LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – After an uncharacteristically flat performance Sunday at Keeneland, reigning horse of the year Thorpedo Anna’s future is in doubt.
The 4-year-old filly finished fourth out of five runners as the 1-2 favorite in the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes, beaten 8 1/2 lengths by longshot winner Gin Gin. It marked just the second time in 16 career starts that Thorpedo Anna failed to hit the board.
Sunday’s race was expected to serve as her final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 1 at Del Mar in California — a race she won in 2024 on the way to 'Horse of the Year' honors. But her finish now casts serious doubt on whether she’ll make that trip.
Trainer Kenny McPeek, posting a video update on social media, said he wasn’t ready to make a decision — or any excuses. He did tell the filly’s fans that they could “rest easy” about her health.
“If this is going to happen — if she’s going to run a poor race or fall off form — the best time for it to happen is this time of year,” McPeek said. “We are going to contemplate next steps, and we're not going to get in any hurry. The notion that she's going to go to California is probably the least of our worries right now. We're going to make sure that she's healthy … and if it's her last race, it's her last race.”
McPeek said the filly came back fine physically and scoped clean after the race. He noted there was some indication she might have experienced a mild case of “the thumps” — an electrolyte imbalance that can affect performance — but bloodwork will be taken to follow up.
“She’s fine,” McPeek said. “We got her back to the barn. My team’s taking good care of her right now.”
Sunday’s race was also her first without regular jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who is recovering from injuries suffered in a spill at Churchill Downs last month. Flavien Prat picked up the mount.
A daughter of Fast Anna bred in Kentucky by Judy Hicks, Thorpedo Anna is co-owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Magdalena Racing, Mark Edwards, and Hicks. She was named both 2024 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly after a campaign in which she won six of seven starts, including the Kentucky Oaks. Her only loss was against the boys, a close runner-up finish to Fierceness in the Travers Stakes.
In 2025, she has won four of seven starts, including Grade 1 victories in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn and the Personal Ensign at Saratoga.
McPeek said regardless of what comes next — a Breeders’ Cup start or potential retirement — Thorpedo Anna has already left her mark.
“I've used the analogy many times in my career that horses are like surfing, and you're trying to catch a big, wave,” McPeek said. “And this filly's been the most amazing wave I've ever been on. She's loved by everybody. … We’re all very, very proud of her.”
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