Cover image courtesy of the Kentucky Derby
Thorpedo Anna splashes through the mud to win the G1 Kentucky Oaks
Trainer Kenny McPeek went into Friday’s G1 Kentucky Oaks telling everyone his last start winner 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna (USA) (Fast Anna {USA}) would do it and he was proven right when the second-favourite won by 4.75l over favourite and last year’s Champion Juvenile Filly Just F Y I (USA) (Justify {USA}) with Regulatory Risk (USA) (Omaha Beach {USA}) in third. She ran the 1800 metres on a sloppy track in 1:50.83.
Named in honour of co-owner Mark Edwards' granddaughter the competitive swimmer Anna Thorpe, and the Australian legend Ian Thorpe who was known as Thorpedo, Thorpedo Anna was ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr and is owned by Mark Edwards, Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek), Brookdale Racing, and breeder Judy Hicks.
“She's answered every question we've thrown at her,” Hernandez said. Thorpedo Anna gave both her trainer and owner their first win in the race.
Thorpedo Anna won her first two starts as a 2-year-old then finished that season with a second in the G2 Golden Rod S. Back at three, she won the G2 Fantasy S. at Oaklawn Park first up, and now the Oaks to take her record to four wins from five starts.
Thorpedo Anna (USA) wins the G1 Kentucky Oaks | Image courtesy of the Kentucky Derby
“From there, she’s just such a naturally talented filly... She was just doing it with her ears up and cruising along,” said McPeek. “We work our tail off, and the seconds were a little frustrating,” McPeek said. “... You work at it, and you work at it, and you try to figure out what kind of formula it’s going to take to come up with a horse who can win races like these. It’s come together today.”
McPeek purchased her for US$40,000 (AU$60,500) at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale from the draft of Groovedale Sales Agent, with breeder Judy Hicks retained a share. Her sire, Group 1-placed winner Fast Anna (USA), who is a son of Medaglia D’Oro (USA), has had 14 stakes winners with Thorpedo Anna his first Group 1 winner.
Champion Idiomatic gets fourth Group 1 in G1 La Troienne S
Last year’s Eclipse Award winning mare Idiomatic (USA) (Curlin {USA}) made easy work of the G1 La Troienne S. on Friday, winning by 3.75l for jockey Florent Geroux and trainer Brad Cox. Free Like A Girl (USA) (El Deal {USA}) was second and last year’s Champion 3-year-old filly Pretty Mischievous (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) was third.
A Juddmonte Stud homebred, Idiomatic won three Group 1 races in succession last year including the G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The G1 La Troienne S win took her record to ten wins from 13 starts with three placings. “Big effort,” said Cox.
“I was kind of hoping we’d either get the lead and establish the front, or track the outside horse. Instead, we found ourselves tracking the outside horse from the inside, which isn’t ideal. At the three-eighths pole I was a little concerned, he [Geroux] started knuckling down on her a little bit but she really responded.
“You never really know, there’s times when these mares, as they get a little bit older, may not be as good, but I think she’s set up for a big year from what we’ve seen from her so far. She’s on it right now and hopefully we can have it that way the rest of the year.
“At some point I think it’s a possibility she could run against male. It may not be her next start, but if we want to try to get Horse of the Year, it kind of showed last year that you probably have to face the best of another division in regards to the girls.”
Idiomatic (USA) | Image courtesy of the Breeders Cup
One of 105 stakes winners for Curlin, Idiomatic is out of Listed winner and G1 Kentucky Oaks-placed Lockdown (First Defence {USA}) who is a full sister to five-time Group 1 winner Close Hatches (USA) (First Defence {USA}).
Godolphin’s First Mission makes it two for the season in G2 Alysheba S.
Last year, 4-year-old entire First Mission (USA) (Street Sense {USA}) looked like one of the better 3-year-old colts but was scratched from the G1 Preakness S. with a hind fetlock injury. He has returned in fine style this season with a second up win in the G3 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park, and on Friday, he made it two from three for the season in winning the G2 Alyshea S. Second placed outsider T O Saint Denis (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) led most of the way with First Mission stalking him before racing past to win by 4l. Il Miracolo (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) was third.
“We feel like he's that type of horse,” Michael Banahan, Godolphin's director of bloodstock, said after race when confirming that First Mission would be set to the G1 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 29. First Mission ran ninth in the G1 Pegasus S. in his first run in 2024.
A homebred for Godolphin, First Mission now has five wins from eight starts and earnings over US$1.2million (AU$1.8 million). The win was his third at group level. His sire, Street Sense (USA), has 98 stakes winners globally.
First Mission is the second foal of winning mare Elude (USA) (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}), who is a daughter of Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in Argentina and triple Group 1 winner Forty Marchanta (Arg) (Roar {USA}).
