Hill 'n' Dale buys into Thorpedo Anna; plans to race her in 2026
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A half-interest in reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna has been purchased by John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm. A release announcing the deal also revealed the new partnership’s intentions to race Thorpedo Anna through 2026, if she continues to hold good form.
Thorpedo Anna is expected to make her next start in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 23 at Saratoga. The 4-year-old daughter of Fast Anna has been racing for a partnership of Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, breeder Judy Hicks, and the McPeek family’s Magdalena Racing.
“It has been an amazing journey being around Thorpedo Anna,” trainer Kenny McPeek said in the release. “Judy Hicks, Mark Edwards, and [Magdalena] will continue to retain their percentage ownership of Thorpedo Anna, and we are all excited to continue with such a great partner as John Sikura and Hill ‘n’ Dale.”
The press release did not mention Brookdale Racing, but, as intimated in the list of continuing partners, the interest Hill ‘n’ Dale purchased was the one belonging to that operation. The Racing Post later confirmed that information, also noting that Nader Al A’Ali of Brookdale is the brother-in-law of Phoenix Thoroughbreds founder Amer Abdulaziz, who was sentenced last month to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The Racing Post reported that Al A’Ali had no involvement with racing prior to 2021, the year after Phoenix Thoroughbreds was banned from racing in some jurisdictions as money laundering allegations began to emerge. Phoenix Thoroughbreds has wound down its racing and breeding operations, including transferring its Australian interests to Al A’Ali.
Thorpedo Anna, now in her third season of racing, has won 11 of 14 starts, highlighted by six Grade 1 triumphs, while earning more than $5.1 million. Her championship campaign last year included signature wins in the Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff. In her only loss of the season, she was also a gallant runner-up against champion Fierceness in the Travers Stakes, while finishing ahead of champion Sierra Leone.
“It is extremely rare, if not impossible, to acquire an interest in a mare of this caliber,” Sikura said in the release. “Kenny has managed her career to perfection, and I am excited to be part of the team.”
Sikura added that, via Hill ‘n’ Dale’s interest, former NFL player Marshawn Lynch, who recently attended the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale and was “enthralled,” will be involved in the partnership in a minority capacity moving forward.
“We have a shared responsibility to expose our sport to a new audience,” Sikura said.
Thorpedo Anna is by far the best runner from five crops sired by the well-bred Fast Anna, a son of Medaglia d’Oro and out of champion Dreaming of Anna. The stallion died at age 10 following a battle with laminitis.
Thorpedo Anna is out of the Uncle Mo mare Sataves, who was born prematurely, weighing only about 60 pounds, and was painstakingly nursed to health by breeder Hicks. Although she never raced following her hard start to life, Sataves is a healthy broodmare, producing three winners from as many starters, including graded stakes-placed McAfee. She was recently named national broodmare of the year by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.
Sikura noted that Thorpedo Anna is “beyond a unique commodity” as an eventual broodmare prospect as she traces directly to the broodmare Almahmoud, whose daughters have been incredibly influential. Thorpedo Anna’s branch of the family runs through Almahmoud’s daughter Cosmah, a Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. Cosmah is the dam of influential sire Halo, of champion Tosmah, and of Queen Sucree, dam of Kentucky Derby winner Cannonade, among others. Another daughter of Almahmoud, Natalma, is the dam of classic winner, champion, and breed-shaping sire Northern Dancer.
“A consummate champion, Thorpedo Anna hails from a pedigree that I have been involved in and respect as foundational to the modern breed,” Sikura said.
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