGE: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Pace Projectors, and more!