New Orleans

Thorpedo Anna will most likely make her 4-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes on March 8 at Oaklawn Park, trainer Ken McPeek confirmed after last year’s Horse of the Year worked four furlongs in 49.1 seconds on Saturday morning at Fair Grounds.

Working outside fellow 4-year-old Gould’s Gold, Thorpedo Anna finished on even terms with last year’s Smarty Jones stakes winner.

“She’s ultra consistent; that’s a nice horse she worked with today; he’s got a lot of talent and needed a fitness work, so we matched them up, and it worked out well,” McPeek said. “(Exercise rider and Thorpedo Anna’s regular jockey) Brian (Hernandez Jr.) said the hardest thing about the workout was keeping her running away from Gould’s Gold, so he had to work to keep her running on even terms, but that’s what we wanted: just a nice little, easy half mile. She looks like all systems go.”

Thorpedo Anna has not won since crowning her champion 3-year-old filly season with an emphatic win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, beating older fillies and mares in her first try against older and running her win streak against females to six. The lone blemish in that stretch was a second-place finish to Fierceness in the Travers Stakes, finishing ahead of eventual champion 3-year-old male and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone.

Speaking of 1 1/4-mile races, McPeek said that he has not completely ruled out the Group 1 Dubai World Cup on April 5 at Meydan, but the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Stakes on April 12 at Oaklawn or the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes on Kentucky Oaks day May 2 at Churchill Downs are more likely spring targets.

“I don’t want to overdo it this time of year; it’s still early,” McPeek said. “I haven’t closed the door on the Dubai World Cup yet. She’s vaccinated and ready if we want to go, but I’d say it’s more likely the Apple Blossom will be our target.”