2019 Eclipse Awards: George Strawbridge Jr.

George Strawbridge Jr., 82, is seeking his first Eclipse Award as outstanding breeder, and has a strong case thanks to breeding Bricks and Mortar, a five-time Grade 1 winner who is one of the finalists for Horse of the Year and a heavy favorite to be honored as champion turf male. The Giant’s Causeway horse, sold as a yearling to Klaravich Stable and William Lawrence, is out of Beyond the Waves, a French stakes winner whom Strawbridge co-bred and campaigned. The mare is the dam of seven winners from as many starters, and has also produced Grade 3 winner Emerald Beech, stakes winner Beyond Smart, stakes-winning steeplechaser Beyond Henry, and two stakes-placed horses.

Strawbridge, a Philadelphia native, races horses under the name of his Augustin Stable, and has found international success with both flat and steeplechase runners. His leading runners have included Eclipse Award champions Forever Together, Informed Decision, and Waya and European standouts Ristna, Selkirk, Silver Fling, Treizieme, Tikkanen, and Turgeon. Strawbridge bred Tikkanen, winner of the 1994 Breeders’ Cup Turf, as well as Ristna, Selkirk, Silver Fling, and Turgeon. He co-bred Treizieme.

Strawbridge’s steeplechase runners are led by Hall of Famer Cafe Prince, a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award as outstanding steeplechase horse.

:: Full list of 2019 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories