A Weekend to Remember: Eclipse Awards and Pegasus World Cup Deliver High Stakes in South Florida

Dr. Gregory Beroza, , , Comments Off on A Weekend to Remember: Eclipse Awards and Pegasus World Cup Deliver High Stakes in South Florida
From black-tie honors at The Breakers to dramatic finishes at Gulfstream Park, Thoroughbred racing’s biggest stars took center stage.

The Breakers in South Florida. Photo by GBeroza.

South Florida was the place to be during the 2026 Pegasus Stakes–Eclipse Awards weekend for fans of Thoroughbred racing.

The 2025 Eclipse Awards ceremony took place on Thursday night, January 22, 2026, at The Breakers Palm Beach Resort. The black-tie event celebrated the best racehorses and racing connections of the 2025 season. The weekend continued on Saturday afternoon, January 24, with the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (Dirt) and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (Turf), along with several additional prestigious graded stakes that created a full day of top-level competition.

First turn during the Pegasus World Cup. Photo by Jeff Zamaiko, Jr.

Following the races, festivities carried late into the night at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, where the on-site Carousel Club provided a high-energy nightclub atmosphere for owners, connections, and fans alike.

Eclipse Awards Highlights

The annual Eclipse Awards drew an iconic group of industry leaders and racing enthusiasts to honor the previous year’s achievements in Thoroughbred racing. A total of 24 award categories were presented, with three finalists named in 23 categories. The most prestigious honor — Horse of the Year — does not announce finalists and is revealed for the first time during the ceremony itself.

While all nominees and awards are significant, HorseDoc® highlighted several standout winners, led by Sovereignty, who was named 2025 Eclipse Horse of the Year.

Sovereignty’s connections. Photo by GBeroza.

Notable Eclipse Award Winners

  • 2-Year-Old Filly: Super Corredora — winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
  • 2-Year-Old Male: Ted Noffey — undefeated in four starts, including three Grade 1 wins and the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
  • 3-Year-Old Filly: Nitrogen — six wins, three seconds, and two thirds from 11 stakes races, excelling across multiple surfaces
  • 3-Year-Old Male: Sovereignty — winner of five graded stakes in 2025, including the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes
  • Older Dirt Female: Thorpedo Anna — eight stakes wins in 2024 en route to Eclipse Awards for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Filly and Horse of the Year; added two Grade 1 and two Grade 2 wins in 2025 before retiring to breeding
  • Older Dirt Male: Forever Young — Japan’s 2025 Horse of the Year; third in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic behind Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone; winner of the Saudi Derby, UAE Derby, Saudi Cup, and the $7 million 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic
  • Jockey: Flavien Prat — winner of many of the most important U.S. graded stakes; along with Irad Ortiz Jr., became the first jockeys to surpass $40 million in career earnings; repeat Eclipse Award winner
  • Trainer: Bill Mott — 13 graded wins in 2025, including the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes with Sovereignty, as well as the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic with six-year-old Scylla
  • Horse of the Year: Sovereignty

HorseDoc conducted live, on-site interviews with several winning connections, including trainer Bill Mott, jockey Junior Alvarado (Sovereignty), jockey Flavien Prat (Jockey of the Year), and trainer Yoshito Yahagi (Forever Young). Photos and interviews captured the energy of the evening, with notable attendees including Ken Langone and Griffin Johnson.

Additional information on all finalists and winners is available through the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Pegasus World Cup Weekend

Pegasus Starting Gate. Photo by Lauren King.

Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup Invitational races delivered a high-octane day of elite, well-funded stakes racing, drawing top horses, jockeys, trainers, breeders, and owners from across North America. The crowd was packed, the atmosphere electric, restaurants and gaming areas were full, and the auxiliary entertainment matched the scale of the event.

The Pegasus program featured three Invitational races:

  • Grade 2 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf ($500,000, 1 1/16 miles)
  • Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf ($1 million, 1 1/8 miles)
  • Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (Dirt) ($3 million, 1 1/8 miles)

The winner of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational earns an automatic “Win and You’re In” berth to the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic later in the year.

HorseDoc gathered interviews from prominent racing figures ahead of both weekend events, including trainers Todd Pletcher, Saffie Joseph Jr., Dale Romans, Graham Motion, Ken McPeek, Danny Gargan, and Philip Antonacci. Their insights covered both Eclipse Award predictions and Pegasus race expectations.

Photos and video clips of celebrity attendees — including Mark Wahlberg, Griffin Johnson, and Ken Langone — were compiled into two episodes on the Talking Horses YouTube channel.

Dramatic Pegasus Finishes

Both premier Pegasus Invitational races delivered unexpected and historic results.

The $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf was won by Test Score, with One Stripe (a South African entry) finishing second. Both horses were trained by Graham Motion.

Test Score. Photo by ACoglianese.

The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (Dirt) was won by Skippylongstocking, with White Abarrio finishing second. Both were trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr.

Skippylongstocking and Whute Abarrio. Photo by Lauren King.

White Abarrio, who won the Pegasus World Cup in 2025, entered the 2026 race under intense scrutiny following a series of disputed eligibility and veterinary issues. He was famously scratched at the gate from the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, a decision that continues to generate controversy within the sport.

Joseph, Jr. was visibly emotional during his post-race interview, addressing both horses’ performances and discussing future plans for the two seven-year-olds. Potential litigation related to White Abarrio’s Breeders’ Cup scratching is reportedly under consideration, with limited transparency surrounding the incident.

Further discussion on the issue can be found through Thoroughbred Daily News.

Dr. Gregory A. Beroza, DVM, DACVS, DABVP has been a practicing veterinarian and consultant for 42 years; and HorseDoc® ‘Talking Horses’® media host, author, and consultant since 2007. Dr. Beroza is a multimedia host and broadcasts his productions, including a new Podcast, via his WuzUpDoc Media website: www.WuzUpDoc.com. He can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media sources.

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