Thorpedo Anna Will Be Bred To Gun Runner In 2026, Curlin In ’27

[Wandering Eyes]

Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), the 2024 Horse of the Year, will be bred during the upcoming season to sire Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), it was announced by the superstar filly's majority owner, John Sikura, the owner of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. Sikura and the others in the Thorpedo Anna ownership have already chosen who she will be bred to in 2027, and that is Curlin (Smart Strike). Curlin stands at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, while Gun Runner stands at Three Chimneys Farm.

“We usually take this one year at a time, but to breed to the two over the next two years was the consensus among the owners, so that's what we are going to do,” Sikura said. “With every partnership we have we are always respectful of all the owners, regardless of the fact that I might own the majority of the horse. Both are outstanding sires. Let's hope Curlin is breeding strong, two, three, four, five years from now. But for now, Gun Runner will be the choice the first time around, and that's what we are doing. Both on the racetrack and in the sales ring, he is, among the younger sires, clearly a uniquely successful North American dirt sire. That was her aptitude and that's what we are trying to breed for the marketplace. This will be great on great and we will hope for the best.”

In choosing Gun Runner now and Curlin later, Sikura believes he can tap into both sires' best attributes.

“It wasn't either/or with the sires,” he said. “We are trying to capitalize a little bit on the immediacy of Gun Runner's success and also the legend and legacy of Curlin. Let's hope that Journalism (Curlin) has a great year and emerges as a very top class horse in 2026. If so, we can capitalize on both sires at the exact right times.”

Sikura said he normally tries to keep his breeding plans quiet, but realized that with Thorpedo Anna that wasn't an option.

“She has a great following and was such a uniquely accomplished race mare,” he said. “I try to keep most of my decisions quiet until I'm ready to reveal them. To a large degree, she is in the public domain, so I don't have a problem sharing that information.”

No plans have been made as of yet as to whether or not the Thorpedo Anna babies will be sold or raced by the current partners, but Sikura is best known as a commercial breeder and not as an owner.

“To make that sort of decision now would be really premature,” he said. “I'm a commercial breeder. In some form or fashion we can monetize these foals, recognizing the enormous investment we made in the mare. We would be open to some kind of partnership, in which we would sell an interest. All avenues are open.  Let's have a live foal first and then we can go over the options. People ask what are you going to name the foal? Let it be born first and then a name will be selected.”

In August, 2025, Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa acquired a half-interest in Thorpedo Anna. The price was never publicly disclosed.  In October, 2025, Sikura acquired another 20 percent fractional ownership interest in the mare for $1 million at the Keeneland Championship Sale.

Sikura said that Thorpedo Anna has taken to her new life on his farm well.

“She has settled in well,” he said. “She has been turned out in our paddock and she dropped her head and acclimatized to this part of her career. She's been here with us for weeks.”

Thorpedo Anna will go down as one of the greatest fillies of her generation. A winner of 12 of 16 career starts, she won eight Grade I stakes, including the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and the GI Kentucky Oaks. Trained by Kenny McPeek, who picked her out at the sales for just $40,000, she was named Horse of the Year and 3-Year-Old Champion Filly in 2024.

Gun Runner has quickly established himself as one of the top sires in the world. To date, he has had 51 stakes winners, 34 graded stakes winners and 12 Grade I stakes winners. He has seven sons at stud and, thus far this year, he is the third leading sire in earnings behind Into Mischief and Not This Time. His stud fee for the 2026 breeding season will be $250,000.

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