At the 55th annual Eclipse Awards held on January 22 at The Breakers Palm Beach, Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global racing and breeding powerhouse, dominated by winning five awards. Their homebred Sovereignty was named 2025 Horse of the Year, securing 201 of 220 first-place votes, following Cody’s Wish’s 2023 win. Trainer Bill Mott, honored as outstanding trainer for the fifth time, accepted the award and praised the Godolphin team’s achievements, which also included top breeder and owner honors, a record $22.3 million in earnings, and recognition for turf male Notable Speech. Godolphin’s success was highlighted by a strong stable of homebred horses excelling across multiple categories.
Other notable winners included Spendthrift Farm’s Ted Noffey, who was named champion 2-year-old male after an undefeated season with three Grade 1 wins, and Garden State-bred Book’em Danno, awarded champion male sprinter. Japanese-trained Forever Young earned top older dirt male honors and the Moment of the Year for his Breeders’ Cup Classic victory. The ceremony also paid tribute to the late Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and honored industry veterans with special awards, underscoring a night celebrating excellence and legacy in thoroughbred racing.
