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2024 Year in Review
 Thorpedo Anna might beat out the boys for Horse of the Year for 2024. |
Date: 12/31/2024
As everyone celebrates the holidays, it is time to bid farewell to 2024 and the exciting racing which we enjoyed, however much like at the end of 2023, many of us are glad to be done with 2024. This year had some outstanding horses and great feats by both equine and human athletes, but we also had some sad losses to mourn. Here’s a look back at the best and worst of the 2024 racing season.
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The first big day of racing in 2024 is the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, run at Gulfstream Park for a $3 million purse, unchanged since the reduction in 2020. 5-2 favorite National Treasure held off Senor Buscador with longshot Crupi third. The co-feature saw 9-4 filly Warm Heart hold off I’m Very Busy in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf, with Catnip third and favorite Integration 5th.
The $20 million Saudi Cup on February 24 is world’s richest horse race, contested at 1 1/8 miles on dirt. Senor Buscador rallied to win by a head over Ushba Tesoro in stakes record time, with Saudi Crown third and favorite White Abarrio 10th. On the undercard, Tower of London won the $2.5 million Red Sea Turf Handicap, Remake won the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint, Anaaf won the $2 million 1351 Turf Sprint, Spirit Dancer won the $2 million Neom Turf Cup, and Forever Young took the $1.5 million Saudi Derby.
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A month later the eyes of the racing world moved further east on the Arabian Peninsula to Meydan for the $12 million Dubai World Cup. Laurel River won the headliner with Tadgh O’Shea aboard for local trainer Bhupat Seemar. Ushba Tesoro was second, Senor Buscador third, and favorite Kabirkhan was 8th, On the undercard, Factor Cheval held off Namur to win the Dubai Turf, Rebel’s Romance won the Sheema Claasic, Tuz took the Golden Shaheen, and Forever Young won the UAE Derby.
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At the Kentucky Derby, 22 horses made final entry but only 1 scratched allowing first also-eligible Epic Ride to draw in. 18-1 Mystik Dan held off 9-2 Sierra Leone to win by a nose with 7-1 Forever Young third and 3-1 favorite Fierceness 15th. Two weeks later at the Preakness, 19-2 Seize the Grey outfinished Mystik Dan with Catching Freedom third. Dornoch took the Belmont Stakes, with Mindframe second and favorite Sierra Leone third. The race was run at Saratoga at a shorter distance of 1 1/4 miles, and will return to Saratoga in 2025 and possibly 2026 as Belmont Park is being rebuilt.
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The Canadian Triple Crown begins in mid August, a change retained since COVID restrictions in 2020. The King’s Plate, was won by 9-1 third choice and Woodbine Oaks winning filly Caitlinhergrtness under Rafael Hernandez for trainer Kevin Attard, with favorite My Boy Prince second and Midnight Mascot third. Caitlinhergrtness’ connections opted to skip the rest of the Triple Crown. In the Prince of Wales Stakes Harold Ladouceur trainee 9-1 Vitality and jockey Jose Campos drew off to beat Airosa by 4 lengths with Bedard third and favorite Essex Serpent last. With no Triple Crown on the line, Roscar won the Breeders’ Stakes for jockey Justin Stein and trainer Rachel Halden, with Saccharine second and Side Street third.
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The Breeders’ Cup World Championships were held at Del Mar in San Diego County, California for the third time. The 41st Breeders’ Cup kicked off with “Future Stars Friday” featuring all the 2-year-old races, starting with the Juvenile Turf Sprint won by Magnum Force with Colin Keane in the irons. Citizen Bull won the feature, the Juvenile, making him an early choice for the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Saturday was highlighted by the Classic, where Sierra Leone with Flavien Prat outfinished favorite Fierceness with Forever Young third Favorite and 2022 winner Rebel’s Romance won the Turf with jockey William Buick, defeating Rousham Park and Shahryar. Thorpedo Anna and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. won the Distaff over Raging Sea and Candied. Earlier on the card, Canadian-bred Moira won the Filly and Mare Turf with Flavien Prat aboard, over Cinderella’s Dream and Didia. Straight No Chaser won the Sprint over Bentornato and Mullikin and Full Serrano won the Dirt Mile. The Championships will remain at Del Mar for 2025, on October 31-November 1.
