Thorpedo Anna

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A year after recording a historic double with Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in the GI Kentucky Oaks and Mystik Dan (Goldencents) in the GI Kentucky Derby, jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. is coming back for more. The native of Lafayette, Louisiana will pilot the stretch-running GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Burnham Square (Liam's Map), a live contender for trainer Ian Wilkes in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, and the Kenny McPeek-trained GI Central Bank Ashland Stakes runner-up Take Charge Milady (Take Charge Indy) in Friday's Kentucky Oaks. The aforementioned...

A Review, By Bill Finley Whether it was 60 Minutes, the FX Network, HBO or some other programs, the television media has bludgeoned the horse racing game in recent years. The great parts of this game barely get mentioned while the programs concentrate on the ugly aspects, namely breakdowns and drugs. So it was reasonable to be worried that more of the same was on its way when Netflix announced it was producing a racing documentary called 'Race For The Crown.' But this show, which includes six episodes, isn't like...

In the TDN's new Breeders' Cup Breakthrough series, we catch up with the six trainers who celebrated their first win at the Breeders' Cup in 2024. We discuss the road to securing that victory, what the breakout win meant to them personally and what they hope to accomplish from here. We start with Kenny McPeek, who secured a long-awaited Breeders' Cup victory with a filly that is known to her fans as 'The Grizzly.'     It wasn't that he never had a shot. It's just that the shots weren't...

Umberto Rispoli has been riding in the U.S. for less than five years and the Italian-born talent has had to, among other things, convince trainers he could win on not only the turf but the dirt and that he belonged in one of the stronger riding colonies in the sport. It didn't take Rispoli long to establish himself as one of the best riders in California and now top trainers are after his services. Michael McCarthy belongs on the list has he has given the assignment to the 31-year-old jockey...

Nothing wrong with planning ahead, and trainer Kenny McPeek is doing just so after the 2024 Horse of the Year came out of her GI Apple Blossom tour-de-force in fine shape, with the GI La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs next on the list for 'Rising Star' MGISW Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). After receiving a preliminary Beyer of 93 for the romp, McPeek is already eyeballing a seventh victory at the elite level for 'the grizzly bear' and the May 2 Kentucky Oaks undercard feature is circled on the calendar....

It was business as usual for reigning U.S. Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in Saturday's $1.25-million GI Apple Blossom Handicap, as she pulled clear of five overmatched rivals to score by 4 1/4 lengths to take her career record to 10 wins from 12 starts while barely drawing a deep breath. Let the record show that all-time Louisiana-bred earner Free Like a Girl (El Deal) was closest to the champ at the wire and big-figure allowance winner Where's My Ring (Twirling Candy) was third as the 27-10...

Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), who was named Horse of the Year and champion of her generation at the Eclipse Award ceremonies in January, was recognized with the same honors at Friday night's annual champion Kentucky-Bred Awards Dinner. The daughter of Sataves (Uncle Mo) was campaigned to six wins from seven starts in 2024, highlighted by victories in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. In total, she took out five elite-level contests and was narrowly runner-up in the GI Travers Stakes against the boys while earning better...

The road to the 151st GI Kentucky Derby concludes with Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland. Qualifying points are awarded to the first five finishers on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale, but won't be enough to have an impact on the first Saturday in May. With a field of nine entered and at least a pair of scratches anticipated, favoritism should come down to either 'TDN Rising Star' Bullard (Gun Runner) or Praetor (Into Mischief). Scratched out of the GII Rebel S. due to a fever, the impressive last-to-first GIII Bob...

Journalism (Curlin), winner of last weekend's GI Santa Anita Derby, moved to the top of Week 11's rankings of the 2025 NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll conducted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). Two-for-two this season, this year's GII San Felipe winner concluded the period with 269 points and 26 first-place votes by members of the national media. Racing performances run through Apr. 6. Journalism stands well ahead of GI Arkansas Derby scorer Sandman (Tapit), who has amassed 209 points. Heading the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, last season's champion...

My first trip to a Thoroughbred racetrack came in the summer of 1961 at Ellis Park. At the time, I was 16, closing in on 17, and Kelso was four, closing in on the second of five consecutive Horse of the Year titles. Kelso never raced anywhere near Ellis, but his enduring class was such that he ranked among the sporting world's most recognizable heroes of the day. The New York Yankees' pinstriped pair of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, in their pursuit of Babe Ruth's single-season home run record,...

Featuring 29 horses and stallion seasons, the catalogue for the 2025 Inglis Digital USA March Sale is headlined by the half-sister to the dam of the reigning Horse of the Year, the auction house announced Friday. Among the notables on offer is Lady Eliana (Tapizar), a half-sister to the dam of 'TDN Rising Star' 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), who is being offered as a broodmare prospect. Other notable names include SW Bank On Anna (Central Banker); Fleet Frost (Frosted), who hails from a busy female...

6th-GP, $98K, OC 75k/C, 4yo/up, f/m, 1m, 3:29 p.m. ET. Just F Y I (Justify), champion 2-year-old filly of 2023, kicks off her 4-year-old campaign in this stakes-quality field. The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up was last seen finishing a well-beaten sixth in the GI Acorn S. at Saratoga June 7. "We need to get started," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. "She's been away a long time and we decided to try an allowance race, although it's a very tough allowance race....