On the road to the Triple Crown, Eddington placed third in New York City's two biggest prep races at Aqueduct Racetrack.
As the field of eleven stakes winners went into the club house turn, Derby runner-up Lion Heart led while eventual Horse of the Year Smarty Jones sat off his flank as Eddington fell back to a stalker's position in sixth.
As the field hit the top of the stretch, Smarty Jones passed Lion Heart and widened his lead with every stride.
Eddington was seventh but started closing on the leaders except Smarty Jones, who broke a 130-year-old record for largest winning margin in the Preakness .
Later that summer, Eddington closed late again to place third in the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course to Belmont winner Birdstone.
In that race, he defeated seven stakes winners, winning by 5+1⁄2 lengths over highly regarded Pollard's Vision and Presidentialaffair.
[2] Eddington was retired on June 29, 2005, to Claiborne Farm due to soft tissue injury in a front leg.