Thorpedo Anna packs more weight for Apple Blossom

From a depth perspective, Saturday's $1.25 million Apple Blossom H. (G1) at Oaklawn Park appears about the same as its local prep, the Azeri (G2), was on March 8. Which means reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna is unlikely to encounter much difficulty in Oaklawn's signature event for fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles.

Despite being well short of peak fitness, Thorpedo Anna won the Azeri by 3 1/2 lengths. Absurdly, due to the allowance conditions of the Azeri, Thorpedo Anna was receiving two pounds from runner-up Free Like a Girl, a good mare but not of Thorpedo Anna's class.

For the Apple Blossom, Thorpedo Anna will carry top weight of 124 pounds, still lower than perhaps she deserves. Free Like a Girl will at least get the benefit of receiving four pounds from Thorpedo Anna, a six-pound shift altogether.

Wild Bout Hilary might be the rival Thorpedo Anna needs to concern herself with this time. She, too, has speed, and enters off back-to-back wins in the Pago Hop S. and Bayakoa (G3), the latter by a head over Free Like a Girl.

Where's My Ring was beaten a grand total of 40 lengths by Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Acorn (G1) last season, but sometimes performs as if she is one of the faster fillies of her generation. She captured the Gazelle (G3) prior to the Kentucky Oaks, earning a 104 Brisnet Speed rating, and earned that number again when taking an allowance at Oaklawn on March 15.

The supporting feature is the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint H. (G3), which has the potential of being more competitive than the Apple Blossom but might not be if Booth reproduces his recent form.

A Steve Asmussen-trained son of Mitole, the 2019 Count Fleet Sprint winner, Booth has run better than he has in his career over the last couple of months, easily capturing a key overnight stakes in mid-February and then following up with a 2 1/4-length triumph in the Whitmore (G3) last time. He earned 105 speed ratings for both.

Tejano Twist, the 2024 Count Fleet Sprint runner-up, is the most logical threat. He rallied to win the King Cotton S. two back, but was nearly six lengths adrift of Booth in the Whitmore. Anarchist has back class, too, but hasn't visited the winner's circle since taking the Pat O'Brien (G2) at Del Mar in August 2023.