Fast Anna

If you didn't know the sophisticated people behind the mating, you might imagine that Puca went to Good Magic on no better premise than to double down on the alchemy implicit in both names. Because a puca (or pooka) in folklore is a shape-changing sprite, capable of bringing good or bad fortune. Shakespeare named Puck accordingly in A Midsummer Night's Dream, but my favourite example is Elwood P. Dowd's invisible drinking buddy Harvey, a rabbit standing just under six feet four inches. Perhaps you've noticed his silhouette at Harvey's Bar...

'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) continued her assault on the sophomore fillies division with a spectacular 4 1/2-length victory over Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) in Saturday's GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. But it was not all smooth sailing for the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Acorn Stakes heroine. Off as the 1-4 favorite while facing four rivals here, she hopped at the start and subsequently hit the gate and immediately trailed the quartet. She rushed up beneath Brian Hernandez, Jr., however, and was quickly in a...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Minutes after trainer Kenny McPeek signed the $40,000 purchase ticket for a yearling filly sired by Fast Anna (Medaglia d'Oro) he told its breeder, Judy Hicks, that he would earn $1 million with her. Turns out that McPeek was right with his bold prediction about his now 3-year-old star, who was eventually named Thorpedo Anna. With five wins and a second in six career starts, the daughter of the Uncle Mo mare Sataves, has already earned $1,705,663. Most of that purse money came from victories in...

Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), the champion of the GI Kentucky Oaks, returned to the Churchill Downs work tab Thursday with a half-mile breeze in :48 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. in the saddle, according to a track press release. Owned by Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing, the filly began her training session soon after the track opened at 5:30 a.m. ET. Clocker John Nichols reported that the Kenny McPeek trainee covered an opening quarter-mile in :24 and continued her work past the wire, galloping out five...

Before anything else, first and foremost we need to acknowledge the unfathomable legacy of Darling My Darling (Deputy Minister) as second dam of both colts denied in an agonizing three-way finish to the GI Kentucky Derby. The odds of that coincidence, for all her elite blood and performance, are best be left to an actuary. In the meantime, however, we should salvage the contrasting narratives aptly condensed, in what remains the definitive test of the American Thoroughbred, by her two grandsons. For our collective obsession with first place is such...

Trainer Ken McPeek is considering the GI Preakness S. for Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), who came out of the race in fine shape. "She left a little bit of grain last night, about half a scoop, but it's nothing to be worried about," McPeek said. "It's something we watch regularly, and she typically eats up every night. She's tired. She ran hard." He continued, "We're gonna look at the Preakness, but she's gonna have to show us in the next three or four days. We'll...

LOUISVILLE, KY -- All week, trainer Kenny McPeek had been telling the media, 'they better bring a bear because I have a grizzly.' Many would have thought that McPeek, sometimes regarded as a master of hyperbole, was overstating his chances. It turns out he wasn't. Armed with plenty of natural speed, Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) lived up to her name by scampering to a three-length victory over last year's champion juvenile filly Just F Y I (Justify) in...

'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (f, 3, Fast Anna--Sataves, by Uncle Mo), off since a second Nov. 25 in the GII Golden Rod S., shook off any cobwebs with aplomb to notch a four-length score in the GII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn under a hand ride Saturday. West Omaha (West Coast) and Tapit Jenallie (Tapit), who filled out the trifecta in the reverse order behind Lemon Muffin (Collected)--seventh here--in the Feb. 24 GIII Honeybee S., finished second and third, respectively. The Fantasy is a Kentucky Oaks points race on a...

Intricate (Gun Runner), a last out maiden winner going two turns at Keeneland Oct. 13, picked up 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with a sensational score in Saturday's GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill Downs. It was 5 1/4 lengths back to favored 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in second. Central Avenue (Street Sense), second behind unbeaten GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Just F Y I (Justify) in the GI Frizette S., was third. "She's a very easy filly to train and does...

Brookdale Racing and Mark Edwards's Thorpedo Anna (f, 2, Fast Anna--Sataves, by Uncle Mo) proved that her wide-margin debut success in a sales price-restricted Keeneland maiden Oct. 26 was no fluke, backing up that performance with an even bigger one Friday at Churchill en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Tightening from even money to jump at exactly 2-5, the $40,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling switched off beautifully and settled in a three-wide third behind fractions of :23.22 and :46.74. Slipped a bit of rein at the three-eighths, Thorpedo Anna loomed...

6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $24,000, Msw, 2-19, 3yo, 1mT, 1:36.33, fm, 1 1/4 lengths. SILVER PEAK (c, 3, Quality Road--Dreamologist {GSW, $203,710}, by Tapit) debuted over the synthetic track at Woodbine Nov. 13 and got up to be second when traveling 6 1/2 furlongs. Given the stretch out and the change of surface Sunday, the gray jumped from the blocks as the narrow 7-5 second choice and dove to the front to lead narrowly into the first turn. Showing the way through opening fractions of :23.63 and :48.85, Silver Peak held...

Grade I-placed sprinter and Three Chimneys stallion Fast Anna (Medaglia d'Oro--Dreaming of Anna, by Rahy) has been euthanized due to complications from laminitis, Three Chimneys announced late Monday. "It is with much sadness that we report that Fast Anna was euthanized today due to complications from a month-long battle with laminitis," said Tom Hamm, Director of Nomination and Sales at Three Chimneys. The bay, who entered stud in 2016, was runner-up in the 2014 GI King's Bishop stakes and earned $296,731 with a record of 9/3-2--2 in his racing career....