As 2024 involves an finish, this looks like an excellent time to look again on the previous 12 months and replicate on one of the best races of the 12 months. Right here is one racing fan’s extremely subjective listing of the highest 10 races of 2024, with the standards being stretch battles, shut finishes, or distinctive performances in stakes races run on the highest stage of competitors. We hope you had an excellent 12 months, and that you’ll take pleasure in loads of good racing and wagering within the 12 months forward. Good luck and pleased holidays!
1. Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve: Mystik Dan Prevails in a Three-Horse Photograph End
The world’s most well-known race doesn’t at all times grow to be one of the best one of many 12 months, but it surely certainly was in 2024 as Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone, and Ceaselessly Younger rallied to battle by the Churchill Downs stretch in entrance of 156,710 followers to finish up in a decent three-way picture end that went to Mystik Dan by a nostril over Sierra Leone in a thriller. It was one other nostril again to Japanese invader Ceaselessly Younger in third.
2. DraftKings Travers Stakes: Fierceness Outlasts Thorpedo Anna
The “Mid-Summer time Derby” introduced collectively many of the principal contenders within the 3-year-old division, after which added main 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna into the combo for an historic renewal of Saratoga’s signature race. The 2024 Travers didn’t disappoint. Thorpedo Anna ran her coronary heart out solely to lose by a head to Fierceness in her solely defeat of the 12 months.
3. Belmont Stakes: Redemption for Dornoch
The 156th Belmont Stakes was the focus of a three-day June racing competition at Saratoga. The Triple Crown was not on the road, however the Belmont introduced collectively Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Gray in a showdown that additionally included Sierra Leone and different high 3-year-olds. In the long run it was Dornoch, bouncing again from a tenth-place end within the Kentucky Derby, who proved greatest by a half a size after a recreation stretch battle to carry off Mindframe.
4. Longines Kentucky Oaks: Thorpedo Anna Dominates
Thorpedo Anna went on to finish a Horse of the Yr-caliber marketing campaign in 2024, so it’s onerous to consider she wasn’t even the favourite when she entered the beginning gate within the Longines Kentucky Oaks on Could 3 at Churchill Downs. The darkish bay or brown filly blew away the sector that day by 4 ¾ lengths in a race that was a springboard to dominant season that ended together with her straightforward win within the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
5. Alabama Stakes: Energy Squeeze Tops Candied in a Thriller
Thorpedo Anna bypassed the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga, however the 3-year-old fillies that did compete placed on fairly a present. Energy Squeeze and Candied rallied from off the tempo and connected in deep stretch with Energy Squeeze getting the thrilling resolution by a head.
6. Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap: Nationwide Treasure All of the Approach
Along with his win within the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Introduced by Baccarat in January, Nationwide Treasure’s wire-to-wire full destruction of the sector in his 6 ¼-length Met Mile victory sealed his possible Eclipse Award atop the older handicap division in 2024.
7. Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic: Sierra Leone Rallies Previous Fierceness
Extremely-priced and highly-regarded Sierra Leone put all of it collectively in November, possible clinching the 3-year-old Eclipse Award along with his decisive 1 ½-length win over Fierceness within the $7 million BC Basic at Del Mar, the 2024 season’s climactic race.
8. Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf: Welcome Return for Insurgent’s Romance
Within the 12 months’s greatest turf race, 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Insurgent’s Romance grew to become the primary non-consecutive two-time winner of the race as he held on to win by a neck at Del Mar over a pair of hard-charging Japanese invaders.
9. Jaipur Stakes: Cogburn Blazes to a New Course Report
Cogburn received a number of turf sprints in 2024, and none was extra spectacular than the Jaipur at Saratoga when he set a course file in a wire-to-wire 3 ½-length tour-de-force win, ending 5 ½ furlongs in a blazing :59.80.
10. FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Introduced by TAA: Citizen Bull Pulls the Upset
The seek for the 2025 Kentucky Derby winner begins in earnest within the BC Juvenile at Del Mar, which was received in wire-to-wire style by Bob Baffert trainee Citizen Bull. The bay colt beat a loaded subject together with Gaming, Chancer McPatrick, East Avenue, and plenty of extra who might reappear on the highway to the 2025 Triple Crown.
