Thorpedo Anna a Heavy Favorite in Apple Blossom

For decades, the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park has been one of the key showcases for top fillies and mares in the United States. The illustrious list of winners is decorated by names like Zenyatta , Azeri, Bayakoa, and many more. On April 12, Thorpedo Anna  will attempt to add her name to that list as she and six rivals compete for a $1.25 million prize.

The 2024 Horse of the Year is wasting no time rejoining the grade 1 ranks after a successful 4-year-old debut March 8 in Oaklawn's Azeri Stakes (G2). Thorpedo Anna took command immediately for regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr.  and coasted through easy fractions on her way to a 3 1/2-length triumph.

The Azeri victory elevated Thorpedo Anna's career earnings over $4 million for owners Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, breeder Judy Hicks, and Magdalena Racing while continuing a seven-race win streak against her own sex.

A win Saturday over the same 1 1/16-mile distance in which she won the Azeri would be a sixth in grade 1 company for the Kenny McPeek-trained daughter of Fast Anna. However, that success awards her the penalty of 124 pounds to carry in the handicap—between 4-10 pounds more than each of her competitors.

"We're 2-5 favorites, so it's her race for the taking," McPeek said. "But we're not going to take anything for granted."

McPeek has never won the Apple Blossom.

"I've been so close. I got beat an inch by Azeri," McPeek said, referring to the 2003 edition when 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri, the 2-5 favorite, collared the McPeek-trained Take Charge Lady  in the shadow of the wire to win by a head.

Retired jockey Robby Albarado, who has regularly galloped and breezed Thorpedo Anna for McPeek the last two seasons at Oaklawn, said his biggest concern is the start.

"She needs to get away from the gate clean," Albarado said. "That's the main obstacle, I guess. But she's so versatile. She doesn't have to be in front. If they let her get out in front, she'll be doing it within herself."

The next-highest weight falls on the all-time leading Louisiana-bred earner, Free Like a Girl , at 120. She stalked Thorpedo Anna throughout the Azeri and gave her a challenge as they entered the stretch before settling for second.

The 6-year-old El Deal  mare placed third in this spot last year before running second in the La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs to champion Idiomatic  a few weeks later. An upset Saturday in her 50th start would be her 20th career stakes victory and her first at the graded level.

Trainer Chasey Deville Pomier, who co-owns Free Like a Girl with Gerald Bruno Jr. and Jerry Caroom, also enters Sweet Alyssa  for Jarvis Racing Stable. It will be the Evangeline Downs stakes winner's first start with Pomier.

The morning-line odds envision the Apple Blossom to be a two-horse race with Thorpedo Anna a heavy favorite at 2-5 and Michael McMillan's Where's My Ring  at 5-2. All other runners are set at 10-1 or higher.

Winner of the Gazelle Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack last year for trainer Val Brinkerhoff, Where's My Ring exits a 1 1/16-mile allowance race in her first start at Oaklawn Park March 15. She took the field gate to wire in a 12 1/4-length tour de force.

The Twirling Candy   filly's 116 Equibase Speed Figure in that start tops all contenders' last-out efforts, including Thorpedo Anna's 105 in the Azeri. The highest ESF Thorpedo Anna has received in her career was a 111 in both her Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) victory and Travers Stakes (G1) runner-up performance.

Thorpedo Anna's expected pace rival in the Azeri was 5 Finger Racing's Bayakoa Stakes (G3) winner Wild Bout Hilary , who reared at the gate and was a late scratch. Trainer Tanner Tracy will give her another shot Saturday.

Neom Beach  and Noble Miss  round out the field as 30-1 longshots.

Insights From Thoro-Graph

• Free Like a Girl spotted weight and ground loss to Thorpedo Anna last time, and ended up earning almost as good a figure as that one did. She receives weight and gets the rail this time, and if she runs as well this time she has a good shot, but she's run that figure seven times in the last two years and has bounced every time.
• Where's My Ring got much better from 2 to 3, and in her second start at 4 exploded to a figure as good as the ones Thorpedo Anna has been running. She also gets weight from that filly worth a point on the Thoro-Graph scale, so she's another that is good on her best but has to avoid a bounce.
• Thorpedo Anna ran a big figure for a spring 3-year-old filly to win the Kentucky Oaks last year, but she hasn't gotten a step faster since. She's been able to beat weak competition by combining those figures with ground-saving trips, but if she doesn't start moving forward the division will catch up with her, especially since she'll often be spotting weight.

Thoro-Graph performance figures are calculated based on a race's time with adjustments for beaten lengths, track speed, ground loss, weight carried, and when necessary, wind. The lower the number, the better the race. Complimentary sheets for the Apple Blossom Handicap can be found online at Thoro-Graph. Learn more about how to analyze Thoro-Graph data at www.thorograph.com/basics.