McPeek-trained Thorpedo Anna rolls to Horse of the Year
An edited NTRA press release (Coady Media/Renee Torbit photo of Thorpedo Anna winning the Kentucky Oaks)
PALM BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2025) – The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) announced tonight that the Kenny McPeek-trained filly Thorpedo Anna, who won six of seven races last year including the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), was named the 2024 Horse of the Year at the 54th Annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards ceremony, presented by John Deere, Keeneland, The Jockey Club, and the NTRA at The Breakers Palm Beach.
The Eclipse Awards, honoring excellence in North American Thoroughbred racing, are voted on by the NTRA, consisting of member racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, Daily Racing Form (DRF), and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.
Other winners with strong Kentucky ties: Trainer Brad Cox, a finalist for Eclipse trainer, earned two more equine champions with repeat Eclipse older filly & mare Idiomatic and the unbeaten Immersive (2-year-old filly); Erik Asmussen, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen who spent a good part of the year riding in Kentucky, was voted champion Eclipse jockey; Keeneland’s G1 Toyota Blue Grass winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Sierra Leone, whose owners include Brook T. Smith of Louisville, took the 3-year-old title; and Lexington-based Godolphin came away with its eighth Eclipse owner and fifth Eclipse breeder awards. Every equine winner (nine of 11) except Irish-bred Rebel’s Romance (male turf) and Canadian-bred Moira (female turf) were bred in Kentucky.
But the star of the show was Thorpedo Anna, whose popularity was enhanced in part by a cute name, McPeek’s social media posts and making the filly accessible to fans but especially her powerful victories and one gut-wrenching and memorable defeat to males in the Travers Stakes. Thorpedo Anna also was a rare unanimous winner as 3-year-old filly champion, garnering all 208 first-place votes.
Owned by Brookdale Racing, Inc., Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing, and trained by McPeek, Thorpedo Anna received 193 out of a possible 240 first-place votes for Horse of the Year. As a 3-year-old, Thorpedo Anna won the Fantasy Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park, the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs, the DK Horse Acorn Stakes (G1) and the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, the Cotillion (G1) at Parx Racing, and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar. Her lone defeat in 2024 came in the DraftKings Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga against male rivals when she finished second by a diminishing head to 2023 Eclipse Award winning Two-Year-Old Male Fierceness. In addition to the Horse of the Year crown, Thorpedo Anna was unanimous choice by the voters for Champion Three-Year-Old Filly.
Thorpedo Anna, who was bred in Kentucky by Judy Hicks, joins Rachel Alexandra (2009) as the only three-year-old fillies to win the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.
Following Thorpedo Anna in the Horse of the Year voting were three-year-olds Sierra Leone, with 10 votes, and Fierceness with five votes. Sierra Leone, owned by Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook Smith, was voted Champion Three-Year-Old Male powered by a victory in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1), a close second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and a season-ending triumph in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
Sierra Leone is trained by Chad Brown and was ridden in the Breeders’ Cup Classic by Flavien Prat. Brown was honored with his fifth Outstanding Trainer Eclipse Award. He led all North American trainers in purses with more than $30.8 million, and in graded stakes victories with 47. Prat, a native of France, established records for most graded stakes wins by a jockey with 56 and most stakes wins overall at 82, while topping the jockeys earnings list with more than $37 million.
It was also a big night for trainers Bob Baffert and Brad Cox, who each trained two Eclipse Award winners.
Baffert saddled SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Diana Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan’s Citizen Bull, winner of the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, to the Two-Year-Old Male Championship. Baffert also trained National Treasure to the Champion Older Dirt Male title. Owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Diane Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC, and Catherine Donovan, National Treasure won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park and the Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course during his four-year-old season.
