Method
The “It” Factor
Eclipse believes that a good horse can come from anywhere at any time. We are constantly scouring the globe for equine talent. Just like human talent scouts, we try to spot the “it factor” — that enigmatic blend of tangibles and intangibles — that others might not see. This is applicable for any type of acquisition, whether a yearling, a 2 year-old in-training or a horse bought privately off the racetrack. We take immense pride in our horsemanship expertise and instincts and we are often bold, brave and adventurous in our eclectic approach to acquiring our runners to represent our stable, an intriguing and well-received component of having access to Eclipse partnership opportunities.
An Inside Edge
The thoroughbred racing industry is stacked with sharp individuals who have their finger on the pulse of the game. Eclipse’s partners get an “inside edge” — and a high level of fine-tuned expertise. We have spent nearly 2 decades developing important relationships and strategic alliances within the industry, which often gives us an advantage when it comes to securing deals and adding value that is unmatched by other individuals or operations.
What truly distinguishes Eclipse from other operations in the partnership space is in our consistent ability to stay just a fraction of a step ahead of the rest of our competitors. Having the “eye” for talent is critical, but it is just one piece of the puzzle.
After a horse has been acquired, it is imperative to know:
- Where (which jurisdiction) to place the athlete?
- Which trainer will maximize its potential?
- Which races will give the horse the best chance to properly develop?
A Team Effort
Achieving success on the racetrack is a team effort and assembling the best team for each individual athlete is paramount. While any owner can catch lightning in a bottle, Eclipse has proven — year in and year out — the ability to land its partners in the winners’ circles of the most prestigious and lucrative races across the country and the world.
We are intent on providing our partners with the best value for money, so we maintain a close-knit staff and scouting team at public auctions and in our overall operation.
At Eclipse, we are horsemen and horsewomen, not salesmen or saleswomen. Therefore, we do not outsource any of our equine purchases. Rather, we directly scout, select, acquire and manage every horse on our roster. We will be wrong more than we are right when it comes to selecting upper echelon runners, which comes with the territory, but Eclipse’s ratio of success far outperforms our competitors.
We cannot guarantee our partners success, but we can guarantee them the truth and a thorough due diligence process in our acquisition and management process during all phases of a partner’s ownership experience with Eclipse. Because we do all of our own bloodstock work, we don’t pass the buck onto 3rd party agents. Rather, our staff has a vested interest in doing our very best to deliver the goods for our partners who put their faith and hard-earned dollars into the Eclipse program.
Regardless of outcome, we accept responsibility for our failures and learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. We assume the burden of answering directly to our partners and because we retain an equity interest in every single horse we form a partnership for, we are in it together with all of our partners.
We have earned the right to say, “There’s a reason our partners Believe Big!”