Photo:

Gary Johnson / Eclipse Sportswire – edited

It may not be widely available, but a betting pool has been
established for the 2024 horse-of-the-year Eclipse Award.

Thorpedo Anna opened Saturday morning as the even-money
favorite among 16 horses listed in Arizona and in Ontario, Canada, by
DraftKings.

“Only two jurisdictions so far,” DraftKings sportsbook
director Johnny Avello said. “But it’s a start.”

A lock to be the year’s top 3-year-old filly, Thorpedo Anna
will be a heavy favorite to get her fifth Grade 1 win of 2024 when she races
next Saturday in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar. Reigning older dirt
female champion Idiomatic, who was expected to give Thorpedo Anna a big test,
was retired Friday with a lame knee and will not line up in the Distaff.

Fierceness, the 2023 champion juvenile male, opened as the
second favorite at DraftKings with 3-1 odds. Ireland-based City Of Troy started
at 5-1 and Japan standout Forever Young at 8-1. That trio of 3-year-olds will
line up next Saturday in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. City Of Troy becomes
eligible for the Eclipse Award when he starts at Del Mar. Forever Young already
may receive votes since he finished third in the Kentucky Derby.

The annual Eclipse Awards are determined by a combined vote of media and track publicists who are members of the National Thoroughbred Writers and Broadcasters, unnamed
staff members at Daily Racing Form and unnamed
racing officials polled by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Gaming authorities in many states do not allow bets to be placed on votes such as the Eclipse Awards, but Avello has been a champion of such pools. For years in Las Vegas he wrote mythical odds for the Academy Awards, and now he is allowed to book them via DraftKings in certain jurisdictions.

It remains illegal for U.S. oddsmakers to book the presidential election, although it is open to wagering in other countries.