By Patrycja Szpyra
It was a dramatic finish, but reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) gamely gave it her all and nosed out her competition to win the GI Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga.
No stranger to being the media's darling as well as the fan's favorite, the 'TDN Rising Star' was most recently the headliner when Hill 'n' Dale announced that they'd acquired a half-interest in a deal which included former NFL player Marshawn Lynch. In the lead up to the race, trainer Kenny McPeek was particularly bullish on her chances, telling Tim Wilkin for the Saratoga Notebook segment that she was as good, if not better, than she was a year ago.
“Every bit. She is as big and strong as she has ever been…[exercise rider Bobby Eversole] was worried to death she was going to run off on him. He just held her together the whole way. When he let her stretch out a bit, then she settled. She is locked and loaded.”
And so it showed here.
Set to the outside of a quickly developing duel as Randomized (Nyquist) and Bernietakescharge (Take Charge Indy) went on to dispute the tempo, she was contention to watch that unfold behind a half in :47.11. With rivals throwing in the towel to her inside after six furlongs in 1:11.27, the daughter of the late Fast Anna took command early on the far turn and had to brace for the looming challenge of Dorth Vader (Girvin) as that one ranged into contention at the head of the lane. Locking horns, the pair distanced themselves from the field and it looked like she might get headed, but the multiple Grade I winner would not be denied as the 3-5 favorite got the bob by the slimmest of margins. It was 9 3/4 lengths back to 'Rising Star' Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief) in third.
Thorpedo Anna is now 12 for 15 in her career, and with this win, stamps her ticket for a return trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November. She was last seen June 28 in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis Stakes, where she rebounded from an uncharacteristically flat effort two back May 2 in the GI La Troienne Stakes. The last time she was at Saratoga, she rattled off a 2024 summer that saw her take home the GI Acorn Stakes and GI CCA Oaks, and just missed running down MGISW Fierceness (City of Light) in last year's GI Travers Stakes.
They call her the grizzly for a reason! 🐻
THORPEDO ANNA digs in to win the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes in a dramatic photo finish under @b_hernandezjr for trainer @KennyMcPeek! pic.twitter.com/ZVNgQ7mCND
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 23, 2025
“She just shows how brave she is,” said McPeek. “I thought George Weaver's filly [No. 4, Dorth Vader] ran fantastic, she ran really the race of her life, but my filly, maybe, Brian [Hernandez, Jr.] seemed to think she got quite tired out of the race, too. I think that will actually lead her into the next one in even better shape. That wasn't as easy as we'd want it to be, but she is a champion. That is why she wins.”
When asked about a next target, McPeek said, “I'm going to cross-nominate to the [GI] Spinster [Oct. 5 at Keeneland] and the Delaware Handicap. There's a chance we could go to Delaware with her, we are going to talk about it, and there's a chance we could go to Keeneland.”
“She did [break alertly]. She put herself in a great spot. She showed what a true champion she was,” said rider Brian Hernandez, Jr.. “…I don't know if she was all out, but it's just the fact of [the matter] in these Grade 1 races–these horses, they keep taking shots at you and you gotta respect them all and today's another version of that. You know, our filly is Horse of the Year, and she showed why she deservingly should be.”
Of the heartbreaking photo which did not go his way, George Waver admits he thought it would go in the other direction. “I actually thought she got her nose down and won. When they threw the photo up and I watched the replay, I thought, 'oh no, we got nosed.'”
“It was a great race. Unfortunately, I'm on the losing end of the photo but all in all, I think Dorth Vader validated her status in this division and we're looking forward to going to the Breeders' Cup. I lost my voice cheering. Thorpedo Anna is a great filly, we almost got her. I'm looking forward to the rematch.”
Pedigree Notes:
Thorpedo Anna was the start of a big day for dam Sataves (Uncle Mo), who not only produced the superstar but also claims GI Travers Stakes runner McAfee (Cloud Computing) to her credit as the 3-year-old younger half-brother to this victress. Since these two, the mare has a yearling filly named After the Storm (Known Agenda) as her last registered offspring. She went to Curlin for 2026 after not catching to Gun Runner for 2025.
Saturday, Saratoga
PERSONAL ENSIGN S.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-23, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:49.18, ft.
1–THORPEDO ANNA, 124, f, 4, by Fast Anna
1st Dam: Sataves, by Uncle Mo
2nd Dam: Pacific Sky, by Stormy Atlantic
3rd Dam: Aldebaran Light, by Seattle Slew
($40,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT). O-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. (J. G. Sikura), Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek), Mark Edwards, and Judy B. Hicks; B-Judy Hicks (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. $275,000. 'TDN Rising Star' Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year & Ch. 3yo filly, 15-12-2-0, $5,408,413. *1/2 to McAfee (Cloud Computing), MGSP, $280,880. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Dorth Vader, 124, m, 5, by Girvin
1st Dam: Hardcore Candy (SP, $101,308), by Yonaguska
2nd Dam: Its a Girl, by Thunder Gulch
3rd Dam: Ladyago, by Northern Dancer
O/B-John Ropes (FL); T-George Weaver. $100,000.
3–Leslie's Rose, 124, f, 4, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Wildwood Rose (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr
3rd Dam: Dial a Trick, by Phone Trick
($1,150,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Whisper Hill Farm LLC; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000. 'TDN Rising Star'
Margins: NO, 9 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.75, 11.10, 3.40.
Also Ran: Raging Sea, Dazzling Move, Randomized, Bernietakescharge.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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