Thorpedo Anna headed to Churchill for Kentucky Oaks

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Thorpedo Anna emerged from her dominant win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park in good order and is now bound for the Kentucky Oaks, trainer Kenny McPeek said Sunday.

Thorpedo Anna picked up 100 points for the Churchill Downs race for her win and is sitting third on the list for the Kentucky Oaks field with 105 total points. The Beyer Speed Figure of 91 that she earned for her Fantasy victory ranks among the top 10 numbers put up by a 3-year-old filly so far in 2024.

Thorpedo Anna was making her first start since a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Golden Rod in November at Churchill. She tracked the pace in third en route to a four-length win over West Omaha, who now ranks fourth in points with 90. Thorpedo Anna covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.24. She was ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr.

“I gave Brian pretty simple instructions,” McPeek said Sunday. “I said, ‘You’re on the best horse. Have fun.’ ”

Thorpedo Anna has now won 3 of 4 starts, with her victories coming by a combined margin of 21 1/2 lengths. She will likely ship to Churchill this week with stablemate and Kentucky Derby candidate Mystik Dan, McPeek said.

“She’s high-level talent, and we pretty much expected that out of her yesterday,” McPeek said. “She’s been working in company with Mystik Dan and she gives him everything he can handle and more.

“She was a little bit behind schedule because of the bruised hip earlier in the winter, but she’s on her game and this morning she was fresh as a daisy and raring to do something else. You could have trained her today, and she would have been glad to go out there.”

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McPeek has a number of promising young fillies in the barn. He said Shimmering Allure, winner of last year’s Tempted, is scheduled to run Friday at Keeneland in the Ashland.

V V’s Dream, winner of the Pocahontas last year at Churchill, is unlikely for the Kentucky Oaks, McPeek said Sunday.

Lemon Muffin, who was a top contender in the Fantasy off her win in the Grade 3, $400,000 Honeybee at Oaklawn, finished an uncharacteristic seventh Saturday. She ranks ninth in points for the Kentucky Oaks with 50 from the Honeybee.

“She was really flat yesterday, and I don’t know why,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Sunday. “She didn’t really ever get up and go. She was flat, and so, I think we just draw a line through it.

“She’s got 50 points. She’s still okay for the Oaks. She’ll get in. We’ll point her for the Oaks.”

Lukas said Sunday that Lemon Muffin emerged from the Fantasy in good order.

Lukas said Keith Asmussen would have the mount on Lemon Muffin in the Kentucky Oaks.

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