2020 Eclipse Awards: Calumet Farm

Historic Calumet Farm is seeking just its second title in the modern Eclipse Awards era, which began in 1971, and its first under the stewardship of Brad Kelley.

Calumet, founded in 1924 by William Wright, campaigned a slew of champions through its history, including Triple Crown winners Whirlaway (1941) and Citation (1948). The farm’s lone Eclipse title as outstanding breeder came in 1990, the year it campaigned Horse of the Year Criminal Type. Kelley assumed the helm of Calumet in 2012. Just one year later, he sent out 2013 Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow.

Calumet led all 2019 North American breeders by earnings to be an Eclipse finalist, and finishing second among owners by earnings. In 2020, the farm again led all breeders by earnings, and finished sixth by owner earnings. Its top earner as a breeder this past season was Eclipse male turf finalist Zulu Alpha, who accounted for three of Calumet’s seven graded wins as a breeder. Calumet campaigned the gelded son of Street Cry early in his career, in which he was Grade 2-placed. He was claimed for $80,000 by owner Michael Hui in September 2018, and since then, has won seven graded stakes. Zulu Alpha started a 2020 campaign in which he didn’t miss board by winning the Grade 1, $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf in January over the outstanding mare Magic Wand. Later in the season, he added the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida and the Grade 2 TVG Elkhorn.

:: Full list of 2020 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

Calumet campaigned a pair of Grade 1 winners as an owner in 2020 in Vexatious and True Timber, both of whom were purchased as young stock.