Sunday’s Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland certainly looks like a two-horse race, though both fillies are taking different routes toward likely divisional honors.
Thorpedo Anna has been favored in all five starts this year, and rightfully so, as the reigning Horse of the Year has won four times this year with a rare misfire in the La Troienne in May. Barring a disappointing run in the Spinster and Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Thorpedo Anna is all but certain to be crowned the top older female.
Nitrogen on the other hand, is trending toward winning the Eclipse Award for the best 3-year-old filly, though she’s taking a less-than typical route. After racing on turf for the first eight starts of the year, trainer Mark Casse left Nitrogen in to win the off-turf Wonder Again at Saratoga. She then second by a nose on turf in the Belmont Oaks, before romping home when switched back to dirt for the Grade 1 Alabama. She’ll face older horses for the first time Sunday and may need to get a bit faster but she has a solid chance to upset Thorpedo Anna.
It does appear that Thorpedo Anna may have lost a slight step compared to last year, she turned in her best effort of the year last out, taking the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga, her second Grade 1 win of the year.
“She put herself in a great spot. She showed what a true Champion she was,” jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said after the Personal Ensign. “You know, all I had to do was kind of stay out of her way. She decided to make her run. I just let her do her thing. She showed the heart of a Champion down the lane to hold Dorth Vader off and be able to get her nose down at the wire. A really special win.”
Trainer Kenny McPeek, who debated sending Thorpedo Anna to the Delaware Handicap, has Flavien Prat to ride Sunday, as Hernandez is out with an injury. Prat and Thorpedo Anna will break from post 5 as the 8-5 morning-line favorite.
Nitrogen rattled off four turf wins to start her season before her victory in the Wonder Again. Despite her turf success, her first Grade 1 victory was in the Alabama. Casse also had La Cara in the Alabama, who set the pace under Dylan Davis before being mowed down by Nitrogen and jockey Jose Ortiz.
“I think I made the lead at a good point and she’s a big filly so let her use her stride,” Ortiz explained. “That’s why I didn’t want to pull her back much, after the first turn I put her in the four-path, a little bit wide. I didn’t want to be too close to Dylan but I want to be close, so I put my hands down, I let her get into a nice beautiful stride on the backside, so I was pretty happy with that.”
While it may take a career-best effort from Nitrogen to beat Thorpedo Anna, it feels like Nitrogen has yet to run her career best, whereas Thorpedo Anna has. Whatever the outcome Sunday, these two are likely to meet again in the BC Distaff on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. The winner of the Spinster receives a fees-paid berth into the BC Distaff, though Thorpedo Anna has already locked up a spot via her wins in the Fleur de Lis and Personal Ensign.
Scylla, trained by Bill Mott, is in with a chance, getting back to two turns. Mott had focused on one-turn races since late last year but Scylla’s last victory came in the two-turn Fleur de Lis last June.
Gin Gin, a graded stakes winner at Keeneland, and Chilled complete the five-horse field.