The

National Thoroughbred Racing Association The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) is a broad-based coalition of American horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with incr ...

Moment of the Year award, first awarded in 1999, celebrates or honors one moment that occurred during a given year that most thoroughly exemplifies the spirit and ethos of the sport of

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

horse racing in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Unlike all other

Eclipse Awards The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...

, which are voted on by a chosen committee from among the horse racing world, the Moment of the Year is voted on by racing fans. The balloting takes place at the NTRA Web site (ntra.com) and each year offers voters a choice between twelve different “moments” that illustrate either outstanding equine athleticism or a heroic achievement or even, possibly, tragedy. But all moments chosen for the ballot are considered worthy of winning the Moment of the Year. The winner of the publicly voted award accepts it at the Eclipse Awards ceremony held each year.

Past winners

* 2021 - Loves Only You and Marche Lorraine for their wins in the 2021 Breeders' Cup, respectively in the Filly & Mare Turf and the Distaff. They were the first Japanese horses to win a Breeders' Cup race. * 2020 -

Authentic Authenticity or authentic may refer to: * Authentication, the act of confirming the truth of an attribute Arts and entertainment * Authenticity in art, ways in which a work of art or an artistic performance may be considered authentic Music * A ...

for his win in the 2020 Kentucky Derby. * 2019 -

Maximum Security Maximum Security may refer to: * Supermax, "control-unit" prisons, or units within prisons * Maximum Security (comics), a comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics * ''Maximum Security'' (Tony MacAlpine album), 1987 * ''Maximum Security'' ...

's Kentucky Derby disqualification. * 2018 - Justify’s dominant victory in the 150th Belmont Stakes to become just the 13th

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Tri ...

winner. * 2017 - Response by the horse racing community to the San Luis Rey fire. * 2016 -

California Chrome California Chrome (foaled February 18, 2011) is a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who won the 2014 Kentucky Derby, 2014 Preakness Stakes, Preakness Stakes, and 2016 Dubai World Cup. He was the 2014 and 2016 American Hor ...

for his win in the 2016

Dubai World Cup The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic: ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place wh ...

. * 2015 -

American Pharoah American Pharoah (foaled February 2, 2012) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015. He was the 12th Triple Crown winner in history, and in winning all four races, became the first ho ...

for his win in the

2015 Belmont Stakes The 2015 Belmont Stakes (known as the 147th Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings for sponsorship reasons) was the 147th in the Belmont Stakes series. The race, known as the "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in tho ...

, becoming the first winner of the

since 1978. * 2014 -

for his win in the

2014 Kentucky Derby The 2014 Kentucky Derby was the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race was scheduled to start at 6:24 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on May 3, 2014, at Churchill Downs and was run as the eleventh race on a racecard with thirteen races. T ...

. * 2013 -

Mucho Macho Man Mucho Macho Man ( foaled June 15, 2008) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was foaled in Florida and named after the Village People song " Macho Man". His breeders were Carole and John Rio of Flori ...

winning the

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...

, trained by

Kathy Ritvo Katherine "Kathy" Ritvo (born February 13, 1969) is a race horse trainer who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2013 with Mucho Macho Man after having finished a close second in the same race in 2012. She is the first woman to have trained a winner ...

, who became the first woman to train a Breeders' Cup Classic winner, and ridden by returning 50-year-old jockey Gary Stevens. * 2012 - Paynter, winner of the 2012

Haskell Invitational Stakes The Haskell Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event is a signature event at Monmouth P ...

and runner-up to

Union Rags Union Rags (foaled March 3, 2009 in Kentucky) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2012 Belmont Stakes. He also won the Champagne Stakes and the Saratoga Special Stakes Background Union Rags is a bay with a white blaze si ...

in the

2012 Belmont Stakes The 2012 Belmont Stakes was the 144th running of the Belmont Stakes and the race was won by Union Rags ridden by jockey John Velazquez. It was broadcast in the United States by NBC. The post time was scheduled for 6:35 p.m. EDT (10:35 p.m. UT ...

, recovers from a life-threatening illness. * 2011 -

Drosselmeyer Drosselmeyer (foaled April 1, 2007, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2010 Belmont Stakes and the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic. Background Drosselmeyer was sired by multiple stakes winner Distorted Hum ...

winning the

. * 2010 -

Blame Blame is the act of censuring, holding responsible, or making negative statements about an individual or group that their actions or inaction are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible fo ...

