NTRA Poll Points to Thorpedo Anna as Horse of the Year

After winning the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), Thorpedo Anna  comfortably topped the closing National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Top Thoroughbred Poll of 2024.

Her presence atop the Nov. 5-released poll, ahead of Sierra Leone  and Fierceness , points to the probability of her being awarded the prestigious prize as 2024 Horse of the Year when Eclipse Award winners are announced in a ceremony Jan. 23 at The Breakers Palm Beach in South Florida. She is considered a certainty to be honored as champion 3-year-old filly.

The Kenny McPeek-trained daughter of Fast Anna  is 6-1-0 in seven starts this year with earnings of more than $3.6 million for owners Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks, and Magdalena Racing.

She has 295 overall points ahead of Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Sierra Leone with 262. Classic runner-up and Travers Stakes (G1) winner Fierceness is third with 233 points. Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) winner Rebel’s Romance is a distant fourth with 150. Thorpedo Anna also leads in first-place votes with 26. 

Sierra Leone outpolling Fierceness and having three first-place votes to the latter’s none also points to him being the most likely winner of the 3-year-old male title. Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) winner Rebel’s Romance  attracted the only other first-place vote.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll represents votes conducted by national media. Media also contributes toward Eclipse Award voting. Specifically, Eclipse Award voting is conducted by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, Daily Racing Form, and NTRA member racing officials and Equibase field personnel.

First-place votes are noted in parenthesis after with horse’s name.