Oaklawn Park announced the return of reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in Saturday’s GII Azeri Stakes, where the champion filly faces six rivals in her 4-year-old debut.
The Fast Anna filly and TDN Rising Star enters as the overwhelming 2-5 morning-line favorite following her championship 3-year-old campaign that culminated in a GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff victory. She’ll break from post one with regular rider Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the irons.
Trainer Kenny McPeek has prepared Thorpedo Anna with six recorded workouts since late January, including a five-furlong move in 1:00.80 (6/37) at Fair Grounds on March 1.
“I thought it was a pretty conservative spot to bring her back in,” McPeek told colleague Bill Finley earlier this week. “If she’s every bit as good as she was as a 3-year-old, I think we’d be satisfied. I don’t know how much better you can get her from three to four. She’s ultra special, as we all know. She’s done everything right this winter. She’s made an easy transition from three to four.”
Thorpedo Anna takes them all the way in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.pic.twitter.com/UZgxqgxFPK
— Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing)
Thorpedo Anna takes them all the way in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.pic.twitter.com/UZgxqgxFPK
— Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) November 2, 2024
Meanwhile, TDN Rising Star Chancer McPatrick makes his seasonal debut in Saturday’s GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs. The McKinzie colt, installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite, returns to action for the first time since finishing sixth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
The Chad Brown trainee captured both the GI Hopeful Stakes and GI Champagne Stakes as a 2-year-old before suffering his first career defeat when stretching out to two turns in the Juvenile.
Brown will also saddle fellow Rising Star Hill Road (Quality Road), who joins the stable after a rallying third at 61-1 odds in the Juvenile in his U.S. debut. Both Brown trainees will race with first-time blinkers.
“Him and Chancer, neither of them have as many works that I would want given their 60-day breaks, which is more (time off) than you’d want to give a Derby horse in the off season,” Brown said Friday. “But I want to give these horses a chance to make the Derby without going all in and potentially harming their development. This race at Tampa is a bit of a happy medium. It gives you enough time on paper to make the Derby and still have a chance for them to run really well in the race.”
The Tampa Bay Derby field also includes Rising Star Patch Adams (Into Mischief), who posted a 98 Beyer Speed Figure in a maiden-breaking victory two starts back. The colt finished a disappointing fourth as the favorite in the GIII Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on January 25 in his first attempt around two turns.
Tampa Bay’s Saturday card features an impressive undercard including the GII Hillsborough Stakes, GIII Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes, and GIII Florida Oaks.
At Santa Anita, undefeated Cavalieri (Nyquist) puts her perfect three-for-three record on the line for trainer Bob Baffert in the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile Stakes. The GIII La Canada Stakes winner faces five opponents on an 11-race program that also includes the GIII San Simeon Stakes.
Gulfstream Park rounds out Saturday’s graded stakes action with the GIII Hurricane Bertie Stakes.
