Photo:

Jason Moran / Eclipse Sportswire

Making her first start of 2025, reigning horse of the year Thorpedo Anna drew the rail post in a field of seven older fillies and mares entered
Saturday for the Grade 2, $400,000 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn.

“It won’t matter,” her trainer Kenny McPeek said after the draw Sunday. “She could’ve
drawn the Central Avenue parking lot. She’ll win.”

Click here for Oaklawn entries and results.

The 1 1/16-mile Azeri will mark Thorpedo Anna’s second visit
to Oaklawn. She began her championship campaign last March by winning the Fantasy
(G2), which qualified her to enter and win the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

First in five Grade 1 races in 2024, the 4-year-old Fast
Anna filly owned by Nader Alaali’s Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, breeder Judy
Hicks and Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing will make her first start since she
won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 2 at Del Mar. That was Thorpedo Anna’s
first time facing older competition.

Brian Hernandez Jr., who has ridden Thorpedo Anna to a
record of 10: 8-2-0 and earnings of $3,843,663, has the assignment again
Saturday.

Two-time Grade 3 runner-up Alpine Princess for trainer Brad
Cox, Houston Ladies Classic (G3) winner Recharge for Steve Asmussen, the Bayakoa
(G3) exacta of Wild Bout Hilary and Free Like a Girl, Inside Information (G2)
third-place finisher Jody’s Pride and supplemented 7-year-old Bow Draw also
were entered.

The Azeri will be the 10th of Saturday’s 11 races at
Oaklawn. It is scheduled to start at 6:25 p.m. EST. The first post is at 1:30 p.m.

Post	Silks	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last start	Status
1		Thorpedo Anna Fast Anna	7.88	Kenny McPeek Brian Hernandez Jr.	1st, 2024 Breeders’ Cup Distaff G1	Entered
Last race		1st, 2024 Breeders’ Cup Distaff G1
2		Alpine Princess Classic Empire	6.60	Brad Cox Cristian Torres	2nd, 2025 Houston Ladies Classic G3	Entered
Last race		2nd, 2025 Houston Ladies Classic G3
3		Jody’s Pride American Pharoah	6.53	Jorge Abreu Ricardo Santana Jr.	3rd, 2025 Inside Information G2	Entered
Last race		3rd, 2025 Inside Information G2
4		Wild Bout Hilary Midnight Lute	6.56	Tanner Tracy C.J. McMahon	1st, 2025 Bayakoa G3	Entered
Last race		1st, 2025 Bayakoa G3
5		Recharge Gun Runner	6.71	Steve Asmussen Keith Asmussen	1st, 2025 Houston Ladies Classic G3	Entered
Last race		1st, 2025 Houston Ladies Classic G3
6		Free Like a Girl El Deal	6.45	Chasey Deville Pomier Julien Leparoux	2nd, 2025 Bayakoa G3	Entered
Last race		2nd, 2025 Bayakoa G3
7		Bow Draw Oxbow	4.45	Henry West Jr. Rocco Bowen	4th, 2025 Pippin	Entered
Last race		4th, 2025 Pippin