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Thrillers, Comebacks, and Powerhouse Performances: The Top 10 Races of 2024

As 2024 comes to an end, this seems like a good time to look back at the past year and reflect on the best races of the year. Here is one racing fan’s highly subjective list of the top 10 races of 2024, with the criteria being stretch battles, close finishes, or exceptional performances in stakes races run at the highest level of competition. We hope you had a good year, and that you will enjoy plenty of good racing and wagering in the year ahead. Good luck and happy holidays!

Santa Anita Park opening day, 2024 Malibu Stakes, Raging Torrent, Mystik Dan

Santa Anita Opening Day: Raging Torrent Wins Malibu Stakes, Mystik Dan Fails to Fire

When it came to seven furlongs sprinting in California, the specialist proved best in the Grade 1 $300,000 Malibu Stakes Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

charles strub santa anita park california seabiscuit horse racing racetrack

Charles H. Strub: The Man Called ‘Mr. Santa Anita’

Dr. Charles Henry Strub was one of those entrepreneurial businessmen seemingly capable of succeeding in any imaginable enterprise. He started out small as a baseball player of modest ability and as a dentist keen to embrace innovation. By the time of his death, he had kickstarted the career of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, amassed a multimillion-dollar fortune, and transformed Santa Anita Park into one of horse racing’s greatest stages.

Built, Wayne Catalano, 2025 road to the Kentucky Derby. Gun Runner Stakes

2025 Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles: Gun Runner Stakes Winner Built

Welcome to Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, where we’ll take a look each week at a recent winner on the Triple Crown trail, usually from the Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule that grants qualifying points to the first jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown. The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be held May 3, 2025, at Churchill Downs.

Triple Crown winners, War Admiral, Omaha, and American Pharoah, BloodHorse Library, Eclipse Sportswire

SLIDESHOW: U.S. Triple Crown Winners from Sir Barton to Justify

The U.S. Triple Crown in Thoroughbred racing has been swept by only 13 horses in the history of the sport. It takes a special racehorse to win the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby, the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes, and the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes in a five-week stretch during the spring of a 3-year-old campaign.

Let's take a look back at the 13 superstars in this slideshow below who were able to etch their names in the history books as Triple Crown winners.

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