By Steve Sherack
DEL MAR, CA – The 'Grizzly' is sitting on go.
After a light training session on Tuesday, 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) turned in her first local gallop in the pre-dawn hours at Del Mar on a brisk Wednesday morning. The GI Kentucky Oaks heroine and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff 4-5 morning-line favorite displayed her typical high energy and was an absolute handful beneath exercise rider Danny Ramsey throughout her powerful 1 1/2-mile gallop.
“Good?,” trainer Kenny McPeek asked Ramsey as Thorpedo Anna was heading off the track.
“Better than good,” Ramsey replied.
“She looked great. She looked like she owned it out there,” McPeek said in return.
Thorpedo Anna took to the @delmarracing track early this morning! #BC24 pic.twitter.com/xPW3VNuc79
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 30, 2024
With temperatures hovering in the low 50s and the sun now shining brightly over the main track, there were plenty of 'Future Stars' in action after the break.
Hall of Famer Bob Baffert's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile trio of GI American Pharoah Stakes one-two Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) and 'TDN Rising Star' Getaway Car (Curlin) and unbeaten GI Del Mar Futurity winner Gaming (Game Winner) were among the first to catch the eye. Baffert won't have the favorite for this year's race, however, while seeking a record sixth victory.
The morning-line maker thinks it will be unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) (and so does this writer), who made it a perfect two-for-two with a spectacular victory over 'TDN Rising Star' Ferocious (Flatter) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. The Godolphin homebred has won his two career starts for Brendan Walsh by a combined 13 1/4 lengths and has been giving every indication (what a treat to watch him train this week) that something special may be coming Friday.
East Avenue ready to roll for @brenpwalsh pic.twitter.com/blU08nl00W
— Steve Sherack (@SteveSherackTDN) October 30, 2024
You can certainly see why they spent $1.3 million at OBS March on the previously mentioned Claiborne Breeders' Futurity runner-up Ferocious after watching him gallop just for a few strides. He was also second-best behind the three-for-three 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) (he's also made quite a nice impression in the a.m. like so many of the Chad Brown-trained runners) in the GI Hopeful Stakes.
'TDN Rising Star' Jonathan's Way (Vekoma), a fantastic winner of the GIII Iroquois Stakes and one of five entered in the Juvenile with unblemished records, has also made his presence felt amidst the chaos ahead of his two-turn debut.
We can't sign off without mentioning last year's Juvenile winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), who has also been training smartly during this same window ahead of his showdown with City of Troy (Justify) in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic.
This weekend can't get here soon enough.
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