Thorpedo Anna digs deep, holds off Dorth Vader in BC WAYI Personal Ensign

One year after just missing versus males in the Travers (G1), Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna was involved in another thriller on Saratoga’s marquee Saturday. This time, her epic finish came in the $500,000 Personal Ensign (G1), and the 3-4 favorite had to dig deep to see off a prolonged challenge from Dorth Vader.

The Travers Day stakes action kicked off with the $400,000 Lake Placid (G2) for sophomore turf fillies, and May Day Ready regained top form for the first time this season.

Personal Ensign (G1)

Thorpedo Anna was last seen landing the June 28 Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs, like the Personal Ensign, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). Although she’s the reigning Distaff champion, Thorpedo Anna has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). Her effort in the Personal Ensign, for all of its admirable grit and guts, suggests that a Distaff title defense may be the more prudent choice at Del Mar.

Trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden with confidence by Brian Hernandez Jr., Thorpedo Anna was making her first start since a change in ownership. John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings recently bought the half-interest formerly held by Brookdale Racing, while her other co-owners – Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing, Mark Edwards, and breeder Judy Hicks – remain in the consortium. 

Retired NFL celebrity Marshawn Lynch is involved in the Hill ‘n’ Dale share, and you might say that Thorpedo Anna went into “Beast Mode” early in the Personal Ensign. The Horse of the Year stalked in third through the contested opening quarter-mile in :23.24, but she wanted to join the fray down the backstretch.

As pacesetting Randomized was hounded by longshot Bernietakescharge, Thorpedo Anna moved up to make it three abreast, passing the half in :47.11. Hernandez decided to let his partner roll, and Thorpedo Anna spurted away through six furlongs in 1:11.27.

The only rival able to cover her move was Dorth Vader, who had been switched off in fifth early. Kicking into gear as others tired, she served it up to the favorite in a rousing stretch drive.

But Thorpedo Anna rose to the occasion like a true champion, responding under pressure to stave off the determined Dorth Vader. The photo-finish revealed that Thorpedo Anna did indeed keep her nose in front.

“She put herself in a great spot,” Hernandez recapped. “She showed what a true champion she was. You know, all I had to do was kind of stay out of her way. She decided to make her run. I just let her do her thing. She showed the heart of a champion down the lane to hold Dorth Vader off and be able to get her nose down at the wire – a really special win.”

Another 9 3/4 lengths back in third came Leslie’s Rose. Raging Sea, last year’s winner, could get no nearer than fourth in the strung-out field. Dazzling Move, who had trouble at the start, was a non-threatening fifth. Randomized wilted to sixth, trailed by the tailed-off Bernietakescharge. 

Thorpedo Anna clocked 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.18 to advance her record to 15-12-2-0 with earnings of $5,408,413. 

“She just shows how brave she is,” McPeek said. “I thought George Weaver's filly (Dorth Vader) ran fantastic. She ran really the race of her life, but my filly, maybe, Brian (Hernandez) seemed to think she got quite tired out of the race, too. I think that will actually lead her into the next one in even better shape. That wasn't as easy as we'd want it to be, but she is a champion. That is why she wins.”

During Thorpedo Anna’s Horse of the Year campaign, she swept the Distaff, Kentucky Oaks (G1), Acorn (G1), Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), Cotillion (G1), and the Fantasy (G2). Her lone loss of 2024 came by a head to the outstanding colt Fierceness in the Travers. 

Thorpedo Anna has been nearly flawless in 2025. After turning the Azeri (G2)/Apple Blossom (G1) double at Oaklawn Park, she got roughed up in the La Troienne (G1) and emptied to last. But she rebounded back beneath the Twin Spires in the Fleur de Lis and continued her form here.

McPeek indicated that the Fast Anna filly could use either the Sept. 28 Delaware H. (G3) or the Oct. 5 Spinster (G1) at Keeneland as her stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup. 

Thorpedo Anna’s half-brother, McAfee, was due to run later on the card in the Travers. Both are out of the Uncle Mo mare Sataves, from the family of Grade 1-winning sire Eskendereya.

Lake Placid (G2)

Although KatieRich Stables’ May Day Ready hadn’t won since last fall’s Jessamine (G2), the Joseph Lee trainee could claim valid reasons for her losses. Runner-up to European champion Lake Victoria in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), she made an ambitious attempt at Japan’s divisional championship, the Dec. 8 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1), and faded to 13th.

May Day Ready resumed at the Spa in the June 7 Wonder Again (G3) that was rained off the turf. She didn’t enjoy the slop when a remote last of three behind Nitrogen, in what was effectively a non-event for her. Thus, the July 5 Belmont Oaks (G1) back at Saratoga was effectively her first proper race of the year, and May Day Ready rallied for an encouraging fourth going 1 1/8 miles.

Shortening up to a mile in the Lake Placid figured to suit her to a tee, but less easy to predict were her winning tactics. With new rider Jose Ortiz aboard, a keen May Day Ready bulled her way forward and uncharacteristically set the pace. That plot twist was the key to victory for the 1.85-1 second choice.

"I left it up to Jose (Ortiz),” Lee said. “I told him, ‘you decide what you want to do.’ But I knew she'd be fresh. I knew if she got a clean break, with the horses that were in there, should someone not decide to go, she may just be on the lead.”

May Day Ready dictated through splits of :24.51, :49.16, and 1:13.39 on the firm inner turf. The Tapit filly then turned on the afterburners down the lane, ripping her final quarter in an uncatchable :22.31 to polish off the mile in 1:35.70.

Play With Fire, the 1.55-1 favorite, did well to finish a hard-charging second after a troubled trip. Forced to steady on the inside and shuffled back to last on the far turn, she finally found room to close in the stretch and missed by a half-length.

“I should have done it differently,” Play With Fire’s jockey, Flavien Prat, said. 

Ortiz himself noted that Play With Fire had little chance of making up the deficit.

“The other horse,” Ortiz said, “wasn’t lucky. There was no pace. The one horse (Play With Fire) ran a very game race. In 1:13, it’s very hard to catch up.”

French shipper Eponine, who tracked May Day Ready early, was a one-paced third. Reining Flowers, Warming, and Scarlet Sands rounded out the order under the wire.

May Day Ready has compiled a mark of 8-4-1-1, $1,300,205. The bay had won her first three starts, including a maiden over this course and the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies prior to the Jessamine.

Bred by Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm in Kentucky, May Day Ready is out of Group 3 victress and multiple Grade/Group 1-placed Nemoralia, by More Than Ready. She went to her current connections for $325,000 as an OBS April juvenile.