By Bill Finley
In an effort to find out why 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) ran so poorly in the GI Fasig-Tipton La Troienne S. Friday at Churchill Downs, trainer Kenny McPeek sent her to be examined by Dr. Larry Bramlage at the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. Thorpedo Anna finished seventh and last. Coming into the race she had never been worse than second.
According to McPeek, Bramlage could not find anything wrong with the 4-year-old filly.
“At this point, she has a clean bill of health,” McPeek said.
As to why she ran so poorly, McPeek has come up with a theory of his own. Entering the first turn Thorpedo Anna was squeezed and bumped between Dorth Vader (Girvin) on the inside and Randomized (Nyquist) on the outside. McPeek believes that's where she lost the race.
“The only thing we can figure is… people who watched the race from the first turn said that when they squeezed her that there was a lot of noise, that she got hit pretty hard,” McPeek said. “The only thing I can figure is maybe they knocked the breath out of her. I thought the five horse (Randomized) really didn't keep her lane. I really don't understand why the stewards didn't look at that. She crossed over on her. I thought it was pretty ugly. That's the only excuse that I have. That first turn incident was a little worse than it looked. It was a bit of a shocker. Did I ever think she'd be last? No way. No way.”
McPeek said he won't be in any hurry to get Thorpedo Anna back to the races.
“I would say you won't see her back at the races for seven, eight weeks,” he said. “We'll look at the Fleur de Lis or something in New York. We'll ease her back into things.”
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