Former MGM executive Gary Barber is the co-founder of Spyglass Entertainment, for which he was among the executive producers of “Seabiscuit.” Barber’s Grade 1 performers placed him among the finalists for the 2019 Eclipse Award as outstanding owner.

Peter M. Brant was a prominent owner and breeder through the 1970s and 1980s before backing away from the sport in the 1990s, focusing on the White Birch Paper Company he runs and also pursuing his other equestrian passion, polo. A few years ago, he decided to dive back in to Thoroughbred racing, breeding, and sales, and quickly made headlines with several quality runners, many imported from Europe.

He is among the finalists for the Eclipse Award for leading owner of 2019.

Imperial Hint is an Eclipse Award finalist for champion male sprinter for the third consecutive year following a season in which he won a pair of Grade 1 races led by a track-record performance in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga Race Course.

Imperial Hint covered the Vanderbilt’s six furlongs in 1:07.92, lowering the Saratoga mark of 1:08, which was set in 1972 by Spanish Riddle and later equaled by Speightstown. Imperial Hint was winning his second straight Vanderbilt.

Had there been parimutuel betting on the Grade 1 Iroquois Hurdle Stakes at Percy Warner Park in Tennessee in May, it’s a safe assumption Scorpiancer would have been an outsider.

Even with his reputation as the Eclipse Award champion steeplechaser of 2017, Scorpiancer had missed the 2018 season and failed to finish his first start of 2019, in the Grade 3 Temple Gwathmey Handicap Hurdle in Middleburg, Va., on April 20.

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

Winston C loves Saratoga. For a jumper that is a brilliant attribute.

Winston C was unbeaten in two starts at Saratoga during the summer, sweeping the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial Hurdle in July and the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup in August, putting the gelding among the finalists for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding steeplechaser of 2019.

In 2019, Winston C essentially had two campaigns – a winter and early spring season in Britain and a late spring and summer season in the United States.

Bill Heiligbrodt loves a fast horse, and he and his wife, Corinne, campaigned one of the quickest in the land last year in Mitole.

Steve Asmussen cut his hair in 2019. He did not cut back on the winning.

Asmussen sheared his long gray locks while tearing through another incredible season as a trainer of all manner of winners throughout North America. Asmussen might be found one day saddling a $10,000 claiming horse he owns himself and the next putting tack on surefire 2019 older female dirt champion Midnight Bisou.

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

A third straight Eclipse Award as North America’s leading trainer, a personal-best $27.54 million in stable earnings during 2018, and 47 graded stakes victories, equaling a career-best. Maybe it seemed like things couldn’t get any better for Chad Brown – but, somehow, they did.

Brad Cox hit 40 stakes wins in a year well before he hit his 40th birthday.

Cox will turn 40 on March 3. Horses he trains won 45 stakes during 2019. His stable earnings were a career-best $17.5 million, Cox won 16 graded races, and his season was good enough to make him an Eclipse Award finalist to be champion trainer of 2019.

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

When Bricks and Mortar returned from more than a year on the sidelines in December 2018, his trainer, Chad Brown, was thinking only as far ahead as August.

Bricks and Mortar’s sweet spot was 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 miles on turf, and there existed four key races for him in 2019: The Pegasus World Cup Invitational Turf over 1 3/16 miles in January; the Old Forester Turf Classic over 1 1/8 miles in May; the Manhattan over 1 ¼ miles in June; and the Arlington Million over 1 ¼ miles in August.