The reigning Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna held onto her crown as she began her four-year old season, leading wire-to-wire in the $400,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) and winning by three lengths.
The filly’s breeder, Judy Hicks, said after the race, “The ‘Grizzly’ has come out of hibernation and she’s hungry for more!”
Thorpedo Anna picked up the Grizzly nickname after a comment trainer Kenny McPeek made a few weeks after she launched her 3-year-old season with a win in last year’s Grade 2 Fantasy at Oaklawn.
“This was before the Kentucky Oaks,” McPeek recalled. “Somebody said, ‘What do you think of your chances?’ I didn’t think anybody was paying attention and I said, ‘All I know is they better bring a bear because I’m bringing a grizzly.’ ”
The filly’s impressive 3-year old season saw her rack up five grade 1 wins, including the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). Thorpedo Anna has now won 9 of 11 starts and has earned $4,083,663. Thorpedo Anna is owned by the partnership of Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing.
Ever wonder how Thorpedo Anna got her name? The filly’s dam is Fast Anna, but she’s named after Mark Edward’s granddaughter, Anna Thorp, who swims competitively under the nickname Thorpedo (after Ian Thorpe).
While Mark Edwards concedes that even the best horses get beaten at times, he said, “I’m just trying to enjoy the ride, you really have to anytime you get a horse this good. I hope every trainer in America gets the chance to train a horse this good.”
And we’d like to come along and enjoy the ride along with him.
I’ve like THorpedo Anna from the moment I saw her on the track. What a great filly!
I am sorry, but I can’t bring myself to call her THORpedo Anna. Having grown up in Detroit with one set of immigrant grandparents speaking Polish and German, and the other pair (immigrants) spoke French and French Canadian, I heard all sorts of mangling. My polish grandmother pronounced th words like these, this and especially Theodore (Roosevelt) etc with the thhh sound, and yet also prounounced the name THOMas.
On the other hand, growing up in a tiny UN, I was blessed with what my husband calls “a gift for language.” I can speak survival Korean, Spanish, a smattering of German, and…well, I used to be able to sing “I”m a Little Teapot” in French. about the only verbal hangover, so to speak, is my husband laughs everytime I say ‘out’ with a French Canadian accent.
So…I call that wonder filly TORpedo Anna. And…..Champion.
As a former masters swimmer, I’ve always enjoyed watching Ian Thorpe swim, so I guess it doesn’t sound so strange to me.