Only victory in the $2,000,000 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in California stands between Thorpedo Anna and confirmation that she is the American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly.
A flawless campaign when racing against fellow females saw Kenneth McPeek’s superstar land the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks and Cotillion Stakes all at Grade I level. Thorpedo Anna even gave the boys a race when only beaten a head by Fierceness in the Travers Stakes.
Perhaps her most impressive victory in her 5-6 record this season came during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. Thorpedo Anna raced in the box seat, then took the lead with more than 400m to go. She stormed clear, once again leaving rivals in her wake, and jockey Brian Hernandez eased her down to the wire.
Given her short odds from Belmont Stakes betting sites for the Acorn and when back in Upstate New York for the American Oaks, it is surprising that Thorpedo Anna has a Morning Line price of 4-5 for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. After beating all fillies of her own age group, she now takes on an older generation.
All three-year-olds receive 3lb weight for age from their elders under the conditions of this World Championship race for females on the dirt. Given those four Grade I victories, these are favorable terms for Thorpedo Anna and she could well be returned at a much shorter price than the Morning Line suggests.
Who is Against Thorpedo Anna in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff?
A couple of scratchings only leave a field of eight including the red-hot favorite. Batucada and Miss New York were 20-1 chances with oddsmakers, though, and not expected to pose any threat to Thorpedo Anna.
The Brad Cox barn that has done so well in the Distaff with three wins since 2018 doesn’t have a runner this year. Chad Brown saddles Raging Sea (7-2), who has clearly improved since just missing the show by a nose in the Ogden Phipps Stakes in June.
This four-year-old Curlin filly returned to Saratoga for Grade II success in the Shuvee Stakes, then got up by a head at the highest level in the Personal Ensign. Raging Sea completed a hat-trick under a penalty in the Beldame Stakes from Batucada at Aqueduct.
Japan also have lots of runners at the Breeders’ Cup this year and transpacific raider Awesome Result (4-1) keeps on winning. A daughter of Triple Crown hero Justify, she stays further with that pedigree. Awesome Result is an unknown quantity and oddsmakers regard her as another who could spoil the Thorpedo Anna coronation party.
Candied & Sugar Fish Other 3YOs in Lineup
Todd Pletcher is a three-time Distaff winner, most recently in 2022 with Malathaat. The barn runs Candied (15-1) in first-time blinders that they hope will sharpen her up. She made the show in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies race at the World Championships 12 months ago when the meet was at Santa Anita Park.
Candied improved on her third then with placed efforts behind Thorpedo Anna in the American Oaks and then lost on the wire in the Grade I Alabama Stakes over 2,000m. Although then only third in the Spinster Stakes around Keeneland last time, the three-year-old daughter of Candy Ride jumps from Gate 1 and next to the favorite here.
Dual Santa Anita Grade II winner Sugar Fish (20-1) steps up to the highest level for Jeff Mullins. So impressive over an extended mile in the Summertime Oaks, she confirmed form with Nothing Like You under a penalty in the Zenyatta Stakes at the end of September.
The remaining Distaff runners are 30-1 each on the Morning Line. With little depth to the race, the imposing Thorpedo Anna has every chance of claiming first prize in California.
Breeders’ Cup Distaff 2024 Draw & Morning Line Odds
- Candied (Irad Ortiz, Todd Pletcher, 121lbs) 15-1
- Thorpedo Anna (Brian Hernandez, Kenneth McPeek, 121lbs) 4-5 fav
- Batucada (Ricardo Santana, Saffie Joseph Jr, 124lbs) SCRATCHED
- Alice Verite (Kyle Frey, Kazuya Nakatake, 124lbs) 30-1 [JPN]
- Sugar Fish (Tyler Baze, Jeff Mullins, 121lbs) 20-1
- Raging Sea (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown, 124lbs) 7-2
- Honor D Lady (Tyler Gaffalione, Saffie Joseph Jr, 124lbs) 30-1
- Miss New York (Umberto Rispoli, Jorge Delgado, 124lbs) SCRATCHED
- Awesome Result (Yutaka Take, Yasutoshi Ikee, 124lbs) 4-1 [JPN]
- Che Evasora (Tiago Pereira, Philip D’Amato, 124lbs) 30-1
