Thorpedo Anna, connections headline finalists for Eclipse Awards
Perhaps on her way to being honored as the horse of the year, Thorpedo Anna and two of her connections were announced as finalists Sunday for the 2024 Eclipse Awards.
A five-time Grade 1 winner last year including victories in the Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Thorpedo Anna is one of the three finalists in the 3-year-old fillies division that she is widely expected to win resoundingly. Trainer Kenny McPeek and breeder Judy Hicks also are up for awards in their categories.
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters jointly announced the finalists for the Eclipse Awards, which recognize excellence through the past year in Thoroughbred racing.
Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be announced on FanDuel TV, and other outlets during the 54th annual Eclipse Awards on Thursday, Jan. 23 starting at 7:30 p.m. EST. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2024 horse of the year.
Of the 240 eligible voters, 208 equivalent to 87% cast ballots by Friday’s deadline. They represented by DRF, the NTWAB and the NTRA, which consists of racetrack officials and Equibase field personnel.
Finalists were determined in each category by voters’ top three selections on a basis of 10-5-1 points. The award winners are determined solely by first-place votes.
With the names of the horse-of-the-year trio withheld until awards night, these are the finalists, listed alphabetically, in the other categories for the 2024 Eclipse Awards:
2-year-old male: Chancer McPatrick, Citizen Bull, Gaming.
2-year-old filly: Good Cheer, Immersive, Lake Victoria.
3-year-old male: Dornoch, Fierceness, Sierra Leone.
3-year-old filly: Cinderella’s Dream, She Feels Pretty, Thorpedo Anna.
Older dirt male: Full Serrano, National Treasure, Straight No Chaser.
Older dirt female: Adare Manor, Idiomatic, Raging Sea.
Male sprinter: Cogburn, Straight No Chaser, The Chosen Vron.
Female sprinter: Society, Soul of an Angel, Ways and Means.
Male turf horse: Carl Spackler, Johannes, Rebel’s Romance.
Female turf horse: Cinderella’s Dream, Moira, She Feels Pretty.
Steeplechase horse: Carloun, L’Imperator, Snap Decision.
Owner: Godolphin, Juddmonte, Klaravich Stables.
Breeder: Calumet Farm, Godolphin, Judy Hicks.
Trainer: Chad Brown, Brad Cox, Kenny McPeek.
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione, Irad Ortiz Jr., Flavien Prat.
Apprentice jockey: Erik Asmussen, Gabriel Maldonado, J.G. Torrealba.
In addition to honoring the 17 winners in the horse and human categories, National Horseplayers’ Championship winner Mike Gillum will receive the Eclipse Award as the 2024 horseplayer of the year. Members of the media will be honored for outstanding coverage in six categories.
The Eclipse Awards ceremony is produced by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
The 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 runnings of the Epsom Derby.