Thorpedo Anna Wins 150th Kentucky Oaks

 When the full field of 14 went to the post for the 150th running of the Kentucky Oaks today, the track was sloppy.  Tapit Jenallie, who had drawn post position 1, had scratched; so the fillies in gates 2 through 14 moved over  one space, and Our Pretty Woman, trained by Steve Asmussen, and heading out of the gate at odds of 13 to 1, was in post 14.

   The morning line betting favorite had been Tarifa, who had earned the most points for entry into the Oaks; and the second betting favorite was Just F Y I, who had won the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies race last year.  Leslie's Rose was third betting choice in the morning line, and Ways and Means, along with Thorpedo Anna, were fourth betting choices at 5 to 1.

   Thorpedo Anna took the lead in the Kentucky Oaks today after running 1 furlong (or 1/8 of a mile) and led for the rest of the race.  She ran  the first 1/4 mile in 22.87 seconds; the half-mile in 46.79 seconds; the 3/4 mile in 1:11.75; the mile in 1:37.42; and hit the finish line after 9 furlongs, in 1:50.83.  In the backstretch, Fiona's Magic challenged her; entering the far turn, she pulled away from Ways and Means; and in the stretch, she fought off Just F Y I - and finished 4 3/4 lengths ahead of the former 2-year-old champion.

Thorpedo Anna winning the 150th Kentucky Oaks.

   Thorpedo Anna is a bay filly by Fast Anna, and out of the mare Sataves, who never raced.  Sataves was born 7 weeks prematurely and had crushed hocks at her birth; it was decided to try her out as a broodmare.  Fast Anna, her sire, was a son of Medaglia d'Oro, and had to be euthanized at the age of 10 due to laminitis complications.

    Thorpedo Anna won the Blanket of Lilies for the Kentucky Oaks by a distance of 4 3/4 lengths over second-place finisher Just F Y I, who was 3 lengths ahead of Regulatory Risk; who was ahead of Ways and Means by 2 3/4 lengths.

    This is the full order of finish of all 14 entries, with the purse amount earned behind each filly's name:  1.  Thorpedo Anna  ($846,300);  2.  Just F Y I  ($273,000);  3.  Regulatory Risk  ($136,500);  4. Ways and Means  ($68, 250);  5.  Everland  ($49,950);  6.  Power Squeeze  ($15,000);  7.  Into Champagne  ($15,000);  8.  Lemon Muffin  ($15,000);  9.  Tarifa  ($15,000);  10.  Where's My Ring  ($15,000);  11.  Our Pretty Woman  ($15,000);  12.  Gin Gin  ($15,000);  13.  Leslie's Rose  ($15,000);  14.  Fiona's Magic  ($15,000).

   I always report betting pay-outs for the amount of a $2 bet placed.  For the 2024 Kentucky Oaks, the pay-outs were:  Thorpedo Anna to win paid $$10.98; Just F Y I to place paid $5.06; and Regulatory Risk to show paid $11.82.  A $2 exacta bet paid $38.20; a trifecta bet paid $1,794.32; and a superfecta bet paid $9,450.42.

Thorpedo Anna wins the Kentucky Oaks

   Kenny McPeek trains Thorpedo Anna, and after winning the Oaks today, he said that he and the filly's owners might discuss running her in the Preakness Stakes on May 18th.  Four years ago, McPeek trained Swiss Skydiver to a second place finish in the Kentucky Oaks, then took the chestnut filly to the Preakness, where Swiss Skydiver became only the 6th filly to win that race.