Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, breeder Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing’s brilliant Thorpedo Anna capped a banner 2024 by leading all way to post a 2 ½-length victory over Raging Sea to win the 41st running of the $2 million Longines Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff for fillies and mares Saturday afternoon at Del Mar.
Jockey Brian Hernandez raises his hands in joy as Thorpedo Anna returns (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., Thorpedo Anna completed the 1 1/8 miles on the fast main track in 1:49.10. It is the first Breeders’ Cup victory for McPeek and second for Hernandez, who won the 2012 Classic on Fort Larned.
Hernandez put Thorpedo Anna right on the lead and with Raging Sea tracking a close second to her outside through fractions of :23.81, :47.99 and 1:12.01.
On the far turn, Raging Sea inched closer only to see Thorpedo Anna kick away again to claim her sixth victory in seven starts this year. Raging Sea held second by 3 ¼ lengths over Candied.
The victory was worth $1,040,000 and increased her earnings to $3,843,663. It was her fifth Grade 1 victory of the year with her only defeat coming against males when she fell a head short of catching Fierceness in the Gr1 Travers.
Thorpedo Anna is a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Fast Anna out of the Uncle Mo mare Sataves.
