Spendthrift's Authentic takes top honours at Eclipse Awards

Authentic received the perfect accolade just before he begins his stallion career at Spendthrift Farm by being announced as the 2020 Horse of the Year at the prestigious Eclipse Awards.

The awards are voted on by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, from members including racing officials and media, and the colt's victories in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic saw him come out on top in commanding fashion with 224 of the 238 possible first-place votes, as well as being crowned champion three-year-old male.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Authentic was an appropriate winner for Spendthrift, who were title sponsors of the awards, with the son of Into Mischief being part-owned by B Wayne Hughes' operation as well as MyRacehorse Stable, Madaket Stables and Starlight Racing.

"On behalf of everyone at Spendthrift Farm, I want to extend my thanks to the voters at the NTRA, the Daily Racing Form and The National Turf Writers and Broadcasters," said Hughes.

"We are so honoured and thankful to win Horse of the Year, this is a major milestone for Spendthrift and for our great partners at MyRacehorse, Madaket and Starlight Racing."

The Aga Khan and Dermot Weld's Breeders' Cup, Prix de l'Opera and Vermeille winner Tarnawa was edged out by Rushing Fall for the laurels in the Female Turf Horse category while there was an unusual success for Kirsten Rausing as she bred Moscato, crowned the top jumper in the US after landing the A P Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase.

Eclipse Award winners