PALM BEACH, Fla. — During the Eclipse Awards held on Thursday night, Thorpedo Anna was celebrated as Horse of the Year, marking a historic moment as she is only the second 3-year-old filly to win this prestigious accolade among male contenders.
Under the guidance of her trainer, Ken McPeek, Thorpedo Anna had an impressive season, securing six Grade 1 wins, including the celebrated Kentucky Oaks, and finishing in second place during the Travers Stakes, where she was bested by Fierceness. Additionally, she was recognized as the top 3-year-old filly at the 54th annual gala at The Breakers Palm Beach.
In the voting results, Thorpedo Anna received 193 out of 240 first-place votes, leading the pack. Sierra Leone trailed with 10 votes, while Fierceness garnered five. Notably, Rachel Alexandra previously claimed Horse of the Year in 2009, being the only other filly to achieve such a feat.
Sierra Leone, victorious in the Breeders’ Cup Classic this past November, was awarded the title of top 3-year-old male. Meanwhile, Chad Brown collected his fifth career Eclipse Award as Trainer of the Year. He oversees Sierra Leone, who narrowly lost in a dramatic three-way finish to Mystik Dan trained by McPeek in the Kentucky Derby and finished third in the Belmont Stakes. Brown also emerged as the leading trainer in North America, amassing over $30 million in earnings.
In a light-hearted moment, Brown joked, “I finally beat Ken McPeek in a photo. If you want to trade photos, I’ll take the Derby.”
Flavien Prat was recognized as the top jockey after winning two races at the Breeders’ Cup, including the Classic. The French rider notably shattered Jerry Bailey’s record by achieving 56 graded stakes victories last year. Prat remarked, “It’s a lot of hard work, dedication and it couldn’t have been done without the support of all the owners, the trainers, their dedicated staff and horses, of course.”
Erik Asmussen, the youngest son of renowned trainer Steve Asmussen, captured the apprentice jockey award. Now 22 and based in Texas, he celebrated his first win in January at Sam Houston Park. His uncle, Cash Asmussen, won the same award back in 1979. An emotional Erik expressed, “This game means everything to me. Thank you to my family. I got the best group around me. Most importantly, just thank you to the horses. They’re special.”
Godolphin LLC took home the outstanding owner award for the fifth consecutive year, along with being named top breeder.
In terms of equine awards, Citizen Bull was recognized as the top 2-year-old male, while Immersive was awarded the title for 2-year-old filly. Other notable honors included National Treasure as the older dirt male, Idiomatic as the older dirt female, Straight No Chaser as the male sprinter, Soul of an Angel as the female sprinter, Rebel’s Romance as the male turf horse, Moira as the female turf horse, and Snap Decision as the steeplechase horse.
The winners were determined through votes cast by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.
