Members of the racing industry from around the world gathered at the historic Savoy Hotel in central London Jan. 21 to honor equine excellence from the 2024 racing season during the Longines World Racing Awards.

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For just the fifth time in the award’s 22-year history, and first since 2019, there was a tie for the title of Longines World’s Best Racehorse, with City of Troy and Laurel River each awarded the highest rating of 128.

City of Troy, a 3-year-old son of Triple Crown winner Justify, was bred in Kentucky by Coolmore and raced in Europe under the eye of Aidan O’Brien. The top-rated turf horse on the Longines leaderboard, he acquired his 128 rating with a sensational front-running score in the Aug. 21 Juddmonte International Stakes at York Racecourse, defeating Royal Ascot winner Calandagan by one length while breaking the 2,050-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) course record. Farther back in the field were Bluestocking, eventual winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, finishing fourth; and Japanese St. Leger winner Durezza in fifth.

O’Brien, along with jockey Ryan Moore and Coolmore representatives Christy Grassick and Sam Pearson, were on hand to accept the trophy and Longines timepieces.

“It’s all part of a team effort,” Grassick said. “This horse from day one has done everything superb.”

City of Troy became the first Irish-trained horse to win the award since Sea The Stars was honored in 2009.

Laurel River winning Dubai World Cup (Eclipse Sportswire)

Juddmonte’s Laurel River is also a Kentucky-bred, giving American-bred horses three of the last four Longines World’s Best Racehorse Awards.

His 128 rating and designation as the top-rated dirt horse in the world stemmed from his March 30 domination in the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline at Meydan. Opening an insurmountable lead turning for home, Laurel River cruised to an 8 1/2-length win over 2023 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro and Saudi Cup victor Senor Buscador. The field also included Grade/Group 1 winners Dura Erede, Defunded, Kabirkhan, and Newgate.

Trained by Bhupat Seemar, Laurel River became the first United Arab Emirates-trained horse to be rated as the top racehorse in the world and the third to receive the honor for his performance in the World Cup. Additionally, he etched his name onto an impressive list of Juddmonte homebreds to receive the award, joining Frankel (2011-’12), Arrogate (2016-’17), and Enable (2019).

“When you’re in this sport and are nominated to be the co-highest rated horses on this planet — it doesn’t happen often,” said Seemar, who accepted the award alongside Juddmonte CEO Douglas Erskine Crum. “Laurel River has just been an absolute sensation ever since he came to the stables.”

Ladbrokes W. S. Cox Plate winner Via Sistina finished the season ranked third, while King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Goliath was fourth.

Fierceness (right) holds off Thorpedo Anna in Travers. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)

The highest American-trained runners were 3-year-old colts Fierceness and Sierra Leone. Both tied for fifth place with a 125 rating off their victories in the DraftKings Travers Stakes and Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, respectively.

Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Rebel’s Romance finished in a tie for 11th, and Grade 1 winners Cogburn, Dornoch, and National Treasure were tied among a larger group at 24th. Five-time Grade 1 winner Thorpedo Anna, the leading contender to win Horse of the Year in the United States, was part of a 19-horse tie for 35th that included Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Mystik Dan and Senor Buscador.

City of Troy’s Juddmonte International also received honors as the Longines World’s Best Horse Race with a rating of 124.25. The rating is determined based off the Longines ratings of the top four finishers. The Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course finished as the runner-up with a rating of 123.75 thanks to Fierceness (125), Thorpedo Anna (120), Sierra Leone (125), and Dornoch (124) all finishing in the top 50-rated horses in the world.