For a filly that splashed to Kentucky Oaks (G1) glory over a very wet Churchill Downs strip, Thorpedo Anna is well named. In fact, she's well named twice—for both Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, nicknamed "Thorpedo" and winner of five Olympic gold medals and a further 13 gold medals at the World Championships, and for co-owner Mark Edwards' granddaughter Anna Thorp, a competitive swimmer at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Ky.
Thorpedo Anna isn't as bemedaled as the Olympian Thorpe, but she already has compiled an impressive record in her own right. Her only defeat in five starts is a second in the Golden Rod Stakes (G2). That was on her third outing at 2, which followed an 8 1/2-length victory in a Keeneland maiden and a nine-length margin over a Churchill Downs allowance field. She returned this year to prep for the Fantasy Stakes (G2), where she had four lengths to spare. In the Oaks, Thorpedo Anna was the controlling speed from the off, and after turning back what looked to be a menacing challenge from last year's champion 2-year-old filly, Just F Y I, she powered away to score by 4 3/4 lengths.
Thorpedo Anna is from the fifth and final crop of Fast Anna, who died from complications of laminitis in February 2021. A son of Medaglia d'Oro —himself the sire of Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra and Plum Pretty—out of champion 2-year-old filly Dreaming of Anna, Fast Anna was a sprinter rather than a classicist.
Successful in three of nine starts, Fast Anna never won a black-type event, although he did capture an added-money event, the Sawgrass Handicap over five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream Park. More significantly, he came within a neck of defeating The Big Beast in the King's Bishop Stakes (G1). He was also beaten just 2 1/2 lengths when fifth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) after setting electrifying fractions of :21.19 and :43.34. Retired to Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky., he has been represented by 14 stakes winners from five crops, but Thorpedo Anna is his only graded scorer.
Thorpedo Anna's dam, Sataves, was unraced as she was born seven weeks premature and had crushed hocks. Her dam, Pacific Sky, a daughter of Stormy Atlantic, was also unraced, but she is half sister to Balmont, winner of the Middle Park Stakes (G1) and Gimcrack Stakes (G2) at 2 in England; and to 2010 Kentucky Derby (G1) early favorite Eskendereya (by Giant's Causeway), successful in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) and Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2). Pacific Sky is also half sister to Wear Red, who produced the stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Jessica Krupnick to Sataves' sire, Uncle Mo .
There are some top-quality sires further down the male line, as Pacific Sky's dam, Aldebaran Light, is by Seattle Slew out of Altair by Alydar out of Stellar Odyssey by Northern Dancer. Stellar Odyssey had an interesting pedigree as she was inbred 3x3 to Almahmoud, who appeared as the granddam of both Northern Dancer and of Stellar Odyssey's granddam Queen Sucree. A Ribot half sister to twice-leading sire Halo, Queen Sucree produced four stakes winners, headed by Cannonade, who in 1974 captured the 100th Kentucky Derby (G1). Overall, Thorpedo Anna has seven crosses of Northern Dancer and one of Halo, giving her nine total crosses of her tail-female ancestor Almahmoud.
There is also another interesting connection here in that Thorpedo Anna is from the Sadler's Wells male line and her granddam is by Stormy Atlantic. Both Sadler's Wells and Stormy Atlantic are from the Northern Dancer line, and their respective third dams, Thong and Moccasin, are sisters, out of the great mare Rough Shod II. For good measure, Fast Anna's third dam is by Lear Fan, who is out of a mare by Lt. Stevens, a full brother to Thong and Moccasin.
We'll also observe that Thorpedo Anna is one of four stakes winners from only 19 starters by Medaglia d'Oro and sons out of Uncle Mo mares.
