Ritvo Reprise

Trainer Kathy Ritvo was taken on the ride of her life up to and including a thrilling victory by Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) in last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. The odds of a relatively low-profile conditioner making it back to the Breeders’ Cup again–let alone the following year–seem remote, yet here she is back at Santa Anita with Frank Calabrese’s fleet 3-year-old Fast Anna (Medaglia d’Oro). 

The second foal out of Calabrese’s 2006 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine and Eclipse Award winner Dreaming of Anna (Rahy), Fast Anna debuted victoriously at Gulfstream this past April and took a non-two-lifetime allowance by 13 lengths July 6. The dark bay was thrown to the wolves in the GI King’s Bishop S. in just his third career appearance and made the majority of the running, only to be gunned down in the waning strides by The Big Beast (Yes It’s True). He attended a searching pace last time out in the GIII Gallant Bob S. at Parx Sept. 20 and settled for second, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Favorite Tale (Tale of the Cat). Ritvo is happy to be back in these familiar surroundings.

“It feels great to be back with another good horse,” Ritvo said. “I 100% believe he belongs here. “He’s still learning. He has so much talent, we decided to go in this direction. He’s gotten more relaxed in the paddock, more relaxed in his training. When we bring him behind the gate to school him now, he practically runs in. He wants to do everything right.”

Fast Anna lived up to his name in his final morning workout over the Santa Anita strip, tearing a hole in the wind through a half-mile in :57 flat. It was more than two full seconds faster than the next-quickest move.

“He had a fast work the other day, but he did it well within himself, and who better to work him than Gary Stevens?” said Ritvo, whose speedster is slated to be ridden by John Velazquez.