SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Thorpedo Anna cleared her rivals entering the far turn and came to the top of the stretch of Saturday’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga with a 1 1/2-length advantage. She appeared to be cruising in jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.’s hands on her way to what was shaping up to be an authoritative victory for the reigning Horse of the Year.
But Dorth Vader, who had moved into second on the far turn under John Velazquez, wasn’t done. In the stretch, she kept coming, coming, and coming and a jump before the wire Dorth Vader put a nose in front of the champion. But, in the next stride, when the wire came up, it was Thorpedo Anna’s nose in front in what was a stirring renewal of the $500,000 Personal Ensign.
“She just shows how brave she is,” Kenny McPeek, the trainer of Thorpedo Anna, said. “I thought George Weaver’s filly [Dorth Vader] ran fantastic, she ran the race of her life. My filly, Brian seemed to think she got quite tired out of the race too, but that’s going to lead her into the next one even in better shape. I’m just real proud she got it done, it wasn’t as easy as we wanted it to be, but she’s a champion that’s why she wins.”
Thorpedo Anna won for the 12th time from 15 starts. She increased her career purse earnings to $5,408,413. The victory earned Thorpedo Anna a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff – race she won last year – at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
In the Personal Ensign, McPeek felt Thorpedo Anna would benefit from breaking from the outside post. In her one defeat this year, she got bumped on the inside going into the first turn.
Saturday, Thorpedo Anna was an outside stalking third, sitting two lengths off of Randomized and Bernietakescharge, who were dueling through splits of 23.24 seconds and 47.11
Hernandez made a bit of an early move on Thorpedo Anna to join the leading pair 4 1/2 furlongs from home, ultimately edging away from around the far turn. He felt he was in control of the race at that point.
“I didn’t want to get hung out four-wide with that one being a bad horse and somebody sneaking up the inside, so I cleared her off and once she did that she threw her ears up,” Hernandez said. “I gave her a breather around the far turn and when Dorth Vader came to her she gutted it out and showed how great she is.”
McPeek said he told Hernandez in the paddock not to worry if he lost some ground on Thorpedo Anna.
“I gave him instructions. ‘Don’t worry about the loss of ground, you’re going to lose a little ground but I’d rather you did that than get her in behind horses and give her a chance to get stopped and blocked,’ “ McPeek said.
Thorpedo Anna had clear sailing but she had a relentless rival in Dorth Vader, who never stopped, but who just came up short. Dorth Vader, who took a bump on her hind end around the far turn, finished 9 3/4 lengths ahead of Leslie’s Rose. Raging Sea, Dazzling Move, Randomized and Bernietakescharge completed the order of finish.
Thorpedo Anna, a 4-year-old daughter of Fast Anna, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.18 (100 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $3.50 as the favorite. Thorpedo Anna is owned by John Sikura’s Hill n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing, Mark Edwards, and Judy Hicks.
Coming so close to defeating the champion left Weaver with mixed emotions.
“It was a great race, unfortunately, I’m on the losing end of the photo,” Weaver said. “Still, all in all, Dorth Vader validated her status in this division and we’re looking forward to going to the Breeders’ Cup.”
McPeek said Thorpedo Anna mentioned two possible spots for Thorpedo Anna’s next race - the Grade 3, $250,000 Delaware Handicap on Sept. 28 or the Grade 1, $650,000 Spinster at Keeneland on Oct. 5.
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