Sunday Preview: Spinster Features Thorpedo Anna While Final Score Can Taste Bourbon; Turf Wars Out West

[Wandering Eyes]

by Jill Williams & J.N. Campbell

A spectacular Fall Stars Weekend both continues and concludes Sunday at Keeneland, highlighted by the GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 1. While entries may seem sparse for such an historic race with a $650,000 purse, they pack a punch with the reigning Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), making her first start in front of the home crowd since her open daylight debut over this surface at this meet two years ago. The 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' has done nothing wrong since, adding the Distaff, the Kentucky Oaks, and eight other graded notches to her belt, most of them at the highest level. If there's any knock against her, it's the perception she may not be as brilliant this season at four as she was last year during her championship campaign. She threw in the only clunker of her 15-race career in May when she finished off the board for the first time in her life in the GI La Troienne. She has since captured the GII Fleur de Lis and GI Personal Ensign Stakes in performances that perhaps weren't as visually impressive as her usual, but with Beyer Figures (96 and 100, respectively) on par with all of her other top efforts–save the 111 Beyer she delivered when second by a nose in last year's GI Travers Stakes against the boys–she hasn't slipped on paper.

Owned by John G. Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Thoroughbred Holdings, Sherri McPeek's Magdalena Racing, Mark Edwards, and breeder Judy Hicks, Thorpedo Anna shipped in from conditioner Kenny McPeek's Churchill Downs barn Thursday and got her first look at the new paddock Friday morning before visiting the track.

“Everywhere she goes, she walks in like she owns it,” said McPeek. “She is unfazed by [everything]. To bring her back here at this stage in the Spinster, it's just a real special race to run in.”

McPeek has won the 1 1/8-mile Spinster twice previously with Take Charge Lady in 2002-03.

“Certainly, [Thorpedo Anna] is the most popular horse I have ever trained,” added McPeek. “Swiss Skydiver was a fantastic filly. I thought I'd never find a better filly than Take Charge Lady, but Swiss Skydiver was. And now this one. I might be getting a reputation with the girls.”

Tabbed at 8-5 on the morning line, Thorpedo Anna will have Flavien Prat aboard for the first time. Prat is subbing for regular rider Brian Hernandez, Jr., who has ridden her in every previous start but was seriously injured Sept. 21 in a spill at Churchill.

Nitorgen at the Spa | Sarah Andrew

Only one 3-year-old signed up to try her elders, but it's one of the leaders of the sophomore filly division in D J Stable's homebred Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro). A classy turf performer with multiple graded wins on the lawn as well as multiple Grade I placings–including a nose second in July in the GI Belmont Oaks–Nitrogen has been otherworldly in her two dirt starts. She obliterated the off-the-turf and in-the-slop GIII Wonder Again field by 17 lengths in June, then added the GI Alabama Stakes in August over the current Kentucy Oaks winner.

“I am not putting her back on the grass at this point,” said trainer Mark Casse. “She's going to run another year.”

Second choice on the morning line at 5-2, Nitrogen will have regular pilot Jose Ortiz in the irons.

Juddmonte has won the Spinster three times since the operation began sponsoring the race two decades ago, including the last two years with Idiomatic (Curlin), and brings another chance this year in 4-1 pick Scylla (Tapit). The homebred hasn't won since a three-in-a-row streak in 2024 that included the Fleur de Lis and the GIII Shawnee Stakes, but she's on the board more often than not and has been sprinting for the last year. Second last out in the GI Ballerina Stakes, she's only tried 1 1/8 miles once–that Fleur de Lis win–but four of her five career wins have been at a mile or greater. Junior Alvarado rides the 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' for trainer Bill Mott.

The Spring Meet's GIII Doubledogdare Stakes victress Gin Gin (Hightail) at 6-1 and Churchill allowance winner Chilled (Frosted) at 30-1 round out the field.

Keeneland's final 'Win and You're In' race of a loaded Breeders' Cup prep weekend is Sunday's GII Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes, which features 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the lawn. After two dominant and front-running wins at Saratoga over the same distance, including last out in the Aug. 28 GIII With Anticipation Stakes, it's Final Score (Not This Time)'s race to lose, although he may not make the lead as easily in this 12-horse field as he did at the Spa. Todd Pletcher will leg up Irad Ortiz, Jr. for the Repole Stables runner, who is the 8-5 favorite.

Vintur (Violence) was ultra-impressive in his debut victory at Kentucky Downs last month in a sprint; Exonerate (Justify) broke his maiden at Kentucky Downs after missing the board behind two 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard' in his first two tries; Casa Cielo (Caravaggio) is coming off two wins in a row, including in the Kitten's Joy Stakes at this distance, at Colonial Downs; and Dr. Agne (Into Mischief), a first-out 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' who finished fourth behind Final Score in the With Anticipation, will be a fan favorite due to his dam, Eclipse champion Lady Eli.

The Castle & Key Bourbon offers a fees-paid berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. —@JillWilliamsTDN

 

Juvenile Turf Wars At Santa Anita

The graded turf slate at 'The Great RIP' on Sunday includes the GIII Zuma Beach Stakes for juvenile boys and GIII Surfer Girl Stakes for the 2-year-old fillies.

Entries for the Zuma include Proletariat (Raging Bull {Fr}), who broke his maiden at second asking over the Del Mar turf Aug. 1. The ridgling, trained by Jeff Mullins, was last seen running third to Hey Nay Nay (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Sept. 7. Looking to steal the colt's thunder are the 1-2 finishers from a maiden special weight at the seaside oval Sept. 6. Michael McCarthy trainee Stark Contrast (Caravaggio) bested Richard Mandella charge Medici (Into Mischief) by a length, but both routers have the opportunity to elevate their games here. Caro Buono (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}) was fourth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf, which was his first start stateside for conditioner Leonard Powell.

Dreaming of Alys wins the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar | Benoit

In the Surfer Girl, Dreaming of Alys (Upstart) won the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Sept. 6 as a 61-1 shot. She will not be anywhere near that price on Sunday for trainer Phil D'Amato. Her stablemate Yours Sincerely (Ire) (Cable Bay {Ire}) ran fourth in that same race and gets blinkers here.

Will Happen (Vekoma) went gate to wire on debut at Del Mar Aug. 24 for Richard Baltas, while Scratch It (Tapit) heads to California for trainer Brad Cox after winning at first asking over the Saratoga turf Aug. 1 and finishing runner-up to 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Time to Dream (Not This Time) in the P.G. Johnson Stakes upstate Aug. 27. Finally, Spendthrift homebred Brave Deb (Authentic) was unveiled a winner under the care of Richard Mandella at Del Mar Sept. 5. —@campbellparlay

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