Reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna will be ridden by reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat in her next start, the Grade 1 Spinster on Oct. 5 at Keeneland. Meanwhile, her classic-winning stablemate, Mystik Dan, is still awaiting a rider assignment for this weekend's Grade 2 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs.
The regular rider of both 4-year-olds is Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode them to victory in the 2024 Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, respectively, last year for trainer Kenny McPeek. Hernandez sustained seven fractured ribs, a punctured lung, and a liver laceration in a spill Sunday at Churchill. He underwent surgery to plate three of the seven ribs on Tuesday at the University of Louisville Hospital.
Hernandez has been aboard champion Thorpedo Anna for all 15 of her career starts, most recently the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 23, her seventh career Grade 1 win. She is the defending winner of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, this year set for Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
“Thorpedo Anna is going to be ridden by Flavien Prat,” McPeek told FanDuel at Churchill Downs Wednesday. “He’s going to ride her Spinster-Distaff, if everything goes right. Outside chance she’d go to the Classic, but I think it’s doubtful.”
Meanwhile, Mystik Dan's replacement rider for the Lukas Classic, as well as a potential Breeders’ Cup tilt, has not been finalized.
“The decision is going to be the morning of," said McPeek. "I’m going to see if anybody scratches out of the Lukas and if there’s any options there. Then, more than likely, Francisco Arrieta is going to ride him if [no one] scratches out. There’s some riders that I’m interested in a two-race commitment to come back in the Breeders’ Cup. Mystik Dan will be a call at the line of scrimmage at scratch time.”
Arrieta is one of just two riders, outside of Hernandez, to be aboard Mystik Dan in his 15 career starts. Julien Leparoux rode the colt to a fifth in the 2024 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn. Leparoux is named aboard Rattle N Roll, also trained by McPeek, in the Lukas Classic.
With both Hernandez and Leparoux riding in this year’s Kentucky Derby, Arrieta was aboard Mystik Dan in May at Oaklawn Park, finishing second by a nose to Saudi Crown in the Lake Ouachita Stakes.
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