Cox trained Juddmonte’s Idiomatic to her second consecutive Older Dirt Female championship with victories in the Fasig-Tipton La Troienne Stakes (G1), the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G2) at Monmouth Park, and the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. The Cox-trained Immersive won the Champion Two-Year-Old Filly title, taking the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga, the Darley Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland and the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
Immersive is owned and was bred by Godolphin, the powerful racing and breeding operation from the United Arab Emirates. Godolphin was named Outstanding Owner for the eighth time, and Outstanding Breeder for the fourth consecutive year, and fifth overall. Godolphin led all North American owners earnings in 2024 with $20,234,455, and its runners combined for 10 Grade 1 victories. Godolphin also led all North American breeders in 2024 with progeny earnings of $23,151,014. In addition to Immersive, Godolphin’s Rebel’s Romance (IRE), a winner on three continents in 2024, was voted Champion Male Turf Horse for trainer Charlie Appleby.
The Champion Female Turf Horse title went to Canadian-bred Moira, winner of the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf for owners Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing, LLC, and X-Men Racing. Moira was trained by Kevin Attard.
Two more Breeders’ Cup winners captured Eclipse Awards in the Sprint divisions. C2 Racing Stable LLC, Agave Racing Stable, and Ken Reimer’s Soul of an Angel, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., won the PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and took home the Female Sprinter title. The Dan Blacker-trained Straight No Chaser, who won the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) for MyRacehorse, claimed the Male Sprinter title.
Bruton Street US’s Snap Decision won Champion Steeplechase Horse. Trained by Jack Fisher, the 10-year-old Snap Decision won two Grade 1 races, taking the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Stakes at Percy Warner Park in Tennessee and the American Grand National at Far Hills, New Jersey.
Completing the human awards, Erik Asmussen was voted Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. The Texas native led all North American apprentice riders with 127 wins and earnings of more than $5 million. He is the son of Eclipse Award-winning trainer Steve Asmussen, and his uncle, Cash Asmussen, won the 1979 Eclipse Award as outstanding Apprentice Jockey.
The complete list of 2024 Eclipse Award winners, and vote totals appear, below:
(Horse ages in parentheses where applicable; Country codes indicate a foreign breeding designation)
- Two-Year-Old Male: Citizen Bull
- Two-Year-Old Filly: Immersive
- Three-Year-Old Male: Sierra Leone
- Three-Year-Old Filly: Thorpedo Anna
- Older Dirt Male: National Treasure (4)
- Older Dirt Female: Idiomatic (5)
- Male Sprinter: Straight No Chaser (5)
- Female Sprinter: Soul of an Angel (5)
- Male Turf Horse: Rebel’s Romance (IRE) (6)
- Female Turf Horse: Moira (5)
- Steeplechase Horse: Snap Decision (10)
- Owner: Godolphin LLC
- Breeder: Godolphin
- Jockey: Flavien Prat
- Apprentice Jockey: Erik Asmussen
- Trainer: Chad Brown
- Horse of the Year: Thorpedo Anna
The Eclipse Awards
Eclipse Awards are bestowed upon the Thoroughbred horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements have earned them the title of Champion in their respective divisions. The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age 5 and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.
Photos of the 2024 Eclipse Awards are available here.
Voting Overview
In voting that concluded on Jan. 2, 2025, Eclipse Awards voters cast their ballots to rank the top three horses and individuals in each Championship division on a 10-5-1 point system.
This voting established the top three finalists in each division, whose names were released on Jan. 5, 2025.
The tallies below represent only first-place votes from members of the consolidated voting entities, NTRA, Daily Racing Form, and National Turf Writers And Broadcasters.
Voter participation rate: 208/240 = 87%
(Name, First-Place Votes)
Two-Year-Old Male
Citizen Bull, 204; Chancer McPatrick, 2; Henri Matisse (IRE), 1; Voter Abstention, 1.
Two-Year-Old Filly
Immersive, 202; Lake Victoria (IRE), 6.
Three-Year-Old Male
Sierra Leone, 169; Fierceness, 34; Dornoch, 2; Seize the Grey, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2.
Three-Year-Old Filly
Thorpedo Anna, 208.
Older Dirt Male
National Treasure, 148; Full Serrano (ARG), 19; Kingsbarns, 7; Senor Buscador, 6; Mullikin, 5; Next, 5; Subsanador (ARG), 4; Straight No Chaser, 4; Post Time, 3; Newgate, 2; Voter Abstentions, 5.
