Not even a gradual begin may gradual the momentum of reigning Horse of the 12 months Thorpedo Anna as she notched her fourth consecutive victory within the $1.25 million Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap April 12 at Oaklawn Park. The good 4-year-old filly recovered from a tardy starting to attain a well-liked 4 1/4-length victory over 5 outclassed foes.
Monitoring splits of :23.47 and :46.74 set by Wild Bout Hilary within the 1 1/16-mile Apple Blossom, Thorpedo Anna effortlessly took over after six furlongs in 1:11.22 and sped away within the stretch. She was clocked in 1:44.27 on a quick monitor underneath common rider Brian Hernandez Jr..
Louisiana-bred multimillionaire Free Like a Woman ran second, simply as she had when dealing with Thorpedo Anna a begin earlier within the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes March 8 at Oaklawn. The place’s My Ring was 1 1/2 lengths farther again in third. Neom Seaside, Wild Bout Hilary, and Candy Alyssa accomplished the order of end.
Thorpedo Anna, who noticed her foes between 4 and 7 kilos apiece because the excessive weight within the Apple Blossom, paid $2.40 for a $2 win wager.
Successful coach Kenny McPeek acknowledged some nerves about beginning such a heavy favourite. “There’s such expectations however you’d quite be the favourite than (a) lengthy shot, I suppose, to get it achieved.
“I needed each horse coach in America and even jockey may have a horse like her, to be round a horse like her,” McPeek continued. “I imply, I’ve labored all my profession to attempt to discover these sort of horses and he or she actually does make our job straightforward. She’s not difficult. She likes to eat. She loves to coach. She’s an actual pleasure to be round. I imply, she’s simply nice.”
Racing followers could not want to attend lengthy to see Thorpedo Anna in racing motion once more. McPeek has his secure star pointed towards the $1 million Grade 1 Fasig-Tipton La Troienne Stakes on Could 2 at Churchill Downs.
“I’ve all the time believed in racing my horses. All my profession, I’ve by no means been petrified of doing that,” McPeek mentioned. “I believe three weeks (relaxation) she’ll deal with effective. So long as all the pieces’s good together with her bodily and he or she comes out of it like we anticipate, I believe you may see her at Churchill Downs.”
Simply as Oaklawn followers welcomed Thorpedo Anna, these at Churchill Downs will possible do the identical. In certainly one of her most important victories from her championship season as a 3-year-old filly in 2024, she received the Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks there by 4 3/4 lengths earlier than a crowd of greater than 107,000.
Thorpedo Anna is a 4-year-old daughter of Quick Anna out of the Uncle Mo mare Sataves. McPeek trains her for homeowners Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Magdalena Racing, and her breeder, Judy Hicks. McPeek paid $40,000 for Thorpedo Anna from the Grovendale Gross sales consignment to the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.
Her earnings now stand at $4,814,913.