Thorpedo Anna bids to extend streak in Coaching Club American Oaks

Jul 15, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

After dominant victories in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Acorn (G1), Thorpedo Anna will be heavily favored to retain her grip on the three-year-old fillies’ division in Saturday’s $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga.

But the 1 1/8-mile affair holds even greater potential significance: if Thorpedo Anna extends her winning streak, might she take on the boys next in the Aug. 24 Travers (G1)?

Although the Travers idea remains hypothetical pending what happens Saturday, trainer Kenny McPeek has mentioned the possibility of “grizzly bear” Thorpedo Anna’s tackling males at some point. She might well have done so already in the Belmont (G1), but that opportunity was reserved for her Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning stablemate, Mystik Dan. Following his subpar eighth in the Belmont, Mystik Dan is regrouping back in Kentucky, creating a possible scenario for Thorpedo Anna to take her chance in the Travers.

While the three-year-old colts are still sorting themselves out in a wide-open division, Thorpedo Anna has been the undisputed star of the show among the fillies this season. The daughter of Fast Anna has lost only once in her career, when wheeling back on short rest in last November’s Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs. In her other five starts, the imposing dark bay has romped by considerable margins. Thorpedo Anna resumed her winning habit in the March 30 Fantasy (G2) at Oaklawn Park, her stepping stone to a 4 3/4-length conquest of the Kentucky Oaks.

# 5 Thorpedo Anna takes the 150th Kentucky Oaks!

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Thorpedo Anna backed it up with another dynamic display in the June 7 Acorn at this track and trip, sparking thoughts of how she might have fared in the Belmont. She projects an advantageous trip from post 3, right in the middle of the short field of five, with regular pilot Brian Hernandez Jr.

Two of her opponents – Grade 1 veterans Candied and Leslie’s Rose – hail from the barn of Todd Pletcher, who has trained a record eight Coaching Club American Oaks winners.

Candied might have the better case of the duo, considering that she is facing Thorpedo Anna for the first time. The heroine of last year’s Alcibiades (G1) and closing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Candied didn’t reappear until the Ashland (G1), where she wound up fourth to race-fit Leslie’s Rose.

That result proved costly, for Candied lacked sufficient points to make it into the Kentucky Oaks field. But she rebounded next time in the Lady’s Secret S. at Monmouth, drubbing the older Honor D Lady who came back to crush the Delaware H. (G2).

“It was good to get her back (to the winner’s circle),” Pletcher told NYRA publicity, “and it was frustrating not to get in the Oaks with her, so it’s good to get her back on course. Hopefully that sets her up to make a big move forward.”

Since her signature win in the Ashland, Leslie’s Rose has been beaten by Thorpedo Anna twice. A too-bad-to-be-true 13th when failing to handle a sloppy track in the Kentucky Oaks, Leslie’s Rose was a better second in the Acorn. But the Into Mischief filly still has to engineer a 5 1/2-length form turnaround at the Spa.

“The only thing we’ve seen with her is that she doesn’t like a wet track,” Pletcher said. “Unfortunately, that’s what we got in the Oaks, but she rebounded well and gave us a good race in the Acorn. She was second best on the day, but to her credit, she ran a very good race.”

Both are picking up new riders on Saturday. Manny Franco will guide Candied from the rail, and John Velazquez gets the call aboard Leslie’s Rose in post 4.

Intricate, the only horse to beat Thorpedo Anna, hasn’t won since her upset in the aforementioned Golden Rod. The Brendan Walsh pupil dropped off the Oaks trail after a pair of losses at Fair Grounds, and she’ll try to improve from her recent second in the Monomoy Girl Overnight S. at Churchill.

Rounding out the quintet is Barbratina, who makes her first start since joining George Weaver. Runner-up in the Cincinnati Trophy and sixth in the Gazelle (G3) on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, she exits a hard-fought Churchill allowance score at this trip.

Pletcher summed up the position of Thorpedo Anna’s opponents.

“We need to move forward, and I think with both fillies we are in a position to do that,” the Hall of Famer said.

“Sometimes strange things happen in Saratoga.”

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