On a night that was properly subdued by Eclipse Awards standards, the industry acknowledged Horse of the Year Authentic, an accomplished list of divisional champions, and most assuredly the many people who kept the sport going in a difficult year.

Essential Quality was merely the leading North American runner in an otherwise strong year for Godolphin. In 2020, Godolphin-campaigned horses racing in North America made 361 starts for an 80-54-48 record, with earnings of $5,703,770.

Alexander Crispin took home the 2020 Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice jockey, capping off a first year of riding that ended with a 103-73-77 record from 539 races. His mounts last year earned $2,194,030.

More often than not, a score in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) earns a championship. Vequist won the 2020 version, and the Eclipse Award, but she proved to be much more than a one-trick pony.

Whether he was running in a maiden race on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, or in grade 1 races at Keeneland, Essential Quality was always victorious in 2020.

Irad Ortiz Jr. led the nation in wins and earnings for the third straight year in 2020 and took home his third consecutive Eclipse Award Jan. 28.

A Louisville native who grew up near Churchill Downs, Cox got his foot in the door by walking hots, the most modest of beginnings. Driven and dedicated, he pulled himself up by his bootstraps to become one of the sport’s most relevant horsemen.

Victories in North America’s most prestigious race and the continent’s most lucrative race proved plenty for Authentic to nail down North American racing’s top honor.

Front-running tactics were partially responsible for Channel Maker’s 2020 success, but it was his late surge—over the season, not within his races—that propelled him to an Eclipse Award as outstanding male turf horse.

The daughter of More Than Ready was indeed a winner in her final race Jan. 28 as she prevailed at the Eclipse Awards ballot box to become the champion turf female of 2020.

For trainer and co-owner Ron Moquett, seeing Whitmore honored as champion male sprinter of 2020 feels like a family member receiving an Eclipse Award.

When Gamine made her race debut at 3 March 7, 2020, she made quick work of a short field and rolled to a 6 1/4-length victory. That was only a glimpse of what was to come for the Bob Baffert trainee, now the 2020 champion female sprinter.

In an old-school campaign of 10 starts in 2020, Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver went from also-ran in a $125,000 seven-furlong stakes at Tampa Bay Downs to classic winner, to eventual champion.

The 2020 championship for 3-year-old male proved a tale of two halves in a revamped racing schedule with Authentic nailing down the Eclipse Award with his front-running score in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland.

Four grade 1 winners, including an American classic winner, and the highest total North American earnings in 2020 among individual breeders and partnerships landed Kenny Troutt’s WinStar Farm its second Eclipse Award as outstanding breeder.

In a season cut short due to COVID-19, Moscato emerged a winner of two of three starts and earned the Eclipse Award.

Improbable turned in his best effort in the Aug. 1 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. He defeated By My Standards by two lengths and avenged himself against Tom’s d’Etat, who finished third as the even-money favorite.

It’s not unusual for a champion to return from a layoff. What’s rare is when a champion is sidelined for 18 1/2 months by two separate injuries and then returns to the races better than ever.

Road trips to the West Coast were a standard part of Victor Martinez’s career as a five-time Major League baseball All-Star. In contrast, King Guillermo, Martinez’ 4-year-old colt, is a rookie when it comes to a cross-country trip.