Oaklawn: Thorpedo Anna wins Fantasy; Frosted Grace takes Mile

Thorpedo Anna stamped herself a major Kentucky Oaks player with a powerful victory in the Grade 2, $750,000 Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies racing Saturday at Oaklawn.

Making her 2024 debut, delayed because of a minor hip issue, Thorpedo Anna rolled home by four lengths under Brian Hernandez Jr. West Omaha finished second, 3 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place Tapit Jenallie.

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“She was loaded,” winning trainer Kenny McPeek said. “She was ready to run. Even at feed time yesterday she was on her toes. I was worried about her getting nervous. Will definitely have to school her at Churchill. Mystik Dan has had to look her in the eye in their last few breezes. She’s given him everything he could handle. She’s a serious (Kentucky Oaks) contender.”

Thorpedo Anna ($7.40). collected 100 qualifying points and clinched a place in the May 3 Kentucky Oaks (G1) with the victory, her third in four lifetime starts. She won her first two starts last fall in Kentucky, but she was unraced since a runner-up finish in the Golden Rod (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs. The Golden Rod was her two-turn debut.

Although she broke from the extreme outside in post 10 in the Fantasy, Thorpedo Anna was able to secure a forward position and raced just off the lead up the backstretch. The daughter of Fast Anna, in hand, took the lead on the outside on the second turn and was three lengths clear in mid-stretch.

Racing over a fast track, Thorpedo Anna covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.24.

Tapit Jenallie was followed, in order, by All Things Go, Recharge, Ba Dee Yah, Lemon Muffin, My Mane Squeeze, Candy Aisle and In Just My Heels. My Mane Squeeze, the slight 2-1 favorite over Thorpedo Anna, was never a factor after being unruly in the gate prior to the start. Midshipman’s Dance and Where’s My Ring were scratched.

Thorpedo Anna, co-owned by McPeek’s wife Sherri has a 4: 3-1-0 record and lifetime earnings of $584,363.

New millionaire wins Oaklawn Mile

Trainer Mike Maker is now a two-time Oaklawn Mile (G3) winner. Frosted Grace is now a millionaire.

Flying P Stable’s Frosted Grace collared front-running Silver Prospector on the outside in the upper stretch en route to a 1 1/2-length victory in the $500,000 race for older horses.

The Oaklawn Mile marked the first start for Frosted Grace since owner Jason Provenzano’s Flying P Stable moved the 8-year-old son of Mark Valeski from trainer Robertino Diodoro to Maker, who won the inaugural Oaklawn Mile in 2019 with Exulting. Frosted Grace had not run since a victory over $62,500 claimers Jan. 13 at Oaklawn.

Ridden again by Ramon Vázquez, Frosted Grace ($14.40) stalked Silver Prospector and Last Samurai through a 46.84-second half-mile. Frosted Grace stuck his head in front with a sixteenth of a mile remaining and edged clear under steady urging.

Silver Prospector, a millionaire, multiple graded-stakes winner, finished second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Nautical Star. Denington, who finished fourth, was followed, in order, by 8-5 favorite Midnight Rising and Last Samurai, another millionaire, multiple graded-stakes winner. Logical Myth and Necker Island were scratched.

Carrying 117 pounds, seven fewer than Silver Prospector, Frosted Grace ran the mile over a fast track in 1:36.61.

Frosted Grace has a 46: 11-14-7 record and earnings of $1,113,562. It was the second graded-stakes victory for Frosted Grace, who captured the Steve Sexton Mile (G3) in May at Lone Star Park.