As 2024 involves an finish, this looks as if a superb time to look again on the previous 12 months and mirror on the very best races of the 12 months. Right here is one racing fan’s extremely subjective checklist of the highest 10 races of 2024, with the factors being stretch battles, shut finishes, or distinctive performances in stakes races run on the highest stage of competitors. We hope you had a superb 12 months, and that you’ll take pleasure in loads of good racing and wagering within the 12 months forward. Good luck and blissful holidays!
1. Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve: Mystik Dan Prevails in a Three-Horse Picture End
The world’s most well-known race doesn’t at all times turn into the very best one of many 12 months, nevertheless it certainly was in 2024 as Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone, and Perpetually Younger rallied to battle via the Churchill Downs stretch in entrance of 156,710 followers to finish up in a good three-way photograph end that went to Mystik Dan by a nostril over Sierra Leone in a thriller. It was one other nostril again to Japanese invader Perpetually Younger in third.
2. DraftKings Travers Stakes: Fierceness Outlasts Thorpedo Anna
The “Mid-Summer season Derby” introduced collectively a lot 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 point of interest 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 prime 3-year-olds. In the long run it was Dornoch, bouncing again from a tenth-place end within the Kentucky Derby, who proved finest 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 exhausting to imagine 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 sphere that day by 4 ¾ lengths in a race that was a springboard to dominant season that ended along 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 attached 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 sphere in his 6 ¼-length Met Mile victory sealed his doubtless Eclipse Award atop the older handicap division in 2024.
7. Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional: Sierra Leone Rallies Previous Fierceness
Extremely-priced and highly-regarded Sierra Leone put all of it collectively in November, doubtless clinching the 3-year-old Eclipse Award along with his decisive 1 ½-length win over Fierceness within the $7 million BC Traditional 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 finest turf race, 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Insurgent’s Romance turned 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 File
Cogburn gained a number of turf sprints in 2024, and none was extra spectacular than the Jaipur at Saratoga when he set a course document 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 gained in wire-to-wire trend 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.
