Breeders' Cup Distaff: Thorpedo Anna puts in final work before flying West
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Thorpedo Anna, the four-time Grade 1 winning 3-year-old filly, completed preparations for next Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff by working five furlongs in 1:01.24 over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga Saturday morning.
Thorpedo Anna, with exercise rider Danny Ramsey aboard, started about a half-length off of the 4-year-old gelding Denington, joined on even terms after a quarter in 24.17 seconds, according to Saratoga clocker David Norton. Thorpedo Anna was kept a path away from Denington in the lane and finished about a half-length in front at the wire. Thorpedo Anna continued out six furlongs in 1:15.43 and seven furlongs in 1:29.77.
“Impressive as ever,” said Kenny McPeek, trainer of Thorpedo Anna. “I just told Danny stay next to Denington, who is a nice horse in his own right, has a little back form. I told him to stay with Denington to the quarter pole, let her out a notch and have a long gallop-out.
“She could have done so much more if Danny let her roll around there, but it wasn’t necessary,” McPeek added. “She came back and cooled like they were flying a kite, she was on her hind legs, her energy level is as high as ever.”
With the exception of two days she spent at Parx when she won the Grade 1 Cotillion on Sept. 28, Thorpedo Anna has been stabled in Saratoga since mid-May. She was scheduled to leave Saratoga Sunday by van to Newark Airport in New Jersey and fly cross country to Southern California where next Saturday, at Del Mar, she will look to complete her brilliant year in the Distaff. Thorpedo Anna has won the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn, Coaching Club American Oaks, and Cotillion and was second to Fierceness in the Grade 1 Travers when facing males. She began the year with a victory in the Grade 2 Fantasy.
The announcement Friday that Idiomatic, last year’s BC Distaff winner and older dirt female champion, will not run in this year’s Distaff due to injury, likely leaves Thorpedo Anna as the shortest-priced favorite in the 14 Breeders’ Cup races.
McPeek took no joy in Idiomatic’s defection.
“I don’t wish that on anybody, feel for them, I know how excited they probably were,” McPeek said. “I don’t call that a happy moment at all.”
McPeek said he was looking forward to the challenge of facing Idiomatic.
“But nervous about it because she’s such a good filly,” McPeek said. “Would racing against her been exciting? For sure. Probably the fans will miss that. Does it make the task easier? For sure.”
Mystik Dan back on work tab
While Thorpedo Anna was having her likely final workout of the year at Saratoga, McPeek’s Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan had his first workout in nearly five months at Keeneland, going three furlongs in 36.20 seconds.
McPeek said that the work began at the quarter pole and was completed a furlong past the wire. He said Robby Albarado was aboard for the move.
“He was ultra-pleased with that, he said he did it easy and was happy to do it,” McPeek said.
McPeek said Mystik Dan leaves for Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Monday. He will continue training there and McPeek said it will be about four to six weeks before he and the owners decide where to bring the horse back. McPeek did not rule out the $3 million Pegasus on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream as a possibly early 2025 target.
“We’ll get him ready in New Orleans and let him tell us when he’s locked and loaded,” McPeek said.
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