With another year coming to an end, BloodHorse staff members voted on the best races of 2024.
This series launched Dec. 20 with No. 10 and now, here's No. 1:
The Travers Stakes (G1), Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course
How It played out
The Travers Stakes (G1) had it all. An exciting matchup. A thrilling finish. A packed house at America's most beloved racetrack.
It figures to be a race that in the years to come will be frequently mentioned as one of the great moments in the long and storied history of Saratoga Race Course.
The victory by Fierceness over determined filly Thorpedo Anna lands as the No. 1 race of 2024.
The race matched the quality of the field that included a trio of grade 1 winners in Fierceness, the reigning 2-year-old male champion and winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) a month earlier at the Spa; Sierra Leone, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Jim Dandy (G2), and third in the Belmont Stakes (G1); and Dornoch , winner of the Belmont and Haskell (G1) stakes.
While the boys battled through the Triple Crown, Thorpedo Anna dominated the 3-year-old filly division with electric wins in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Acorn Stakes (G1), and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). In most cases, the Alabama Stakes (G1) would have been next for a distaff superstar, but trainer Ken McPeek put the cherry on top of the Travers when he announced his brilliant filly would accept the challenge of trying to become its first female winner since 1915.
The glittering showdown now had the added sizzle of a battle of the sexes. All of the race's ingredients mixed for a spectacular event.
A field of eight was entered in the Travers, with Sierra Leone sent off as the 7-5 favorite, followed by Thorpedo Anna at 3-1, Fierceness at 7-2, and Dornoch at 9-2.While Thorpedo Anna had used her early speed to overwhelm her female rivals, in the Travers she rated in third after a half-mile in :48.10 as Batten Down and Dornoch battled on the front end. On the backstretch, Repole Stable's Fierceness and jockey John Velazquez made a decisive move from fourth.
Video
Looking to put together back-to-back wins for the first time, Fierceness surged to the lead approaching the quarter pole. The homebred son of City of Light extended to a seemingly safe, two-length advantage at the eighth pole when a challenger arrived on the scene. Racing a mile-and-a-quarter for the first time, Thorpedo Anna launched a determined final bid and began to chew into Fierceness' lead as the grandstand rocked with high-decibel cheers.
The outcome remained in doubt until the final strides when Fierceness heroically dug down and held on to win by a head in 2:01.79. Sierra Leone completed the trifecta.
The one-of-a-kind race vaulted Fierceness, who is trained by Todd Pletcher, to the top of the 3-year-old male division at that point. In defeat, it added to the respect and acclaim for Thorpedo Anna as her connections showed sportsmanship in running the sensational filly. She responded by giving the boys all they could handle.
Quotable
Mike Repole, owner of Fierceness: "In the year 2100, when they write about the top 100 races of the century, I think this race will be in the top 10. Maybe the top one. So it was definitely the race of the year, the race of the decade. It was an amazing year with some of the best racing we've seen in a while. This race had as much hype as I've seen in the last five years, and I give Ken McPeek tremendous credit for running the filly. It always adds a lot of excitement for the fans and the industry. And the race delivered on the hype. It was a perfect day, with a perfect race, and a perfect outcome."
Ken McPeek, trainer of Thorpedo Anna: "We could have taken the easy path and run in the Alabama. She didn't have to run in the Travers. So to be as competitive as she was in such a good race, it was great to see. I was a little despondent after the race, but I was proud of the way she ran."
Impact
Fierceness closed out the year by finishing second to Sierra Leone in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), a race that could give Sierra Leone an edge in the Eclipse Award voting for the champion 3-year-old male. Thorpedo Anna, a lock to be named champion 3-year-old filly, followed up her stellar effort in the Travers by winning the Cotillion Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Boosted by the decision to run in the Travers, she rates as the favorite for Horse of the Year honors.
Notable
The last filly to win the Travers was Lady Rotha in 1915 ... The Travers win was the third for Pletcher and second for Repole. They teamed to take the 2011 Travers with Stay Thirsty ... Fierceness is the third 2-year-old male champion since 2007 to win the Travers.
Top 10 Races
The Top 10 countdown started Dec. 20 with No. 10, the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), followed by No. 9, the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), No. 8, the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1), the Preakness Stakes (G1) and the Kentucky Oaks (G1). tied at No. 6, No. 5, the Jaipur Stakes (G1T), and No. 4, the Belmont Stakes (G1), No. 3., Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), and No. 2., the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Also receiving votes
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T), Metropolitan Handicap (G1), Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3), Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), Personal Ensign Stakes (G1), Test Stakes (G1), Whitney Stakes (G1), Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2), Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Gamely Stakes (G1T), Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T), Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), California Crown (G1), Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3), Woody Stephens Stakes (G1), Santa Anita Derby (G1), Brooklyn Stakes (G2), Spinster Stakes (G1), and the Isaac Murphy Marathon Overnight Stakes.
