2021 Eclipse Awards: Big night expected for Knicks Go, Godolphin

ARCADIA, Calif. – Knicks Go never set foot at Santa Anita, but his imprint is expected to be all over the 51st Eclipse Awards here Thursday night.

Knicks Go is heavily favored to be named both Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male for 2021. His jockey, Joel Rosario, is favored to be named the best at his profession. And his trainer, Brad Cox, is a finalist in search of repeating an honor first bestowed upon him in 2020.

The Eclipse Awards, a black tie-optional event, is being held on the West Coast after being at Gulfstream Park for much of the past decade. It was held virtually last year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, one of the sponsors of the Eclipse Awards along with Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association, is holding the awards and dinner in a temporary chalet on track grounds, with an after-party in Santa Anita’s iconic Chandelier Room.

The awards begin at 5 p.m. Pacific. It will be televised by TVG, and can be seen via streaming at www.drf.com. Acacia Courtney, Britney Eurton, Gabby Gaudet, and Michelle Yu are the hosts.

In addition to his own training award and those certain to go to Knicks Go, Cox also could take down champion 3-year-old male with Essential Quality, who is a finalist in that category, along with Life Is Good and Medina Spirit. Essential Quality was the champion 2-year-old male of 2020.

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Godolphin, which owns and bred Essential Quality, also is in position to have a big evening. Godolphin, the international operation of Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, led all owners and breeders in purse earnings for 2021 and is a finalist in both those categories.

With Space Blues and Yibir, Godolphin also has two of the three finalists for the champion turf male category, in which Domestic Spending is the other finalist. Godolphin has two more finalists – Maxfield and Mystic Guide – for champion older dirt male, though those two are no threat to upset Knicks Go.

Male turf is one of the categories lacking a clear-cut favorite, so there’s a bit of drama there. Female sprinter (Ce Ce vs. defending champion Gamine) is another that could be a close call, as they split their two meetings last year, though Ce Ce won the year-end championship, the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Among those heavily favored are Echo Zulu for 2-year-old filly, Malathaat for 3-year-old filly, Letruska for older female dirt horse, and The Mean Queen for steeplechaser.

The finalists in 11 equine divisions – excluding Horse of the Year – and five for humans were announced Jan. 15. Finalists is a bit of a misnomer, since the voting closed Jan. 10; the finalists are the top three receiving votes in each division. At that time, voters were tasked with denoting their top three in each division, but the winners are based solely on first-place votes.

Also Thursday, Earle Mack will receive the Eclipse Award of Merit, and media winners – previously announced, like the Eclipse Award of Merit – will receive their awards.