SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Ken McPeek says he likes a challenge and he’s going to take on a significant one when he runs the filly Thorpedo Anna against the boys in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 24 at Saratoga. McPeek announced that decision Saturday a week after hinting that’s what he would do shortly after Thorpedo Anna won the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks by 4 1/4 lengths here on July 20. McPeek announced his decision on Fox Sports, which was broadcasting Saturday’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy from Saratoga. “Racing’s about challenges and it hasn’t been done in a long time and I think she’s the horse to do it,” McPeek said on the Fox broadcast. “She’s a great eater. She loves what she does every day and she’s here and I’m going to call it her home track now with two wins over the track, so here we go.” McPeek also believes that Thorpedo Anna will relish the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Travers and, as a filly, Thorpedo Anna gets a five-pound weight break from the 3-year-old males. :: Gain a competitive edge at Saratoga with DRF's premier handicapping data — purchase our meet packages today and bet with confidence. The last filly to win the Travers was Lady Rotha in 1915. That victory came via the disqualification of Trial By Jury.  From 1865-1903, six fillies won the Travers. In the modern era, only four fillies have run in the Travers - Cicada (last in 1962), Chris Evert (third in 1974), Davona Dale (4th in 1979) and Wonder Gadot (last in 2018). Thorpedo Anna has been the dominant 3-year-old filly in the country, winning all four of her starts by a combined 18 3/4 lengths. Her three Grade 1 victories include the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn, and Coaching Club American Oaks, the latter two victories coming in Saratoga. Thorpedo Anna would be heavily favored in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes here on Aug. 17, but McPeek doesn’t see that as very challenging. On Saturday morning, McPeek noted that jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. “hadn’t laid a whip on her all year, we really don’t know how good she is. If we run her against the fillies, the Alabama will probably be a bit of a non-event, which is wonderful I suppose, but is it good for the game?” McPeek added that the Travers purse “is twice as much, plus I get five pounds. On [speed figures] it looks like she fits right there. I’m not scared to do it. I think it’s fun. It makes the sport more interesting, doesn’t it?” Thorpedo Anna, a daughter of Fast Anna, is owned by Nader Alaali, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Sherri McPeek. McPeek trained the Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, but that horse is getting a break and will most likely be pointed to a 4-year-old campaign. The Travers is expected to include Dornoch and Mindframe, the one-two finishers from both the Belmont Stakes and Haskell; Sierra Leone, the Blue Grass winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up who was scheduled to run in Saturday’s Jim Dandy; Preakness winner Seize the Grey, also scheduled to run in the Jim Dandy; the undefeated Unmatched Wisdom and Corporate Report, the one-two finishers from the Curlin Stakes; and Honor Marie, the fourth-place finisher from the Belmont Stakes. Trainer Bob Baffert has mentioned the Travers as a possibility for Arkansas Derby winner Muth and/or the lightly raced unbeaten runner Parenting. On Saturday morning, McPeek had Thorpedo Anna school in the starting gate at the Oklahoma training track. In the Coaching Club American Oaks, Thorpedo Anna got away poorly from the gate, but was still the dominant 4 1/4-length winner. “She got a little antsy in there the last run, she just needs to school a little bit, easy stuff,” he said. There will be nothing easy about her next run. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.