Thorpedo Anna bounces back to win by 3 in Fleur de Lis

Louisville, Ky.

In case anyone had any doubts whether Thorpedo Anna was back to her old form after her victory Saturday at Churchill Downs, she let fly with an emphatic punctuation mark.

After her photo was taken with four rows of connections celebrating her three-length triumph in the Grade 2, $500,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes, the reigning horse of the year cracked the humid air with a kick that struck a metal box mounted against the wall of the winner’s circle.

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No horse, human or equipment was harmed in the making of that loud signal of impatience. Maybe it was her way of saying it was too damn hot outside to endure the 11th such photo op of her career.

“We didn’t train her all that hard into this race, because we felt like that a little earlier in the season, and it’s been so hot,” winning trainer Kenny McPeek said in the sticky, 88-degree heat that was tempered by a brief cloud burst earlier in the afternoon. “We didn’t have any in-company works with her at all. We made her work by herself, but she does that easy enough.”

Thorpedo Anna most certainly was not by herself for most of Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile race for just five older fillies and mares. She and 5-year-old Royal Spa, a winner last out in the Shawnee (G3) at Churchill Downs, were within a half-length of each other around the first turn and all the way up the backstretch. Their 23.43, 47.07 and 1:10.51 fractions, however, were not blistering.

“The good thing about this filly is she’s so tactical and good about everything, and she just kind of sat out there,” jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said. “My biggest concern was going down the backside, she was moving along, and I just kept telling myself just stay out of her way. Just let her travel. If she gets to (Royal Spa) a little earlier than expected, it’s no big deal. Just keep her in a nice, smooth rhythm.”

Flavien Prat pushed Royal Spa to keep up with Thorpedo Anna, but the futility of that mission became apparent as the field turned into the homestretch. Racing one path outside her challenger, the 4-year-old Fast Anna filly nicknamed Grizzly Bear by McPeek drew away through a mile in 1:35.06 on the way to a winning time of 1:48.52 on the fast main track.

“She seemed like she might have got just a tad tired late, but that’s to be expected,” Hernandez said. “She didn’t have much of a run last time.”

Hernandez was referring to a seventh-place flop May 2 in the La Troienne (G1) that marked the only time in 14 races that Thorpedo Anna has failed to finish in the money. Bettors collectively were not concerned about that, since they made Thorpedo Anna the 1-4 favorite Saturday.

McPeek said the performance was so unbecoming of his six-time Grade 1 winner that it was a bit of a mystery on first blush. Hindsight told him she might have had the wind knocked out of her when she got banged around in early traffic last month.

“It was just like, well, what was that?” McPeek said. “But I’m 90% sure that the mugging she took in the first turn was all the reason why she got beat. She kind of bore that idea out today.”

McPeek said the Personal Ensign (G1) on Aug. 23 at Saratoga and then the Spinster (G1) on Oct. 5 at Keeneland still were on the agenda for Thorpedo Anna before she goes to the Breeders’ Cup. Saturday’s race was an automatic qualifier for the Distaff on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Before that, there may be a party in Lexington, Ky., for the 4-year-old filly owned in part by McPeek’s wife Sherri in the name of Magdalena Racing. Last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan also might be there, depending in part on his performance Saturday in the Stephen Foster (G1).

“We may show them off at Magdalena on the evening of the 7th of July,” McPeek said. “We’re probably going to have them out at 5:30, 6 o’clock in the evening on the 7th, because they’re going to get a few days at the farm. And then we’ll probably ship them to Saratoga on the 8th or the 9th.”

Royal Spa (7-2) finished second Saturday, 4 1/4 lengths better than Taxed (14-1). Gin Gin (5-1) came in fourth, and Save Time (20-1) was last.

Thorpedo Anna paid $2.70, $2.28 and $2.10; Royal Spa $2.94 and $2.12; and Taxed $2.82.