Thorpedo Anna Cruises to Acorn Victory at Saratoga

The 3-year-old star filly, trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr., came into the Acorn off a victory in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Sent off as the 4-5 favorite in a field of eight, Thorpedo Anna improved to 5-for-6 and stands at the head of the 3-year-old class of fillies. And there’s a chance she could take on the boys in the future.

“I think about it, but we’re not going to run her against her stablemate,’’ said McPeek, who sends out his Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and Preakness (G1) runner-up Mystik Dan in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on Saturday at the Spa.

For now, McPeek and his go-to rider Hernandez are enjoying the Acorn win, about 24 hours before they set out to win the Belmont.

“She’s done everything right … having special horses help, and she’s definitely that,’’ McPeek said, adding that Thorpedo Anna’s schedule could include the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on July 20 and the Alabama (G1) on Aug. 17, races for 3-year-old fillies Saratoga.

“She’s an amazing filly,” Hernandez, Jr., who also rides Mystik Dan, said. “Today, Just F Y I [the champion 2-year-old filly] kind of surprised me by going to the lead, but then my filly, she’s just such a good filly. She settled right off her outside and we got to the second turn, she was traveling so beautifully.

“We turned for home and I reached back, and I slapped her one time, because she was kind of messing around a little bit, I didn’t want someone to really run at her and jump on her, once I did that, I was like OK, we are in good order now. She is going to cruise home from here.”

Winning time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.20 over a fast track.

Just F Y I, the 3-1 second choice, took the lead from the start under Junior Alvarado, but tired in the stretch and finished sixth. The filly trained by Bill Mott won the Frizette (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in 2023, and came into the Acron off a second-place finish in the

In her five victories, Thorpedo Anna’s combined margin of victory is 31 ¾ lengths.

Purchased for $40,000 at the Keeneland yearling sale, the filly increased her earnings to $1,705,633.

In other Spa stakes races on Friday:

Argentina-bred Didia ($20.60) took command outside the eighth pole and won the 1 3/16-mile turf race for older fillies and mares by 1 ½ lengths over Neecie Marie.

War Like Goddess, the 4-1 second choice, broke through the gate before the start but was eased back before moving completely away from the stall. She rallied from 12^th to finish third. English Rose, the favorite, weakened in the stretch and finished 11^th.

Didia, second in this race last year at Belmont Park, came into this year’s edition off a third-place finish in the Jenny Wiley (G1) at Keeneland in April.

“She was like a monster. It’s a great feeling. I targeted this race for months and months.’’ winning trainer Ignacio Correas, IV, said. “It was really hard for me to lose this race last year. I never expected to lose it last year.”

Chili Flag ($10.40) powered down the center of the turf and overtook stablemate Whitebeam in mid-stretch for a half-length victory in the 1-mile race for older fillies and mares.

It was the fourth victory of the day for jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., and record-extending seventh in the Just a Game for trainer Chad Brown, who had five of the seven horses in the field.

It was the third straight win for the 5-year-oldm and her first Grade 1.

“She’s got a strong kick,’’ Brown said. “She’s really improved this year so it’s nice to see if you’re patient with some of these horses and you let them develop into the program [they can succeed],” Brown said.

Maryland-bred Future Is Now ($22.80) claimed her first graded stakes victory with a gutsy head victory over Roses for Debra in the 5 ½-furlong turf race for older fillies and mares.

Trained by Michael Trombetta and ridden by Paco Lopez, the 4-year-old held off the late rush of the runner-up, and the win followed a victory in the 5-furlong The Very One at Pimlico on May 17.

“This is over the top for us,’’ Trombetta said. “We came in here with expectations just to run well. But to win it is extraordinary.”

Prior to the race, a rainstorm passed through, but the turf course was listed as firm.