Thorpedo Anna goes wire-to-wire in 150th Kentucky Oaks for Lexington trainer Kenny McPeek

Thorpedo Anna went wire-to-wire to top a group of 14 fillies to win a historic 150th edition of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday evening at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

The Oaks — a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies that is run the day before the Kentucky Derby at Churchill — was contested over a sloppy track after a day that was filled with rain and overcast skies. A downpour opened up over Churchill Downs just moments after the Oaks concluded.

Rain is also likely in the cards for Saturday’s 150th running of the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby.

Lexington-based trainer Kenny McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. now both own a Kentucky Oaks victory following Thorpedo Anna’s triumph.

McPeek had previously finished second on three occasions in the Oaks with Swiss Skydiver in 2020, Daddys Lil Darling in 2017 and Take Charge Lady in 2002.

Thorpedo Anna, who had 4-1 odds at post time, broke from post 5 and led the whole way in her Oaks triumph. She drew well clear of the field during the stretch run after being part of a three-wide pack in the turn for home. She now has four wins in five career starts.

She ran the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:50.83 over the sloppy track. Race-time favorite Just F Y I was 4 3/4 lengths back in second. Regulatory Risk ran third, another 3 lengths behind. Ways and Means was fourth and Everland fifth. The rest of the finish, in order: Power Squeeze, Into Champagne, Lemon Muffin, Tarifa, Where’s My Ring, Our Pretty Woman, Gin Gin, Leslie’s Rose, Fiona’s Magic.

Hernandez described the closing moments of the race as a “magical moment” that he was able to enjoy given the lead Thorpedo Anna had over the field.

“It worked out kind of the way we thought it would,” Hernandez said post-race. “Kenny and I had talked about the race a few times over the last few days. It looked like there was no speed to our inside (Gin Gin, Where’s My Ring and Regulatory Risk). So we thought we’d let her run under the wire first time to get good position, which she did.”

“From there, she’s just such a naturally talented filly. ... She was just doing it with her ears up and cruising along.”

“I was pretty calm through it all,” added McPeek, the trainer, who was previously 0-for-14 with Kentucky Oaks starters.

Earlier this week, McPeek raised some eyebrows with a boastful comment he made about Thorpedo Anna’s chances in the Oaks.

“They better bring a bear because I’m bringing a grizzly,” McPeek said of Thorpedo Anna in contrast to the Oaks field.

How does he now feel about finally breaking through with a winner in the Kentucky Oaks?

“We work our tail off, and the seconds were a little frustrating,” McPeek said. “... You work at it and you work at it, and you try to figure out what kind of formula it’s going to take to come up with a horse who can win races like these. It’s come together today.”

The fractions from the Kentucky Oaks included running a quarter of a mile in 22.87 seconds, a half-mile in 46.79 seconds, three-fourths of a mile in 1:11.75 and a full mile in 1:37.42.

“Good horses make our job easy,” said McPeek when asked about the fast fractions over the sloppy track.

McPeek downplayed the idea of Thorpedo Anna potentially running in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, on May 18. But, he also acknowledged there’s not a ton of racing options for 3-year-old fillies and that he would consult Thorpedo Anna’s ownership about the horse’s next step.

McPeek won the Preakness in 2020 with a filly, Swiss Skydiver. Thorpedo Anna wasn’t nominated to the Triple Crown.

Ultimately, McPeek said he wants to point Thorpedo Anna toward the Alabama Stakes, which will have its 144th running on Aug. 17.

Sired by Fast Anna and with Sataves as her dam, Thorpedo Anna was given 5-1 morning-line odds following last weekend’s post-position draw, before being bet down to 4-1 odds at post time.

A dark bay/brown horse, Thorpedo Anna is owned by Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy B. Hicks, and Magdalena Racing and was bred by Judy Hicks.

“She was always a tyrant at the farm,” Hicks said of her homebred Thorpedo Anna, who now owns a garland of lilies for her winning efforts.

Thorpedo Anna entered the Oaks with career earnings of $584,363, an amount that substantially increased following her big win, which was worth $846,300 to the winner.

Prior to the Kentucky Oaks, Thorpedo Anna ran second in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes last November at Churchill Downs. She won her 2024 debut in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes in late March at Oaklawn Park.

Thorpedo Anna also broke her maiden at Churchill Downs last November in an allowance optional claiming race.

The McPeek-Hernandez tandem has been together for several years now, and both men were complimentary of one another during a celebratory post-race press conference.

“We had success early on and we’ve had success since,” Hernandez said, adding that he’s been riding for McPeek for seven or eight years. “The nice thing about riding for Kenny is, he and the team they do such a. good job getting these horses ready, and preparing them. ... I think my riding style kind of fits what his training style is well.”

The McPeek-Hernandez pairing will be back again in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan, who will leave from post 3. Mystik Dan is one of six horses in the 20-horse Derby field who has previously won on an off-track.

What is the key to pulling off an Oaks-Derby double with Mystik Dan?

“That horse is doing really good,” McPeek said of Mystik Dan. “... Looks like we’re going to get a rail trip. And he’s shown he can run from the inside. ... Look, I think we can pull this thing off.”

The Oaks was the 11th race run as part of a 13-race card at Churchill Downs on Friday. Reported attendance for Oaks Day at Churchill Downs was 107,236, a slight increase over last year’s crowd of 106,381 people.

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