Seven-time Grade I winner Thorpedo Anna has her prep race en route to the defense of her Breeders’ Cup Distaff crown in the $650,000 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland’s fall meet on Sunday, October 5. The star of Kenny McPeek’s barn and reigning American Horse of the Year faces just four rivals in this 1,800m contest.
Since landing the 2024 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in the Bluegrass State, this four-year-old filly by Fast Anna has done so much for the sport. Thorpedo Anna followed-up on her impressive victory during the Kentucky Derby meet with consecutive top-level wins around Saratoga in the Acorn Stakes and Coaching Club American Oaks.
She then made Fierceness pull out all the stops when a head second in the Travers Stakes against the boys. Kept to fillies and mares only races since, Thorpedo Anna added the Cotillion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Distaff to an impressive resume as a three-year-old. With just one blip in five starts this season, more Grade I success followed in the Apple Blossom Handicap in the spring and Personal Ensign Stakes at the Spa.
Thorpedo Anna just prevailed in a tense battle with Dorth Vader playing out up the full length of the Saratoga home stretch last time. In front for almost the last half-mile, there’s a change of jockey now with Flavien Prat replacing regular rider Brian Hernandez in the saddle. New tactics may follow.
Another new challenge for Thorpedo Anna is tackling a younger filly for the first time, conceding 4lb weight for age to one of her Spinster Stakes rivals. Penalties are nothing new to her, however, and although two of her three career defeats have come in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, this popular female is one of the big attractions for racegoers at Keeneland this fall.
Nitrogen a New Danger to Thorpedo Anna
At this stage of the campaign, there’s no undisputed champ among the three-year-old middle-distance fillies on dirt. Thorpedo Anna faces a young pretender to her crown here in Nitrogen. Mark Casse’s daughter of Medaglia d’Oro is six from seven in 2025 with three Grade II victories on the spin including the Appalachian Stakes here in the spring.
Nitrogen saw her sole defeat come at the hands of Fionn by a nose in the Belmont Oaks. The winner has since landed the valuable Dueling Grounds Oaks at another Bluegrass State track Kentucky Downs. Undeterred by getting chinned on the wire, Nitrogen proved her stamina when landing the Grade I Alabama Stakes around the Spa from Kentucky Oaks pick Good Cheer over 2,000m.
In receipt of 4lb weight for age under the Spinster Stakes race terms, she looks a genuine threat to Thorpedo Anna. Still relatively unexposed beyond a mile, Nitrogen is thriving at a time when the older filly is potentially vulnerable after that hard race from Saratoga at the end of the summer.
The three others in the field have a huge task on their hands. Juddmonte’s Scylla is another who could have more to offer stepped up in distance for the Bill Mott barn after landing the Fleur de Lis Stakes over 1,800m last season. Connections have kept the five-year-old Tapit mare to 1,400m since and she’s placed in the last two of editions of the Grade I Ballerina Stakes at the Spa.
Now she’s older, Scylla should appreciate a greater test of stamina like her dam and siblings also trained by Mott did. Completing the line-up are Brendan Walsh’s Grade III course winner Gin Gin and Victoria Oliver filly Chilled. Both are in deep waters against Thorpedo Anna and Nitrogen.
Spinster Stakes 2025 Post Positions Draw & Morning Line Odds
- Chilled (125lbs) – 30-1
- Scylla (125lbs) – 4-1
- Nitrogen (121lbs) – 5-2
- Gin Gin (125lbs) – 6-1
- Thorpedo Anna (125lbs) – 8-5 fav
Our Handicapper’s Verdict
Everything hinges on how much that Personal Ensign battle with Dorth Vader took out of Thorpedo Anna. She’s a champion for a reason and we saw a different, grittier side of her last time out. Such a tough race could’ve left its mark on her, however, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Kentucky Derby racebooks favor Nitrogen at Keeneland.
It’s between those two really. Scylla is the oldest in the line-up, but clear third best for the Mott barn that has won this race twice before. With no real case for either Gin Gin or Chilled, who has only won minor races, it might come down to tactics and the weights. Nitrogen just has an edge under regular jockey Jose Ortiz, so she appeals at bigger Morning Line odds.
WATCH: Thorpedo Anna Win the 2024 Kentucky Oaks
