By Tim Wilkin
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–There was a steady stream of people ambling over to trainer Kenny McPeek's barn at the Annex behind the Oklahoma Training Track Friday morning. They all wanted to send good thoughts to him and his 3-year-old filly, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), as Saturday's $1.25 million GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course quickly approached.
McPeek, standing outside his office with his canine companion Sonny at his side, accepted all the positive vibes. Some lucky ones were even able to secure a pink Thorpedo Anna baseball cap, which were delivered to McPeek's barn courtesy of Fasig-Tipton.
“We're relaxed,” McPeek said Friday morning. “I'm not nervous. My work is done.”
Thorpedo Anna will attempt to become the first filly since 1915 to win the Midsummer Derby. She is also the first since Wonder Gadot in 2018 to run in the race; she finished last.
McPeek is hip to the history of fillies in the Travers. He has done some research. He knows what a big deal it would be if Thorpedo Anna could pull this off.
And he is not about to take any credit for what Thorpedo Anna has done to earn her shot at possibly making history. She has won all four of her starts this year–three of them Grade I's–by a combined 18 3/4 lengths. It's all on her.
“It is her that has dragged us here because she has been so dominant,” McPeek said. “I didn't wake up saying 'I want to win the Travers with a filly.' I have a filly that really deserves a chance at it. She dragged us here. I didn't push it.”
But here she is. Thorpedo Anna, who will start from the rail with jockey Brian Hernandez, is the 3-1 co-second choice on the morning line (along with Fierceness (City of Light). Among those she will face in the eight-horse field are Dornoch (Good Magic), the GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes winner and Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), who is overdue to win one of these big race.
“I don't have any doubt that she will be competitive,” McPeek said. “I think there is all to gain and not much to lose. If she wins, that's historic. If she doesn't, then we'll regroup and take her to Parx and win the (GI) Cotillion.”
Cox Says Timberlake Should Thrive When He Tries Cutback In Allen Jerkens
It was during the running of the GI Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park last month when trainer Brad Cox started thinking about the 500,000 GI Allen Jerkens, for his 3-year-old Timberlake (Into Mischief) which will be run Saturday at Saratoga.
“I figured it out at the eighth pole of the (1 1/8-mile) Haskell,” Cox said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track.
After being part of the Triple Crown trail–Timberlake got off after fading in the GI Arkansas Derby on March 30–Cox gave him some time off before taking on a distance of ground in the Haskell.
Part of the third-place finish in the Haskell can be blamed on the layoff.
Cox is not convinced that Timberlake can't handle two turns and, before all is said and done, he might get that chance. For now though, it's the seven-furlong Allen Jerkens.
“That was a big ask in the Haskell going a mile and an eighth off that layoff,” Cox said. “I thought he ran a great race. I am not going to be too hard on him. Can he win going two turns? Absolutely. He showed that in the (GII) Rebel.”
Timberlake, who is owned by Siena Farm LLC and WinStar Farm LLC, will be reunited with jockey Florent Geroux, who was on board for the first five starts of Timberlake's career. He replaces Flavien Prat, who rode Timberlake in the Arkansas Derby and Haskell.
Prat, who could have ridden four horses in the Jerkens, chose Domestic Product (Practical Joke) for trainer Chad Brown.
Cox is optimistic the cutback will be something that Timberlake will relish. He tried seven furlongs twice before, breaking his maiden by 9 1/4 lengths in his maiden breaker and then finishing second in the GI Hopeful at the end of the 2023 Saratoga meet.
“This is something that will benefit him,” Cox said. “I love the horse. It's a hard race, but I think he is going to run a fantastic race. Maybe there will be a horse that jumps up … hopefully it's him.”
Vahva | Sarah Andrew
Time Off Helps Vahva, The Even-Money Favorite In Ballerina
The last time Vahva (Gun Runner), a 4-year-old filly from the barn of Cherie DeVaux, ran was June 22 when she won the GIII Chicago at Churchill Downs.
Sixty-three days later and here she is, the even-money morning-line favorite for Saturday's $500,000 GI Ballerina at Saratoga.
The time off was by design.
“Last year, we had to give her time to get over her races,” DeVaux said outside her barn on the Saratoga backstretch. “In between her starts, we turn her out for a few weeks and bring her back and just target whatever race we are going for. She has shown up every time we have done that.”
In her career, Vahva has won six of 13 career starts with three seconds and two thirds.
Vahva, who will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., has won five of her seven attempts at seven furlongs; she was second in the other two.
Five of her last seven starts have been at the distance, all in graded stakes. She has won four of them.
“It seems to be her specialty,” DeVaux said of seven furlongs. “Six of six and a half is too short and a mile could be in her wheelhouse. For now, we are going to keep her where she is most effective. She just tries every time she runs.”
DeVaux also has Cagliostro (Upstart) entered in the $500,000, GI Forego. The 4-year-old colt, like Vahva, has won two of three starts this year. In his last start, he won the listed Hanshin Stakes at Churchill Downs by a length.
He is 9-2 on the Forego morning line.
Cagliostro is cutting back to seven furlongs, a distance he has not run since his first career start. That came at Saratoga in 2022, and he finished sixth.
“We just want to see how effective he can be,” DeVaux said. “I think he can handle it. He can handle two turns going a mile. I don't know about 1 1/8 miles. He seems to lose his kick late in those races.”
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