Trainer Ken McPeek called it nearly a week before the 150th Kentucky Oaks (G1) on Friday, May 3 at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky-based trainer would tell anyone who would listen that THORPEDO ANNA (Fast Anna) was a ‘top filly, very special’ and that his rivals better bring a bear because he was “bringing a grizzly.”
On a rainy day in May, on a very sloppy track, Thorpedo Anna ran as McPeek predicted, battling early on the rail and then leading her rivals all the way through 1 1/8 miles to win the prestigious Oaks, the first for the trainer, by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:50.83. The long-striding filly was guided from post 5 to the lead by Brian Hernandez and they went 22.87 and 46.89, swift splits in the slop. Thorpedo Anna maintained a short lead into the last turn while favoured JUST F Y I, the 2023 Champion three-year-old filly, loomed large to her outside. But the champ never got past Anna.
The final time was 1:50.83. Just F Y I was second for trainer Bill Mott and Chad Brown trainee Regulatory Risk rallied for third. (The video is below.)
Thorpedo Anna is named for co-owner Mark Edwards’ granddaughter Anna Thorp, a competitive swimmer, and for champion swimmer Ian Thorpe. Edwards owns the Oaks winner with Nader Alaali’s Brookdale Stable, whose colours were worn by Hernandez, breeder Judy Hicks and Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Stable.
The team bought Thorpedo Anna for $40,000 from the Fasig-Tipton October Sale in 2022 from Hicks, who remained a part owner.
“It’s special,” said McPeek. “We got a great group of people and clientele who give us opportunities to buy horses at auction. I’m really proud of everybody.
“We talked about it, we didn’t think anybody was fast enough to go with her. She’s special. But it takes an army of people. I have the team in Ocala getting young horses ready, I’ve got stable manager Alan Shell who runs the farm in Lexington, Ray Ryder at Oaklawn…”
Thorpedo Anna came into the Kentucky Oaks off a big win in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn, taking that race by four lengths. As a two-year-old, the filly won her first two races by a combined 17 1/2 lengths before finishing second in the Golden Rod Stakes (G2).
Thorpedo Anna is by the late FAST ANNA (Medagalia D’Oro) a Grade 1-placed sprinter who stood at Three Chimneys Farm for $5,000.
The Oaks winner’s dam, SATAVES, was born prematurely with deformed hocks and was obtained by Hocks for breeding. Sataves, a daughter of Uncle Mo, is from the unraced mare Pacific Sky (Stormy Atlantic), a half-sister to Eskendereya, winner of the Grade 1 Wood Memorial.
The Oaks winner’s sixth dam is the great producer QUEEN SUCREE, dam of Kentucky Derby winner Cannonade.
