Rebel’s Romance & Immersive head Eclipse Award finalists

Godolphin’s exceptional year in North America has resulted in seven nominations for Eclipse Awards, with Rebel’s Romance, Immersive, Good Cheer and Cinderella’s Dream among the finalists in the equine categories. 

Rebel’s Romance is a finalist for the Champion Male Turf Horse Award for a second time, having finished runner-up to Modern Games in 2022. The son of Dubawi became the first horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf in non-consecutive years with a thrilling victory at Del Mar, adding to his other 2024 top-level wins in the Dubai Sheema Classic, Champions & Chater Cup and Preis von Europa. 

Immersive carried all before her during a perfect season and the daughter of Nyquist is the leading contender for the Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Award following a G1 hat-trick in the Spinaway Stakes, Darley Alcibiades Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. 

She is joined in the same category by another unbeaten Brad Cox-trained filly, Good Cheer, who rounded off her year with an impressive display in the G2 Golden Rod Stakes. 

Cinderella’s Dream is a finalist in both the Champion Female Turf Horse and Champion Three-Year-Old Filly categories. The daughter of Shamardal easily won the G1 Belmont Oaks and G2 Saratoga Oaks in the summer and was an unlucky runner-up in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. 

In addition to category winners, finalists for the Horse of the Year Award – won by Cody’s Wish in 2023 – will be announced during the ceremony itself, which takes place in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday, 23 January. 

Godolphin/Darley has received the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner on seven occasions, with Godolphin dominating the category for the past four years, and the operation looks strongly placed to take the prize again following a record-breaking year in North America. 

Horses in the royal blue silks surpassed the US$20m mark in prize money in 2024, an unprecedented landmark. A total of 32 Graded Stakes wins in the United States included 10 at G1 level, while the victories of Rebel’s Romance and Immersive at Del Mar mean Godolphin is now the leading individual owner at the Breeders’ Cup with 20 successes at the meeting. 

The Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder could be Godolphin’s for a fourth consecutive year, with homebreds accounting for 26 of Godolphin’s Graded Stakes wins during 2024.