Another sweet victory for Thorpedo Anna.
This one comes off the racetrack and caps a dream season for the fabulous filly, who was the overwhelming choice for Horse of the Year.
Sierra Leone voted 3-year-old champ; Citizen Bull is 2-year-old champ
The Eclipse Award winners were announced Thursday night at a gala event at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, and Thorpedo Anna was the star of the show.
Thorpedo Anna becomes the seventh female to win Horse of the Year, and the first since Havre de Grace in 2011 and the second 3-year-old filly to win the award (Rachel Alexandra won in 2009).
Trained by Kenny McPeek, Thorpedo Anna won six of seven races in 2024 – five Grade 1s, including the Kentucky Oaks and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff – with her only loss coming against the boys, by a head, to Fierceness in the Travers Stakes (G1).
“Thanks for this. It’s been a fantastic ride,’’ McPeek said. “And she’s going to keep on running.”
By a unanimous vote, Thorpedo Anna was also voted 3-year-old female champion.
Sierra Leone is 3-year-old champ
Second in a three-horse photo in the Kentucky Derby, third in the Belmont Stakes, second in the Jim Dandy Stakes, and third in the Travers Stakes, Sierra Leone won the BC Classic and outpointed Travers winner Fierceness and Belmont winner Dornoch as 3-year-old champion.
Trainer Chad Brown was also voted champion trainer for the fifth time, and collected a second Eclipse on the night with Immersive as 2-year-old filly champion.
Baffert collects two Eclipses with Citizen Bull, National Treasure
Citizen Bull, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, won the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male, clinching the award with a victory in the BC Juvenile (G1). Citizen Bull easily outpointed stablemate Gaming and Chancer McPatrick.
National Treasure, retired before the Breeders’ Cup, was voted older male champion. Baffert’s National Treasure won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the Metropolitan Handicap in the first half of 2024.
Prat wins first Eclipse
Flavien Prat won his first Eclipse as champion jockey with a record-breaking 2024. Prat set records for most stakes and most graded stakes victories in a year. Irad Ortiz, Jr., and Tyler Gaffalione were the other finalists. Prat won 82 stakes races, 56 of theme graded stakes, and 16 of them Grade 1s, including the BC Classic about Sierra Leone and the BC Filly & Mare Turf aboard Moira (voted champion female turf champion).
Two-time winner
Idiomatic won a second straight Eclipse as Older Dirt Female. In 2024, as a 5-year-old, Idiomatic won a pair of Grade 1s, and finished second in two others, losing each by a head.
Close votes
Just about every champion won by a wide margin, topped by Thorpedo Anna’s unanimous win as 3-year-old filly champion. The closest vote came in the male turf category, where Rebel’s Romance (BC Turf winner) edged Johannes 89-81. Chad Brown won top trainer over Kenny McPeek, 101-88.
2024 Eclipse Award winners:
2-Year-Old Male: Citizen Bull
2-Year-Old Filly: Immersive
3-Year-Old Male: Sierra Leone
3-Year-Old Filly: Thorpedo Anna
Older Dirt Male: National Treasure
Older Dirt Female: Idiomatic
Male Sprinter: Straight No Chaser
Female Sprinter: Soul of an Angel
Male Turf Horse: Rebel’s Romance
Female Turf Horse: Moira
Steeplechase Horse: Snap Decision
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Godolphin
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Apprentice Jockey: Erik Asmussen
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.