The delayed American steeplechase season of 2020 finally began a few months late in June with a familiar name in the winner’s circle of a famous race. Moscato won the Grade 3 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle at Middleburg Racecourse in Virginia on June 13 for the second consecutive year. The race is typically run earlier in the spring, but the coronavirus forced a postponement. The Middleburg race had its centennial running in 2020, but without spectators. At least Moscato did what was expected and recorded an 11-length win in the day’s top hurdle race, the Gwathmey. The victory marked the start of a brief 2020 campaign that left Moscato a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding steeplechaser. Owned by the Bruton Street-US partnership of Mike Hankin, Charlie Fenwick, and Charlie Noell, Moscato had a more productive season in 2020 than he did the previous year, when the Gwathmey was his only win in a four-race campaign. In 2020, the 9-year-old Moscato had two starts during the Saratoga meeting, which accounted for nine of the 13 racing days in the spring and summer portion of the steeplechase season. :: Full list of 2020 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories Moscato won the most prestigious race of his career in the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial at 2 1/16 miles on July 23 at Saratoga as the 9-5 favorite, the fourth career success in the race for trainer Jack Fisher. Ridden by regular jockey Michael Mitchell, Moscato closed from sixth in a field of eight to win by three-quarters of a length over Optimus Prime. Mitchell made a key decision to secure the win, maneuvering Moscato through traffic to challenge Optimus Prime after the last of eight hurdles. “Coming out of the turn, he got trapped for a little bit of room, but his stamina kicked in and he really went well to the line,” Mitchell said after the race. “He got his head in front at the right time.” Moscato had his final start of 2020 in the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup at 2 3/8 miles on Aug. 20. The 8-5 second choice behind Optimus Prime, Moscato was last of six midway through the race and closed to finish third, 5 3/4 lengths behind 8-1 Rashaan, also owned by Bruton Street-US. Fisher said in late December that Moscato sustained a tendon injury in the New York Turf Writers Cup and was being rested. “He’s hanging out in the field,” Fisher said. Whether Moscato, who was bred by Kirsten Rausing, returns to racing will be determined later. Fisher was optimistic that the now 10-year-old English-bred by Hernando out of Alba Stella would race again. For 2020, Moscato managed to record a major win, racing at the highest level through a difficult jump season.