Young Eclipse facts for kids

Young Eclipse (born 1778, died around 1803) was a famous Thoroughbred racehorse. He is best known for winning the 1781 Epsom Derby, a very important horse race. Young Eclipse raced until he was six years old. He won seven races in total before he stopped racing in 1785. After racing, he became a father to other horses, but his children weren't as famous as he was.

Young Eclipse's Early Life

Young Eclipse was born in 1778. He was bred by a man named Dennis O'Kelly. Dennis O'Kelly also owned Young Eclipse's father, a very famous horse called Eclipse.

His Famous Father, Eclipse

Eclipse was an amazing racehorse. He never lost a single race! He won 18 races in his career. Many modern Thoroughbred horses today are related to Eclipse. He is like a founding father for many racehorses.

His Mother, Juno

Young Eclipse's mother was a mare named Juno. She was born in 1764. Juno had nine foals (baby horses) in her lifetime. Young Eclipse was her sixth foal and the most famous one.

What Was Young Eclipse Like?

People said Young Eclipse was faster than his famous father, Eclipse, for shorter races (less than three miles). But he was also known for being a bit "rusty" or ill-tempered. This means he could be a bit difficult to handle sometimes.

Young Eclipse's Racing Career

Cameo of Dennis O'Kelly, Young Eclipse's breeder and owner

Young Eclipse was trained in Epsom, a town famous for horse racing. We don't know the name of his trainer. He won seven races during his career. Most of his races were at Newmarket, another very important place for horse racing in England. His biggest win was the 1781 Derby. He stopped racing in 1785 because he hurt his fetlock (an ankle joint) in his last race.

Racing as a Three-Year-Old (1781)

The second-ever Epsom Derby race happened on May 24, 1781. Thirteen horses competed in this big event.

• A horse named Crop was the favorite to win.
• Young Eclipse was not expected to win, with odds of 10 to 1.
• But Young Eclipse surprised everyone and won the race!
• Crop finished second, and Prince of Orange came in third.

A few days later, Young Eclipse lost two races to a horse named Laburnum. Later that year, he won some money without even racing, because another horse didn't show up.

Racing as a Four-Year-Old (1782)

In 1782, Young Eclipse won a special "match race" against a horse called Blush at Newmarket. This is a race between just two horses.

• He also raced in the Claret Stakes but didn't place.
• He finished fourth in another race.
• He received more money when other horses didn't race against him.
• He came in third in a 60-guinea race, losing to a filly named Dido and a colt named Flamer.

Racing as a Five-Year-Old (1783)

Young Eclipse had a good year in 1783.

• At Newmarket, he beat two horses, Alric and Crop, in a 100-guinea race.
• In July, he beat Crop again in a bigger 500-guinea race.
• He also received more money when another horse didn't race.
• He won the King's Plate race at Burford on August 19.
• At Lichfield, he lost a race called the Ladies' Purse to a horse named Petrarch. Young Eclipse won the first part of that race, but Petrarch won the next three parts.

Racing as a Six-Year-Old (1784)

In his last year of racing, Young Eclipse continued to compete.

• He finished third in a £50 race at Newmarket.
• He won another match race against a horse named Imperator.
• He also won a £50 race against Lord Grosvenor's horse, Flamer.
• He received more money when the 1782 Derby winner, Assassin, didn't race against him.
• He won the 100-guinea King's Purse at Nottingham without even having to run, because no other horses showed up to race him. This is called a "walkover."

Young Eclipse's Last Race

Young Eclipse's very last race was in York in August. He was running for the King's Purse against two other horses. During the race, he "broke down," which means he got a serious injury. He dislocated one of his fetlock joints. This injury was so bad that he had to stop racing forever.

Young Eclipse's Life After Racing

After his racing career ended, Young Eclipse became a "stud" horse. This means he was used to father other racehorses.

• By 1796, he was living at Colney Chapel, near St. Albans.
• People would pay 20 guineas to have their mares (female horses) bred with him.
• He was listed as a stallion in 1803, but not in 1804. This suggests he might have died around that time.
• Young Eclipse is not considered to have been a very successful father of racehorses. His children didn't become famous winners like he was.

Another Young Eclipse

There was another horse also named Young Eclipse. This second Young Eclipse was born in 1799. He was the son of a famous horse named Highflyer. This younger Young Eclipse was very good! He finished second in the 1802 Epsom Derby. People thought he was "the best horse of his year." Sometimes, people get these two horses, the father and the son, mixed up because they have the same name.