Equine safety was again a theme in 2024, and unfortunately Woodbine, a track whose turf courses and Tapeta main track consistently ranked among the safest on the continent, suffered some fatalities during the tail end of its long meeting, resulting in cancelled races on November 9 and 10 as the Tapeta Footings and track management worked quickly to repair the track. One story that finally came to a conclusion was Maximum Security and disgraced trainer Jason Servis, when after 4 years, Saudi Arabian racing authorities officially disqualified him from the inaugural Saudi Cup run in 2020, thus handing the win and prize money to the then 5-year-old mare Midnight Bisou who was ridden by Mike Smith. Bob Baffert’s three year ban from Churchill Downs Inc. tracks after Medina Spirit’s positive drug test in the 2021 Derby, finally ended on July 19, so his horses can again collect Derby points and be entered in the 151st Kentucky Derby, to be run on May 3.
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As mentioned above, the Belmont Stakes will be run at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga through 2025 and possibly in 2026 as Belmont Park is being rebuilt; the Saratoga track layout cannot accommodate a 1 1/2 mile dirt race. The new Belmont Park will be open year-round, with a new inner synthetic track for winter use, allowing 110 acres of state-owned land at Aqueduct to be redeveloped. NYRA says the new building will be ready to host the 2026 Breeders’ Cup if chosen. Keeneland is rebuilding its paddock area with construction starting in January 2024, with completion expected in time for the 2025 fall meet. Another track whose paddock area is gradually taking on a new look is Woodbine, with new buildings being erected surrounding the walking ring. Sadly, not every track has a bright enough future to warrant massive renovation projects; Golden Gate Fields ran its final race on June 9, shut down for good by owner Stronach Group, meaning northern California now lacks a major track, after Bay Meadows closed in 2008 (also by Stronach Group). In harness racing, historic Freehold Raceway in New Jersey, owned by Penn Entertainment and Greenwood Racing (Parx) ran its final card on December 28. Racing began at the site in the 1830’s with the first official fair meet in 1854. The track hosted the Cane Pace from 1998-2010, and hosted the 2005 Yonkers Trot while Yonkers Raceway was renovated.
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Foreign racing continues to attract more and more attention in North America with increased availability of betting outlets and TV coverage. In the Melbourne Cup, the “race that stops a nation”, 80-1 longshot Knight’s Choice won by 2 lengths over Warp Speed and Okita Soushi with Robbie Dolan aboard for trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon, with 11-2 favorite Buckaroo 9th. In late November, 6-5 favorite Do Deuce won the Japan Cup over Shin Emperor and Durezza with regular rider Yutaka Take in the irons for trainer Yasuo Tomomichi. The year closed out with the Longines Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin. 1-10 favorite and 2-time defending champion Romantic Warrior rallied to win the Hong Kong Cup by 1 1/2 lengths over Liberty Island and Tastiera, with James McDonald aboard for trainer Danny Shum completing the first ever three-peat in Cup history. Giavellotto took the Vase for jockey Oisin Murphy and trainer Marco Botti. Ya King Rising won the Sprint for local trainer David Hayes and jockey Zac Purton, over Helios Express and Satono Reve. Voyage Bubble won the Mile over Soul Rush with Beauty Joy third, under regular rider James McDonald for trainer Ricky Yiu.
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European racing gives out its awards in November. Epsom Derby, Coral Eclipse, and Juddmonte International winner City of Troy was named Cartier Horse of the Year as well as champion 3-year-old colt. Charyn was named champion older horse, Porta Fortuna is champion 3-year-old filly, Bradsell is champion sprinter, Kyprios is champion stayer, Shadow of Light took the 2-year-old colt award, and Lake Victoria is the champion 2-year-old filly.
Of course, with all the excitement and joy the sport brings, there are always losses each year. Many horses lost their lives due to injury while others succumbed to illness or old age. Here are some of the notable losses in 2024, both human and equine, with links to articles about each. If we missed someone, please let us know.
As other places put their year end recaps online, I will add links to them here.