In a race many thought was for second-place, it was Raging Sea (Curlin–Stormy Welcome, by Storm Cat) who stepped up to play the spoiler in her 2025 bow and claim the GI La Troienne Stakes as the 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) faded to last in the lane.
Content to watch the action unfold in fifth as her stablemate Randomized (Nyquist) went loose on the lead by way of traffic behind her, Raging Sea was spared a lot of the inside drama when Dorth Vader (Girvin) rushed up and knocked 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna away from the rail. The two-time champion was bounced around like a pinball going into the first turn, but seemed to recover from a spot on the outside stalking the pace.
Raging Sea, who only had two horses beaten entering the far bend as the field closed ranks, was always poised to strike behind the :23.50, :47.22, and 1:11.38 splits as they swung through it for home. The looming danger as she rallied from a ground saving spot to overtake the tiring Thorpedo Anna, she got first jump on hard-charging Taxed (Collected) to her outside to win by three-quarters of a length despite swapping back to the wrong lead in the final strides. Randomized held on for third while Dorth Vader came in fourth.
After the race, an objection was lodged by Johnny Velazquez on Dorth Vader against the third place finisher, but the stewards dismissed it and no changes were made to the running order.
“I was really looking forward to a little bit of a rematch [from the Breeders' Cup Distaff] and I was happy that she was able to get up there,” said Chad Brown. “She's really etched her own solid career and not just a one off sort of horse–so consistency over many years now, all the way back her 2-year-old year. She's really turned into a solid, solid horse that everyone needs to respect.”
“The pace was slower than we anticipated but Flavien [Prat] did a nice job keeping her in striking distance and responded really well down the stretch.”
Runner-up Taxed's trainer Randy Morse could not have been prouder of his grey, saying, “She ran unbelievable. I'm so proud of her. I thought we were going to get there.”
Of course, all eyes were on Thorpedo Anna as she faded to last but jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. didn't believe it was the incident around the first turn which ultimately got to her.
“She got bounced around a little [on] the first turn, but then after that, it all cleared up. We hopped outside of Randomized and we were having a nice smooth trip from that point, and then at the second turn, when I asked her to go after Randomized, she picked it up a little. Then down the lane, she was just a little tired, and maybe the last race over there at Oaklawn [GI Apple Blossom], coming back quick today, it took a little steam out of her.”
Trainer Kenny McPeek wasn't entirely of the same mind after the race, saying, “It looks like they beat her up going into the first turn. I don't know what that was about. I'm shocked like the rest of us.”
In a follow up on X, McPeek tweeted “Thorpedo Anna cooling out in the test barn. Nothing obvious at this time. We will need to clean her up and go over her tomorrow morning to get some clarity. The bumper cars in the first turn concern me and hopefully she didn't get injured long term. Obviously, we are disappointed. I will let her fans know if we find anything.”
Raging Sea wins the G1 La Troienne off the layoff, defeating Thorpedo Anna! 🌊
Chad Brown trains with Flavien Prat in the saddle! 🏇
🎥TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/vuJ9M81UFT
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 2, 2025
Pedigree Note:
Raging Sea hails from a Classic family as the granddaughter of GSW Welcome Surprise (Seeking the Gold), a half-sister to the late great Horse of the Year A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew), through dam Stormy Welcome (Storm Cat). Of her half-siblings, the victress claims MSP Welcoming (Tapit), herself dam of MSP Reconcile (War Front), and a fleet of winners. Said second dam is also the granddam of GSW Guest Suite (Quality Road) via Guest House (Ghostzapper). Stormy Welcome's most recent of racing age is a juvenile filly by City of Light. She was barren in 2024 after a trip to Curlin, but produce a full-sister to Raging Sea this year.
The pedigree explodes beneath the third dam Weekend Surprise (Secretariat) as that multiple graded winner lays claim to a veritable roll call of quality horses–some of whom would become the best the racing industry has known. In addition to the multiple leading sire and broodmare sire, she produced his half-brother Summer Squall (Storm Bird)–a GI Preakness winner who also went on to a noteworthy stallion career, and SW & GSP Eavesdropper (Kingmambo), yet another sire.
Her daughters include A.P. Indy's full-sister GISP Weekend in Seattle, who would claim her own Grade I branch of the family as the dam of SW & GISP Mambo in Seattle (Kingmambo). His half-sister Seattle Sunset (Belong to Me) would be exported to Japan and produce GSW Stay in Seattle (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) while another sister would earn her fame via her son, MGSW & GISP Sky Kingdom (Empire Maker).
This is the immediate female family of MGISW Court Vision (Gulch) and the extended family of Canadian champion MGSW Moonlit Promise (Malibu Moon) and GISW Happy Saver (Super Saver).
Friday, Churchill Downs
FASIG-TIPTON LA TROIENNE S.-GI, $992,000, Churchill Downs, 5-2, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:42.91, ft.
1–RAGING SEA, 123, m, 5, by Curlin
1st Dam: Stormy Welcome, by Storm Cat
2nd Dam: Welcome Surprise, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Weekend Surprise, by Secretariat
($300,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). O/B-Alpha Delta Stables LLC (KY); T-Chad C Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $606,840. Lifetime Record: 14-8-2-1, $2,145,318. *1/2 to Welcoming (Tapit), MSP, $179,812. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Taxed, 123, m, 5, by Collected
1st Dam: Yankee Union (MSP, $164,064), by Yankee Gentleman
2nd Dam: A Touch of Romance, by El Prado (Ire)
3rd Dam: Dance Account, by Private Account
1ST G1 BLACK-TYPE. ($27,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $105,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Richard Bahde; B-Brereton C Jones (KY); T-Randy L Morse. $196,400.
3–Randomized, 123, m, 5, by Nyquist
1st Dam: French Passport, by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Air France, by French Deputy
3rd Dam: Twin Propeller, by Known Fact
($420,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables Inc.; B-Cove Springs LLC (KY); T-Chad C Brown. $98,200.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 3/4. Odds: 4.04, 31.35, 6.46.
Also Ran: Dorth Vader, Free Like a Girl, Literate, Thorpedo Anna.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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