Coming off a performance that blemished only her record, not her reputation, Thorpedo Anna looks to start a new winning streak when she gets back in with 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx.
Having already won three Grade 1 stakes against her own age and gender in the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn, and Coaching Club American Oaks, Thorpedo Anna took on 3-year-old males in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers four weeks ago in Saratoga. She came up just a head short of Fierceness, the 2-year-old champion of 2023 and arguably the leader of this year’s male 3-year-old division.
“The winner ran huge. He was the best horse, he ran more ground than we did,” said Kenny McPeek, the trainer of Thorpedo Anna. “It’s just the way the ball bounced, but I’m still proud of her. I don’t think she lost anything in defeat. I think she gained points with people.”
From a speed-figure perspective, the Travers was Thorpedo Anna’s fastest race. Her 111 Beyer Speed Figure was a career high and equals the highest figure earned by any horse on dirt this year.
McPeek does not seem too concerned about a regression, or bounce, four weeks later in the Cotillion.
“What’s wrong with people, a horse can’t run once a month?” McPeek said. “She loves to work, she loves to train. If I don’t run her, then I’m 10 weeks to the Breeders’ Cup. I don’t want that.”
McPeek is using the Cotillion as a bridge to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar on Nov. 2. The Cotillion represents a cutback from 1 1/4 miles to 1 1/16 miles, but Thorpedo Anna kicked off her 3-year-old campaign with a four-length victory in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes at that distance.
Thorpedo Anna, who breaks from post 6 in this eight-horse field, is the co-highweight at 126 pounds along with Power Squeeze, conceding two to six pounds to the rest of the field.
Power Squeeze is 5 for 7 this year, including recent victories in the Delaware Oaks by a nose over Sidamara and the Alabama by a head over Candied.
While many may be conceding the Cotillion to Thorpedo Anna, Jorge Delgado, trainer of Power Squeeze, is not.
“People think it’s a giveaway, it won’t be like that, it’ll be a horse race,” Delgago said. “Matter of fact, in my mind, I feel like a 4-5 shot not 4-1, that’s only me, I have to feel that way. We feel very confident. My exercise rider is very happy with the way she’s training, my groom is very happy with the way she’s acting, and my assistant is really excited about the race.”
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Irad Ortiz Jr. takes the mount for the injured Javier Castellano. Power Squeeze breaks from the rail.
Sidamara was beaten a nose by Power Squeeze in the Delaware Oaks, a race in which Power Squeeze got the jump on Sidamara, who found herself behind horses.
“We had to wait and come around,” said Bill Mott, trainer of Sidamara. “With a different trip, she could have been a possible winner. We got beat a head for the whole thing.”
Sidamara missed the Alabama due to a fever.
While Mott said that Thorpedo Anna could be the best 3-year-old in the country, “girl or boy,” he does wonder if her strong campaign catches up to her at some point.
“She’s been running a lot,” Mott said.
Tarifa had a busy winter campaign winning two stakes at Fair Grounds before finishing ninth in the Kentucky Oaks, 18 lengths behind Thorpedo Anna. After a break, Tarifa returned to finish second to Fibber in the Audubon Oaks, a one-turn, seven-furlong race at Ellis Park on Aug. 11.
“I do like her last race a lot,” trainer Brad Cox said. “We were trying to get a run into her with the thought of trying to get to the Cotillion. She was a little tired after the [Kentucky] Oaks and physically it looks like she developed through the summer.”
Mystic Lake enters the Cotillion off a 5 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks. While that race was at seven furlongs, it was run around two turns. Her only previous race at 1 1/16 miles came over synthetic where she finished third in the Mazarine Stakes last November.
“You don’t know if she wants to go that far distance-wise,” trainer Saffie Joseph said. “The race she ran at Charles Town gives you some kind of confidence. We know she’s better on dirt. Even if she handles the distance, she still has to face Thorpedo Anna.”
Gun Song, trained by Mark Hennig, won the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan and, most recently, the Cathryn Sophia, which is the local prep for the Cotillion. Scalable, trained by Todd Pletcher has won two straight, including a three-quarter-length victory over Gun Song in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks.
Everland, beaten 12 lengths by Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks, ran a decent race on the dirt last out in allowance company at Ellis Park. Though cross-entered in Saturday’s Seneca Stakes at Churchill Downs, trainer Eric Foster said Everland will run at Parx.
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