Keeneland: Thorpedo Anna and Nitrogen clash in Spinster

After arriving from trainer Kenny McPeek’s Churchill Downs base Thursday afternoon, reigning horse of the year Thorpedo Anna got reacquainted with Keeneland on Friday morning. With former jockey Robby Albarado aboard, the 4-year-old filly strolled around Keeneland’s new saddling paddock before a long clockwise jog followed by a counterclockwise gallop.

Facing a showdown with 3-year-old Nitrogen on Sunday afternoon, Thorpedo Anna is the 3-5 favorite in the field of five for the Grade 1, $650,000 Spinster Stakes for fillies and mares.

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Thorpedo Anna is the first reigning horse of the year to race at Keeneland since double honoree Wise Dan returned in 2013 and 2014.

“Everywhere she goes, she walks in like she owns it,” said McPeek, who won the Spinster with Take Charge Lady in 2002 and 2003. “She is unfazed by (everything). To bring her back here at this stage in the Spinster, it’s just a real special race to run in. We didn’t think she needed any paddock schooling. We could have brought her over the morning of the race, but I do think she settled in here and jumped into the feed tub (Thursday) night.”

Nearly two years ago at Keeneland, Thorpedo Anna began her career with an 8 1/2-length win under Brian Hernandez Jr., her regular rider. Hernandez is injured, so Flavien Prat will substitute in the Spinster.

Thorpedo Anna is owned by John Sikura’s Hill ’n’ Dale Thoroughbred Holdings, Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing, Mark Edwards and breeder Judy Hicks, who was in attendance Friday morning. The 4-year-old star has banked $5,408,413 from a 15: 12-2-0 record.

“Certainly she is the most popular horse I have ever trained,” McPeek said. “Swiss Skydiver was a fantastic filly. I thought I’d never find a better filly than Take Charge Lady, but Swiss Skydiver was. And now this one. I might be getting a reputation with the girls.”

The Spinster, which will be run for the 70th time, doubles as a win-and-you’re-in qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Thorpedo Anna won last year’s Distaff, also at Del Mar, en route to Eclipse Awards as horse of the year and champion 3-year-old filly.

D.J. Stable’s Nitrogen, one of the leading contenders for divisional honors among 3-year-old fillies, also arrived at Keeneland on Thursday afternoon. Ahead of her first test against older rivals off a victory in the Alabama (G1), she was on the track Friday morning. José Ortiz will ride her for the ninth race in a row.

A four-time graded-stakes winner on dirt and grass, Nitrogen heads for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on the Del Mar dirt. A return to the turf where she has three graded victories is not on the horizon, but a racing campaign in 2026 is.

“I am not putting her back on the grass at this point,” trainer Mark Casse said Friday morning. “She’s going to run another year.”

Morning line maker Nick Tammaro said in a social-media post Saturday night that there was a typographical error in the original program odds. He said Thorpedo Anna should be 3-5, not 8-5.

The Spinster is the ninth of 10 races Sunday at Keeneland. It is scheduled to start at 5:16 p.m. EDT. The first post is at 1 p.m.