Sierra Leone wins the Breeders’ Cup Classic. (Ernie Belmonte/Past the Wire)
Compiled by Maribeth Kalinich
UPDATED 1/4/2025 1:24 PM
There were many very exciting moments in Thoroughbred Horse Racing in 2024 and it was quite difficult to pair them down to just a few.
From Classic victors to war horses to rising stars, here are my 12 picks for moments to review and remember in 2024.
National Treasure reasserted his classic style. The son of Quality Road held up to the early pressure and held gamely to hold off a late-running Senor Buscador by a neck.
Señor Buscador denies Ushba Tesoro and Saudi Crown in an exciting photo finish.
When Arrogate overcame a world of trouble to win the 2017 Dubai World Cup, many racing fans said it was the best performance in the history of the race, and in a broader sense, one of the best performances ever seen.
It’s entirely possible that Laurel River managed to upstage that effort Saturday with an absolutely stunning, front-running tour-de-force in the US$12 million G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan.
Mystik Dan, under a ground-saving trip from Brian Hernandez Jr., held off the late charges of Sierra Leone and Forever Young (JPN) to win the 150th running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) before a crowd of 156,710.
It was the closest three-horse photo finish since 1947 when Jet Pilot finished a head in front of Phalanx, who was another head ahead of Faultless.
Thorpedo Anna took the lead going into the first turn, repulsed a challenge from favored Just F Y I at the three-sixteenths pole and went on to score a 4-3/4-length victory in the 150th running of the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) giving McPeek and Hernandez a Classic sweep.
Seize the Grey, owned by 2570 shareholders in MyRacehorse, broke sharply from the starting gate to take a lead he would never relinquish on his way to a 2 ¼-length triumph over Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan.
The son of the great Arrogate gave jockey Jaime Torres his first Preakness victory and Hall of Fame legend 89-year-old D. Wayne Lukas his seventh middle jewel.
Dornoch dazzled in the 2024 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. The electric, sold-out crowd of 50,000 fans watched with bated breath as the pace-pressing Dornoch clung to the lead in the final eighth of a mile over the storied main track with the lightly raced Mindframe charging furiously to his outside, but the resolute Dornoch would not be denied, claiming victory by a half-length in the esteemed route.
Dornoch also gave sire Good Magic and dam Puca their second classic victory with Mage’s 2023 Derby win.
Thorpedo Anna battled the boys for the top prize only to be denied by a nose by favorite Fierceness. The filly did top six other of the boys including Sierra Leone and Belmont champ Dornoch.
Bango etched his name into the record books September 27, 2024, becoming the track’s all-time winningest horse at Churchill Downs with a resounding 12th victory beneath the historic Twin Spires.
Race 3 Replay
Bango breaks the record and wins #12 under the Twin Spires! pic.twitter.com/SRKvkRh3MA
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) September 27, 2024
Sierra Leone with a come-from-behind run proves his mettle by beating favorite Fierceness and giving trainer Chad Brown his first BC Classic.
Thorpedo Anna puts an exclaimation point to her claim for Horse of the Year. The granddaughter of Uncle Mo broke sharply, tucked in and dictated terms along the rail, disposed of shadowing Raging Sea leaving the second turn, opened clear at will and held safely by 2-1/2 lengths.
Rated by Merit sweeps all three Florida sire stakes to hold a perfect record on his Kentucky Derby Campaign.
What are your favorite 2024 moments?
