Eclipse finalists to be announced Saturday

Before the page gets turned on 2020, the year’s champions are to be announced, and on Saturday the top three finalists for 17 Eclipse Award categories – 12 for horses, five for humans – will be revealed beginning at noon Eastern (9 a.m. Pacific) on TVG.

Approximately 225 voters representing the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association – whose group includes racing secretaries and staff of Equibase – annually cast ballots. Voting for 2020 ended Jan. 4. The top three receiving votes are announced as finalists. The category’s winner is the one who received the most first-place votes, and that will be revealed Jan. 28.

The Eclipse Awards are usually given out at a black tie-optional dinner, held most often in recent years at Gulfstream Park, but owing to the coronavirus pandemic this year’s ceremony will be a virtual one, emanating from Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky.

Spendthrift figures to have plenty to celebrate, as it is the home of Authentic, strongly favored to be both Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male following a campaign that saw him win the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic.

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Authentic, co-owned by Spendthrift for his major victories, was retired to Spendthrift after the Breeders’ Cup and is scheduled to begin stud duty next month.

Bob Baffert trained Authentic, and he figures to have a number of finalists, including Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Improbable, a top contender for champion older dirt male. Gamine, who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, rates a top contender for that division as well as a potential finalist for champion 3-year-old filly, where Preakness winner Swiss Skydiver is favored.

Brad Cox, who won four of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races, also should be well represented, with Juvenile winner Essential Quality heavily favored to be the champion 2-year-old male, and Monomoy Girl a slam-dunk to be champion older dirt female, as well as a potential finalist for Horse of the Year.

The other equine categories in which the top three finalists are to be announced are 2-year-old filly, male sprinter, male turf, female turf, and steeplechase.

The five human categories are jockey, apprentice jockey, trainer, breeder, and owner, which oftentimes can produce both obvious finalists and surprising oversights.

Disruptions caused by the pandemic, including the jumbled Triple Crown and postponement of the Derby, made the Breeders’ Cup even more significant this year in terms of potentially determining finalists and champions, which will be among the many aspects to be analyzed in coming days and weeks.