Dynamic Pricing gives Brown his first Edgewood S.
Punters expected trainer Chad Brown to win his first G2 Edgewood S. on Oaks Day on Friday at Churchill and he delivered, but not with the horse everyone expected. Hot favourite Hard to Justify (USA) (Justify {USA}) set a strong pace but faded, allowing stablemate Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) to emerge from the pack and win by 0.5l for jockey Irad Ortiz Jnr and owner Klaravich Stable.
“She’s a very light-framed horse but has a really good turn of foot,” Brown said. “I always had high hopes for this filly.” The G2 Edgewood S. win was Dynamic Pricing’s second win, and first stakes win, from only four starts. She was a €170,000 (AU$276,600) yearling purchase by Mike Ryan agent for Klaravich Stable from Ireland’s Croom House Stud draft at the 2022 Tattersall’s October Yearling Sale.
She is the 44th stakes winner for Night Of Thunder, and is the third foal and second winner for winning mare Shemda (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}).
My Mane Squeeze wins Eight Belles on rain-affected day
Owners William J. Butler and WinStar Farm enjoyed the turn around in form for their 3-year-old filly My Mane Squeeze (USA) (Audible {USA}) when she won the G2 Eight Belles S. on Friday at Churchill Downs on a sloppy track for trainer Mike Maker.
“Mike said I’m having a hell of a week here,” Butler said in the Churchill winner’s circle. “I said ‘the one we won with on Sunday won and got claimed and I thought that was going to be the high of the week.’ ” He was referring to last Sunday’s win by 4-year-old colt Mama’s Dream (USA) (Bolt d’Oro {USA}), but then on Thursday, he won the Listed Affirmed Success for New York-breds at Aqueduct with My Mane Squeeze’s 5-year-old half-brother Rotknee (USA) (Runhappy {USA}). My Mane Squeeze had failed in her start prior to Friday's win, but previously won three Listed races and took her record to five wins from eight starts.
My Mane Squeeze is from the first crop of G1 Florida Derby winner Audible, a son of Into Mischief (USA) and Audible has four stakes winners from his first crop. Her dam, In Spite Of Mama (USA) (Speightstown {USA}), won three races and has produced four winners from as many to race.
Her first foal was stakes placed 2-year-old winner Looking For Trouble (Into Mischief {USA}), then Rotknee, then Mama’s Dream, then My Mane Squeeze. She has an unraced 2-year-old filly named Willful Mama (USA) (War Of Will {USA}) and a yearling colt by Runhappy.
Fast As Flight gives sire new stakes winner with surprise win in Modesty S.
In a slowly run G3 Modesty S on turf over 1800 metres, 6-year-old mare Fast As Flight (USA) (Air Force Blue {USA}) stalked the pace before taking over the lead when asked by jockey Jose Ortiz to hold on for a win from Sparkle Blue (USA) (Hard Spun {USA}) and Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify {USA}).
“When we drew the one hole, I was really excited. It was a perfect trip,” said trainer Martin Drexler who claimed her in July 2023 and this was her second start for him. She ran second in the Listed Sand Spring S. at her first start for Drexler.
Air Force Blue now has 13 stakes winners, while Fast As Flight is the only winner for unraced mare Tisnow Peace (USA) (Tisnow {USA}). Fast As Flight’s third dam, Listed winner Visions Of Clarity (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) is a half-sister to five-time Group 1 winner and sire Spinning World (USA) (Nureyev {USA}).
Tough racemare brings winning form to Churchill Downs
Winner of 12 of her 15 starts, including her last four in succession in Louisiana, 6-year-old mare Ova Charged (USA) (Star Guitar {USA}) came to Churchill Downs and had to work hard to win the G3 Unbridled Sidney S. over 1100 metres on turf on Friday to take her record to 13 from 16.
She missed the start briefly but charged forward to battle for the lead with Stone Silent (USA) (Adios Charlie {USA}) who faded, while Ova Charged, ridden by Florent Geroux, kept right on going to hold on for the win from Secret Money (USA) (Good Samaritan {USA}) with Run For The Hills (USA) (Runhappy {USA}) running on late for third.
“She gets over the turf real easy. She thrives on it,” trainer Shane Wilson said. A homebred for Brittlyn Stable, Inc. (mgr: Evelyn Benoit), who also own Ova Charged’s sire Star Guitar, a son of Quiet American (USA) who won 24 of his 30 starts and is the sire of 15 stakes winners.
Ova Charged is out of Listed winner Charged Candy (USA) (Dehere {USA}) who has also produced this season’s G3 UAE Oaks winner Manama Gold (USA) (Star Guitar {USA}) and stakes placed winner Sethamee Street (USA) (Street Sense {USA}).