Older Dirt Female
Idiomatic, 144; Raging Sea, 38; Adare Manor, 23; Soul of an Angel, 1; Sweet Azteca, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.
Male Sprinter
Straight No Chaser, 125; Cogburn, 38; The Chosen Vron, 23; Mullikin, 11; Raging Torrent, 2; Starlust (GB), 2; Gun Pilot, 1; Locked, 1; Post Time, 1; Voter Abstentions, 4.
Female Sprinter
Soul of an Angel, 168; Sweet Azteca, 11; Ways and Means, 10; Society, 8; Ag Bullet, 6, Emery, 2; Kopion, 1; Vahva, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.
Male Turf Horse
Rebel’s Romance, 89; Johannes, 81; Carl Spackler (IRE), 15; More Than Looks, 14; Cogburn, 6; Far Bridge, 2; Trikari, 1.
Female Turf Horse
Moira, 176; She Feels Pretty, 21; Cinderella’s Dream (GB), 8; Didia (ARG) 1; Gina Romantica, 1; Sacred Wish, 1.
Steeplechase Horse
Snap Decision, 182; Carloun (IRE), 7; Freddy Flintstone, 3; Too Friendly (GB), 1; Voter Abstentions, 15.
Owner
Godolphin, LLC, 193; Brookdale Racing, Inc., Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks, and Magdalena Racing, 5; Klaravich Stables, Inc., 4; Coolmore and Partners, 1; SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, LLC, and Catherine Donovan, 1. Voter Abstentions, 4.
Breeder
Godolphin, 176; Judy Hicks, 21; Calumet Farm, 3; Brereton Jones, 2; Coleswood Farm, Inc., 1; Voter Abstentions, 5.
Trainer
Chad Brown, 101; Kenny McPeek, 88; Brad Cox, 9; Steve Asmussen, 8; Bob Baffert, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.
Jockey
Flavien Prat, 202; Irad Ortiz Jr., 5; Brian Hernandez Jr., 1.
Apprentice Jockey
Erik Asmussen, 168; J.G. Torrealba, 15; Gabriel Moldonado, 8; Sofia Vives, 8; Manuel Americano, 1; Pietro Moran, 1; Voter Abstentions, 7.
Horse of the Year
Thorpedo Anna, 193; Sierra Leone, 10; Fierceness, 5.
***
. Special Eclipse Award
Frank Taylor and the Stable Recovery Program received a Special Eclipse Award.
Horseplayer of the Year
Mike Gillum was presented with an Eclipse Award as the 2024 Horseplayer of the Year.
Media Eclipse Awards
Media Eclipse Awards also are given in the categories of photography, multimedia, news/enterprise writing, feature/commentary writing, television–-feature, and television–live racing programming to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing. The 2024 Media Eclipse Awards winners, determined by a judges’ panel for each category and previously announced, are:
Live Television Programming – NBC Sports, “The 150th Kentucky Derby” – Lindsay Schanzer, Senior Producer,
May 4, 2024
Feature Television Programming – NBC Sports, “The Impossible Dream,” – Rachel Goodman, Producer, May 4, 2024
Writing – Feature/Commentary – Chris McGrath, Thoroughbred Daily News – “Lunching with Legends at Lil’s,” March 26, 2024
Writing – News/Enterprise – Sean Clancy, The Saratoga Special – “Two for the Show,” Aug. 28, 2024
Photography – Scott Serio, “Night Rider – Skippylongstocking wins the Charles Town Classic,” Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, October 2024
Multimedia – Sue Finley, Thoroughbred Daily News, “After Saving Two Horses from a Kill Pen, Stewart Aims to do More to End Slaughter,” July 15, 2024
FanDuel Racing-NTRA 2024 Moment of the Year
The connections of Seize the Grey were honored as the winner of the FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year, as voted on by fans. The three-year-old colt, owned by MyRacehorse and trained by five-time Eclipse Award winner D. Wayne Lukas, captured the Preakness Stakes (G1).
