Thorpedo Anna, the 2024 Horse of the Year fondly known as "The Grizzly" by her connections and fans, has been retired, and a 20 percent interest in her as a broodmare prospect will be offered at the Keeneland Championship Sale the week of the Breeders’ Cup.
The announcement was not unexpected, as Thorpedo Anna finished fourth, seemingly with no excuses, in the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes on Oct. 5 at Keeneland, and the week afterward, trainer Kenny McPeek strongly hinted that she had run her last race. The 4-year-old daughter of Fast Anna underwent an extensive battery of tests, including a scope, bloodwork, and bone scans, to determine her physical state following the race. The only detection was some bone bruising, commonly a minor issue horses can return from. Dr. Larry Bramlage advised giving Thorpedo Anna time off evaluating her for a return to training. Given the timing, the decision was made not to pursue that route.
“For everybody out there that’s worried about her, you can rest at ease. She’s fine.” McPeek said in a release. “She has been examined by several veterinarians. Dr. Bramlage of Rood and Riddle found some very mild bone bruising which is consistent with horses in work at her level, and she could go back to training in 90 days, but we have opted to retire her.”
Thorpedo Anna finishes her career with 12 wins and two seconds from 16 starts, and earnings of $5,440,913. She was ridden in all her starts, save her last, by Brian Hernandez Jr. With Hernandez sidelined by injuries, Flavien Prat rode her in the Spinster.
Along with signature wins in the 2024 Kentucky Oaks and Breeders' Cup Distaff, she won eight other graded stakes. Those include Grade 1 triumphs in the 2024 Acorn, Coaching Club American Oaks, and Cotillion, and this year's Apple Blossom and Personal Ensign. Facing males, she was also a game second to fellow Eclipse Award champion Fierceness in the 2024 Travers, an effort that helped lift her to her own titles.
Thorpedo Anna was campaigned for the majority of her career by Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, McPeek family's Magdalena Racing, and breeder Judy Hicks. The latter raised Thorpedo Anna's dam, the Uncle Mo mare Sataves, following a premature birth, and liked this foal of the mare's so much that she approached McPeek about coming back for a minority interest after he purchased her for a modest $40,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale.
In August, it was announced that John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm had purchased Brookdale's majority interest in Thorpedo Anna - presumably with an eye toward adding her to its strong commercial broodmare band. Hill ‘n’ Dale, Magdalena, and Hicks had all previously publicly discussed intentions to remain involved in her broodmare career, and Edwards’s share will be publicly offered at auction.
The Keeneland Championship Sale was inaugurated last year, with the intent of offering curated, elite stock or shares in horses, particularly those with connections to the Breeders' Cup, the week of the races in a party-like atmosphere. This year’s sale is set for the evening of Oct. 29 in the Del Mar paddock. Horses are offered remotely, meaning Thorpedo Anna will not have to travel to the sale.
“It’s an incredible privilege to offer an interest in reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna at the Championship Sale,” Keeneland president Shannon Arvin said in the release. “Her brilliance on the track has captured the imagination of fans everywhere. Buyers now have an extraordinary opportunity to share in her future as a broodmare.”
Thorpedo Anna is currently getting some downtime at McPeek's Magdalena Farm in Lexington, and he shared a video of her enjoying grazing time - and peppermints - with turnout partner Cooper on a sunny fall day this week. She will call Hill ‘n’ Dale in Paris, Ky., her home as a broodmare.
“As a racehorse, Thorpedo Anna is one of the most accomplished fillies in history and has been an exciting horse to watch” Hill ‘n’ Dale’s John Sikura said. “Everyone at Hill ‘n’ Dale looks forward to being a part of her next chapter as a top broodmare.”
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