The remarkable filly beat Sierra Leone and Fierceness in the voting and was the great figure at the 54th Eclipse Awards; the Argentine Full Serrano came up empty-handed.
The ovation was generalized at The Breakers, Miami, Florida, when it was announced that the remarkable Thorpedo Anna was consecrated as Horse of the Year 2024 in the United States, beating the colts Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and Fierceness (City of Lights).
After a formidable campaign, difficult to match, the daughter of Fast Anna responded once again to her favoritism, at the end of an evening in which the Argentine Full Serrano (Full Mast) could not win the title of Champion Older Dirt Male, defeated by National Treasure (Quality Road), whom he left behind when he won the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Del Mar, but who had previously won the Pegasus World Cup (G1) and the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), results that were enough for his consecration.
Owner of the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), Kentucky Oaks (G1), Acorn Stakes (G1), Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), Cotillion Stakes (G1) and Fantasy Stakes (G2), and suffering her only defeat of the season to Fierceness in the Travers Stakes (G1), Thorpedo Anna was also elected Champion 3-Year-Old Female.
In the latter case, the voting was unanimous, with each of the 208 votes she received, while she received 193 votes for Horse of the Year, against 10 for Sierra Leone and 5 for Fierceness.
Born prematurely, according to Judy Hicks, her breeder, after lifting the cup in the Oaks, Thorpedo Anna became the first mare to win the most precious statuette since the unforgettable Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia D'Oro), Zenyatta (Street Cry) and Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) won a fantastic leg in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
“It was a fantastic adventure, and it's only just beginning,” crack trainer Kenny McPeek recounted upon receiving the trophy, still smarting from losing in his division to the controversial Chad Brown.
It was McPeek who purchased Thorpedo Anna, the second Horse of the Year he has to do with, for $40,000 during the October 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Sales. In 2005, he was also the agent who acquired Curlin (Smart Strike), then enshrined in 2007 and 2008 as the North's best.
“Curlin I didn't handle; I was close to him as a 2-year-old, but after that, I didn't. But with her, I orchestrated every step,” recounted an effusive McPeek.
“She's a little nervous,” McPeek adds. “When you take her to the paddock, she doesn't like it too much. But as soon as you put her in the saddle, she calms down. It's a unique characteristic. But she focuses when it comes to the race. Otherwise, she was one of the easiest horses I ever handled. Practically, she's never seen a vet, so in a way, it was all very simple.
“I don't know if I've noticed,” McPeek told The Blood-Horse about the fact that his filly is now going to be forever linked with the sport's greatest, ”but I can tell you one thing: I have every intention of racing her this year. If she has a good season again, I'd love to think that the (ownership) group would want to race her the following year. That's how horses like Zenyatta ended up being iconic, because they kept racing, that's what the fans need and want.”
Always with Brian Hernandez Jr. as partner from the reins, Thorpedo Anna now closed a memorable season, in which she proved to be the best of all and all, showing a remarkable superiority in almost all her races. It was an Eclipse Award that was more than deserved.
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