Anna's Bandit Steals Show as Winningest Horse of 2019

John Robb describes Anna's Bandit as being quiet as a cow around his barn, but when she's tacked up and ready to roll—look out.

"When she goes to the racetrack, it's a different story" is the way her trainer puts it.

The story had nine happy endings in 11 starts in 2019 for Anna's Bandit, who earned $401,830 for the No Guts No Glory Farm of Gina Rosenthal. Her mare is turning 6 in 2020 on a streak of six straight wins dating back to an allowance score at Laurel Park in August.

"It takes a certain kind of horse to do something like that, and every win builds confidence," Robb said. "She thinks she can beat the world right now."

As a daughter of a Maryland stallion who was foaled in West Virginia, the world of Anna's Bandit ranges back and forth between her home base at Laurel and the opportunities afforded just across the state line. Her biggest score of the year came in the $157,500 West Virginia Cavada Breeders' Classic Stakes Oct. 12 at Charles Town. One week later she took the $101,000 Maryland Million Distaff at Laurel. Both were seven-furlong events.

Robb bred Anna's Bandit from a mating of Great Notion , a son of Elusive Quality out of the Dayjur mare Evening Primrose, with his mare Onearmedbandit, a daughter of the Unbridled stallion No Armistice out of the Polish Numbers mare Court Tour.

Great Notion won the 2003 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park and was second in the subsequent Rebel Stakes (G2). His finest hour might have been his close second to Valid Video later that year in the King's Bishop Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. The third horse in the photo was Ghostzapper .

"I had the first test crop runner from Great Notion, named Great Love, and I did well with him," Robb said. "The mare I bought out of a sale and did well with her, too. She had a few problems and had to retire early, but she could really run."

Anna's Bandit began her 2019 campaign on Jan. 10 at Laurel with a five-length cruise in an optional claimer. Two months later she resurfaced to win the Conniver Stakes, also at Laurel, followed by the Original Gold Stakes at Charles Town.

At that point, Robb was inspired to try Anna's Bandit in open company, but she could do no better than fourth in the listed Skipat Stakes at Laurel May 17. Still playing with house money, Robb decided to tap into the mare's earlier turf form in the Jameela Stakes, again at Laurel. The result was another fourth. She has not lost since.

Of all her 2019 wins, Robb was most impressed with number nine in the Politely Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 7.

"They had her boxed in all the way to the sixteenth pole," Robb said. "It looked like there was no way she could win."

But she did, by one length over Majestic Reason, who came right back to win the Willa on the Move Stakes Dec. 28.

Anna's Bandit enters 2020 with a career record of 16 wins in 32 starts and earnings of just over $700,000. Robb is looking forward to another productive campaign, commencing in late January.

"She loves to train," Robb said. "Every day except Sundays."

Even New Year's Day?

"Oh yeah," the trainer replied. "She'll be out there."

Nine was the magic number in 2019. Four other North American horses hit that mark, although they earned considerably less than Anna's Bandit.

Heavens Whisper is a gray filly by Sunday Silence's son Hat Trick out of a Smoke Glacken mare. She began the season as a 4-year-old maiden, then proceeded to win nine of 14 starts from January at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots through mid-December at Remington Park. Heavens Whisper went from the barn of Louie Roussel to Lee Rossi, Steven Asmussen, and Karl Broberg before she was claimed for $6,250 at Oaklawn Park by trainer Federico Villafranco, for whom she won six of her nine and most of her $137,146 2019 bankroll.

This spotlight could have belonged to Phonemyposseagain alone had he not been disqualified from a 10th win last May at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort. The son of Posse out of a Phone Trick mare was dropped from first to second after hitting the wire a nose to the good of the runner-up in a 4 1/2-furlong optional claimer. Even so, the gelding enters 2020 on a seven-race win streak in 2019 for trainer Kevin Patterson and owner R.L. Cole, Jr. after banking $103,612.

Timely Prize, a gelded son of Pure Prize out of a mare by Slew City Slew, did not get rolling into his 7-year-old campaign until July. He knocked out six wins at Century Mile and Century Downs in Calgary. Then, when the weather turned, he took his game south to Turf Paradise and wrapped up the year winning three straight. He earned $49,060 the hard way.

Finally, give a nine-win nod to Frosty Star, a daughter of Prospective out of a Trippi mare who made her mark last year by winning nine of 10 starts at Hipodromo Camarero in Puerto Rico in her first season of competition. No one is suggesting that Frosty Star is the second coming of island legends Bold Forbes or Mister Frisky. But the fact that there is a place for the filly to strut her stuff at all is nothing short of miraculous. Camarero suffered terrible damage during Hurricane Maria in September of 2017, and the racehorse population was gutted. What there is of the Puerto Rican racing industry is still in slow recovery.

Frosty Star, a front-running sprinter, was bred in Florida and sold for $4,000 at the 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sales June Sale of 2-Year-Olds & Horses of Racing Age Sale. That token amount has turned into $65,680 in earnings for her owner and trainer, Gaston Capote.