Tom Pedulla offers takeaways from the 41st Breeders’ Cup World Championships held this past Friday and Saturday at Del Mar. The season-culminating event is comprised of 14 races – five on Future Stars Friday and nine on Championship Saturday – worth more than $34 million in purses and awards.

HORSE OF THE YEAR: For this voter, Horse of the Year has to go to commanding Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Thorpedo Anna. She closed a nearly flawless year by going 6-for-7, with five of those wins coming at the Grade 1 level. Yes, Fierceness withstood her huge rally by a head in the DraftKings Travers Stakes and his runner-up effort to Sierra Leone while sitting off a hot pace in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic was impressive. But Fierceness was thoroughly beaten and finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby, a blemish too great to ignore. He registered two Grade 1 victories this season, the Travers and a Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa romp. I suspect most voters will view this as a no-brainer.

Thorpedo Anna after winning Distaff. (Eclipse Sportswire)

COMING BACK: The great news involving Thorpedo Anna is that the connections fully expect to bring her back for her 4-year-old campaign. “We have every intention to run her next year,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “She is a filly that likes to do it and, hopefully, we’ll entertain a lot of people with her in 2025.” The daughter of Fast Anna missed overtaking Fierceness by a head in the Travers. McPeek, recognizing the need to do everything possible to promote the sport, indicated he will consider testing her against males again in 2025.

HISTORY MADE: Bloodstock agent David Ingordo, the husband of trainer Cherie DeVaux, predicted before the Breeders’ Cup that the event would represent the “dawn of DeVaux.” She made him look good when she became the eighth female trainer to win a Breeders’ Cup race thanks to Victory Racing Partners’ More Than Looks in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF. DeVaux is the first woman to accomplish the feat since Maria Borell prepared Runhappy for the Sprint in 2015. Jenine Sahadi was the first to break through, with Lit de Justice in the 1996 Sprint.

DROUGHT OVER: Thorpedo Anna’s emphatic Distaff victory against Raging Sea allowed trainer Ken McPeek to end a 0-for-37 Breeders’ Cup drought. He had come close – seven runner-up efforts, 10 third-place finishes – without reaching the winner’s circle. “This is a humbling business. It’s not something you can ever expect,” McPeek said. “I was actually proud of a lot of seconds and thirds I’ve had in the Breeders’ Cup because we have done it in many ways with modest money. We are pretty much outspent by a lot of players, but we run well. That’s all you can do.”

O'Brien and Moore on Nov. 1 at Del Mar (Eclipse Sportswire)

TOUGH DAY: Aidan O’Brien, one of the most accomplished trainers of all time, continues to falter in the Classic. He thought City of Troy was the best runner he had ever sent into the marquee event, but the son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify was never a factor for jockey Ryan Moore in finishing eighth of 14. O’Brien blamed himself for the colt’s sluggish start after falling to 0 for 18 in the Classic. “Obviously, I didn’t have him prepared to come out quick enough,” said O’Brien, tied with D. Wayne Lukas as the all-time winningest Breeders’ Cup trainer with 20 wins. “We thought we did, but we didn’t. He missed it and left Ryan with no chance really. The race was over at the start.”

RECORD RESULT: Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert earned a record sixth victory in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by TAA when Citizen Bull wired the 10-horse field Friday with stablemate Gaming his closest pursuer in second. Getaway Car, yet another Baffert runner, took fourth. Baffert, 71, pointed to races such as the Juvenile as driving forces for him. “That is why we work so hard,” he said. “All my people want to play at the top level. We feel very fortunate just to get one of these.”

BIG BUSINESS: Anyone who thinks racing may be losing its international appeal is not paying attention. Breeders’ Cup announced the third-highest all-sources global common-pool handle — $179,218,631 — since the event began in 1984. This year’s figure at Del Mar marked a 1.7% increase over last year’s total of $176,281,989 at Santa Anita. It should help that the Breeders’ Cup returns to Del Mar Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 of next season.

Crowded winner's circle for Cygames Sprint. (Eclipse Sportswire)

EXTREME PATIENCE: Everyone knows success in racing can require patience. In the case of Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint victor Straight No Chaser, it required extreme patience on the part of owner MyRacehorse. Consider that the 5-year-old son of Speightster has made only 10 career starts. The Sprint marked just his third outing this season. But when he runs, he makes it worth the wait. This was his sixth victory. “Sometimes, you’ve just got to be patient and let them come around on their own. This guy, he’s got his own agenda,” trainer Dan Blacker said. “You just kind of go along for the ride, try and guide him through his steps day by day, work by work.”

OVER EARLY: When favored East Avenue stumbled badly as he broke from the rail at the start of the Juvenile, it changed everything. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione did well to stay on but the speedster never recovered, coming in ninth of 10. The mishap allowed Citizen Bull and his jockey, Martin Garcia, to roll along on the front end at a comfortable clip, compromising the chances of those dependent on a stiff pace. “It’s a huge disappointment,” Gaffalione said. “We’re very high on this horse. We just felt like we weren’t able to give him the best opportunity with the way it played out.” The good news: trainer Brendan Walsh reported that East Avenue exited the 1 1/16-mile race unscathed.

THRILLING SECOND: Joe Lee, a well-traveled assistant to some top trainers, conditions only a handful of horses in New York. One of those is May Day Ready. Even in losing to European sensation Lake Victoria in Friday’s John Deere Juvenile Fillies Turf, she showed she is something special. May Day Ready entered the Breeders’ Cup with a perfect 3-for-3 record, notching victories at Saratoga, Kentucky Downs, and Keeneland before losing at Del Mar to a potential superstar. Lee praised May Day Ready for her great mind. “I’ve shipped horses all over the world and I’ve never seen a horse like her,” he said, eagerly awaiting what next year can bring for the daughter of Tapit.