'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) drew gate six in a field of eight and was made the 4-5 morning-line favorite when post positions were drawn Monday for Saturday's GI Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing in suburban Philadelphia.
Trainer Ken McPeek will once again give Brian Hernandez, Jr. a leg up on Thorpedo Anna, whose victories in the GI Kentucky Oaks, GI Acorn Stakes and GI CCA Oaks have virtually clinched the 3-year-old filly championship with better than two months of racing left in 2024. She covered herself in glory in her most recent outing, charging home to fall just short in the Aug. 24 GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga.
“Why would you not make her the favorite?” said McPeek. “All we are going to worry about is getting her down there in good order and going from there. She worked really good (5 furlongs in 1:00.20 at Saratoga Saturday). She just needed to get a little wind out of it. She came bounding out of it. It's all good. She is eating to the bottom of her tub. She came out of the Travers super, no worse for wear. Steady as she goes, solid as ever. She likes training, she likes running. We will ship either Thursday or Friday (from Saratoga).”
Thorpedo Anna will carry a two-pound penalty and top weight of 126 pounds as a winner of a top-level race beyond a mile, as will Power Squeeze (Union Rags), who comes into the Cotillion off a last-stride success in the GI Alabama Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 17. Irad Ortiz, Jr., who guided the chestnut to a victory in the Cash Run Stakes back in January, takes over at the controls from Javier Castellano from the inside barrier.
Gun Song (Gun Runner) looks to give her sire a second Cotillion winner in three years, and the GII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes winner was most recently the all-the-way winner of the local prep, the Aug. 24 Cathryn Sophia Stakes. John Velazquez rides from the seven hole, while 'Rising Star' Tarifa (Bernardini) stretches back out to two turns off a runner-up effort in Ellis Park's Audubon Oaks over seven panels Aug. 11.
The GI Pennsylvania Derby has lured a field of 11, headed by the streaking Dragoon Guard (Arrogate), who looks to give the Brad Cox barn a second consecutive win in the race following Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) last year. Florent Geroux, who piloted Saudi Crown, has the call from post position seven.
'TDN Rising Star' Unmatched Wisdom (Cairo Prince) won the first three races of his career, but never reached contention in the GI Travers Stakes and finished a distant seventh. A more positive ride can be expected from Flavien Prat from the eight, while GI Preakness Stakes upsetter Seize the Grey (Arrogate) can be expected to race prominently from the two hole. Stronghold (Ghostzapper), neck winner of the GI Santa Anita Derby and a latest runner-up to Dragoon Guard in the GIII Indiana Derby, will have to overcome the outside alley, while Timeout (Curlin) and Protective (Medaglia d'Oro) represent Pennsylvania Derby-winning trainers Bill Mott and Todd Pletcher, respectively.
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