's narrow win in the

holding off the late charge from the previously undefeated

Zenyatta Zenyatta (foaled April 1, 2004) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic and Breeders' Cup Distaff and 19 of her 20 starts. She was the 2010 American Horse of the Year, and Champion Older Female in 2008, ...

. * 2009 -

's second Breeders' Cup win, this time as the first female to win the

and also the first horse ever to win two different Breeders' Cup races. * 2008 -

caps her undefeated season with a last-to-first win in the

Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic between 2008 and 2012, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or ...

. * 2007 – The historic victory by the filly

Rags to Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popul ...

over

Curlin Curlin (foaled March 25, 2004, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the American Horse of the Year in both 2007 and 2008. He retired in 2008 as the highest North American money earner with over US$10.5 million accumu ...

in the

2007 Belmont Stakes The 2007 Belmont Stakes was the 139th running of the Belmont Stakes. The race was held on June 9, 2007. Rags to Riches won the race by a head over Curlin before a crowd of 46,870, becoming the first filly to win the Belmont since 1905 and to win a ...

. Rags to Riches was the first filly to win this race in 102 years. * 2006 – The hope for recovery of Barbaro at the New Bolton Center after he was seriously injured during the first few moments of the

2006 Preakness Stakes The 2006 Preakness Stakes was the 131st running of the Preakness Stakes thoroughbred horse race. The race took place on May 20, 2006, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. Bernardini, who was jockeyed by Javier Cast ...

. * 2005 – Afleet Alex’s spectacular life-threatening stumble, yet going on to win in the

2005 Preakness Stakes The 2005 Preakness Stakes was the 130th running of the Preakness Stakes thoroughbred horse race. The race took place on May 21, 2005, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. Afleet Alex, who was jockeyed by Jeremy Ros ...

. * 2004 –

Birdstone Birdstone (foaled May 16, 2001, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2004 Belmont Stakes and has become a successful sire. On August 28, 2020 Birdstone was pensioned from stud duty to Old Friends Retir ...

’s upset win in the Belmont Stakes over

Smarty Jones Smarty Jones (February 28, 2001) is a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and came second in the Belmont Stakes. Background Born at Fairthorne Farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the horse was n ...

, winner of that year’s Kentucky Derby and

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...

. * 2003 –

Funny Cide Funny Cide (foaled April 20, 2000) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He is the first New York-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. He was an immensely popular horse and remai ...

’s win in the Kentucky Derby of 2003. Funny Cide was the first New York-bred to win the Derby and the first gelding since Clyde Van Dusen in

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

. * 2002 – Voters this year mourned the passing of the last living

American Triple Crown In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three r ...

winner,

Seattle Slew Seattle Slew (February 15, 1974 – May 7, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who became the tenth winner of the American Triple Crown (1977). He is one of only two horses to have won the Triple Crown while being undefeated in ...

. * 2001 –

Tiznow Tiznow (foaled March 12, 1997 in California) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his wins in the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2000 and 2001, becoming the only horse to win this race twice. He was the 2000 American Horse of the Year an ...

’s second win due to his repeat victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic over Sakhee. * 2000 –

’s dramatic victory over

Giant's Causeway The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (5 km) northeast of ...

in the Breeders' Cup Classic. * 1999 – Charismatic, and jockey

Chris Antley Christopher Wiley Antley (January 6, 1966 – December 2, 2000) was an American National Champion and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey. Biography He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and grew up in Elloree, South Carolina. He left school at ...

racing for the

in the

1999 Belmont Stakes The 1999 Belmont Stakes was the 131st running of the Belmont Stakes and the 95th time the event took place at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Lemon Drop Kid, ridden by José A. Santos and trained by Flint S. Schulhofer, Flint S. "Scotty" Schul ...

when Charismatic pulled up lame and Antley placed himself in harm’s way to protect the stricken horse.

References

The Eclipse Awards at the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of America, Inc.

The "Moment of the Year" website at the NTRA
{{Eclipse Awards Horse racing awards Horse racing in the United States

Past winners

See also

References