What a year 2023 has was in the sport of horse racing! Last year gave us plenty of thrills on the racetrack. In anticipation of the upcoming Eclipse Awards on Jan. 25, which will honor many of the horses discussed, here is a subjective list of some of the best races from last year. 

1) Cody’s Wish wins Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and survives inquiry

Cody’s Wish charged home down the stretch, bumped back and forth several times with runner-up National Treasure near the wire, and prevailed by a nose to win the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park. He then survived a lengthy inquiry to secure the victory, which was witnessed by Cody Dorman and his family one day before Dorman died at age 17.

2) Trainer Jena Antonucci wins Belmont Stakes with Arcangelo

One of the enduring images of 2023 in horse racing was the video of Jena Antonucci cheering home Arcangelo in the stretch in his victory in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. It was refreshing and relatable to watch the horse’s trainer rooting for Arcangelo the same way a typical fan in the Belmont Park grandstand or at OTB would be rooting for him. Antonucci became the first female trainer to win “The Test of the Champion” in the race’s 155-year history.

3) National Treasure bests Blazing Sevens after stretch duel in Preakness Stakes

Jockey John Velazquez tried to steal the Preakness Stakes on an easy lead aboard National Treasure but ended up in a head-and-head duel during the entire stretch run with Blazing Sevens before getting the nod on the line at Pimlico. The result ended the Triple Crown hopes of Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Mage who was third. The win was Velazquez’s first Preakness victory, and the eighth career Preakness win and 17^th career Triple Crown race win for trainer Bob Baffert.

Arcangelo takes the Travers. (Eclipse Sportswire)

4) Arcangelo secures 3-year-old title with Travers Stakes victory

The 3-year-old division was still in chaos in 2023 heading into the Mid-Summer Derby at Saratoga, the Travers Stakes. In a year when the Kentucky Derby (Mage), Preakness Stakes (National Treasure), Belmont Stakes (Arcangelo), Florida Derby (Forte), Santa Anita Derby (Practical Move), Blue Grass Stakes (Tapit Trice), and Haskell Stakes (Geaux Rocket Ride) were all won by different horses, it was Arcangelo who made a statement as the best of the bunch in the Travers.

5) White Abarrio wins the Breeders’ Cup Classic

White Abarrio’s one-length victory in the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, along with his Grade 1 victory in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, made him a leading contender for Horse of the Year honors alongside Cody’s Wish.

Master of the Seas (outside) wis a thriller. (Eclipse Sportswire)

6) Master of the Seas nips Mawj to win Breeders’ Cup Mile

If there was a No. 11 on this list, it very well might have been October’s Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland where Up to the Mark nipped Master of the Seas by a nose in a tight finish. Less than a month later, Master of the Seas came out on the good end of a nose finish as he unleashed a furious 12th-to-1st stretch rally to catch Godolphin stablemate Mawj on the wire to win the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF.

Elite Power (outside) over Gunite. (Angelo Lieto/NYRA)

7) Elite Power edges Gunite at Saratoga

Elite Power and Gunite had a memorable rivalry in the sprint division in 2023 that ended on a high note for Elite Power in the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The best race of the year between the dynamic duo, however, took place in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes at Saratoga when Gunite took the lead until Elite Power rumbled down the stretch to catch him by a head in a thriller.

8) Arabian Knight holds off Geaux Rocket Ride to win Pacific Classic

The speed of Arabian Knight went all the way in the signature race of the Del Mar meet, the FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Stakes, as the Bob Baffert trainee went straight to the front and didn’t look back. TVG.com Haskell Stakes winner Geaux Rocket Ride looked for a lane to launch his late rally and then surged in deep stretch to get within a neck at the finish.

9) Mage wins the Kentucky Derby

It’s hard to make a top 10 list of the year’s top races without the Kentucky Derby. Mage posted the upset to win the 149^th Derby, and runner-up Two Phil’s ran a monumental effort in defeat. Morning-line favorite Forte was scratched before the race.

Maple Leaf Mel (Walter Wlodarczyk/NYRA)

10 - tie) Maple Leaf Mel in the Miss Preakness Stakes and Victory Ride Stakes

In a flash, it was all over when tragedy struck Maple Leaf Mel and she suffered a catastrophic injury en route to victory in the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga, but before that, horse racing fans had several chances to enjoy the unique talents of this 3-year-old filly, who blazed to victory in the Miss Preakness Stakes on the Preakness undercard and the Victory Ride Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Maple Leaf Mel was never headed at any point in any of her five career wins. Thoroughbred fans will always be left to wonder “what if?”