Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade 1)

THORPEDO Anna also gave Oaklawn a feather in its cap with her victory in the Oaks.

The winner of Oaklawn’s Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes the race before the Arkansas Derby, Thorpedo Anna enjoyed a more “keep-yourself-clean” trip under Hernandez in the Kentucky Oaks.

Hernandez and McPeek talked strategy for the daughter of Fast Anna before the race, figured there was speed to her inside and decided to go from the break on the super-saturated surface thanks to overnight rains that persisted in the early part of Friday’s Oaks Day card.

“It worked out the way I thought,” Hernandez said. “We thought that if we let her run under the wire the first time, she would get good position, which she did. From there, she is just such a naturally talented filly. She went quick through the half and the whole way around there, really. She was just doing it with her ears up and cruising along.”

Thorpedo Anna, owned by her breeder Judy Hicks and partners Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards and Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing, skipped her way to victory in the slop.

Drew off

She led by two lengths in midstretch as Just F Y I couldn’t muster enough of a late kick to pass, and drew off to win by four and three-quarter lengths. Just F Y I held second, three lengths ahead of Regulatory Risk with Ways and Means fourth.

“The good thing about her today, with all the people here in the crowd and everything else, over in Arkansas, she got a little nervous in the post parade, I think that was from her not racing in a while,” Hernandez said.

“Today she got out there and she was just cool, calm, taking it all in. It was a magical moment, because turning for home, she was so relaxed and cruising, I was able to enjoy the roar of the crowd for a few jumps. And then when I called on her, she responded and just ran away from them.”

THE third- and fourth-place showings by Regulatory Risk and Ways And Means in the Oaks preceded Sierra Leone’s runner-up finish in the Derby, giving trainer Chad Brown a seemingly hard-luck weekend. Not exactly.

Brown came away with four stakes wins over the five-day Derby Week meeting, including the Grade 1 $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic with Klaravich Stable’s Program Trading.

Considered the “other” Brown trainee behind his more fancied stablemate and 2/1 favourite I’m Very Busy, Program Trading won the nine-furlong Turf Classic by a head from Godolphin’s Naval Power.

Off since winning the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in early December, Program Trading improved to 5-for-6 under Flavien Prat.

“The horse had been training super; he’s done great all winter,” Brown said. “The only thing I told Flavien in the paddock was just to keep in mind that he’s off the layoff and he’s against horses that are definitely race-fit in the middle of their campaigns so you’re going to have to save a little ground somewhere.

“What a masterful ride. He got right to the rail early and then I thought he’s got a good chance then. The layoff might not be as big of an issue now that he’s saved a little ground. This horse is nearly undefeated on the turf, which is very hard to do. He’s versatile, a real exciting horse.”

Brown’s week also included wins by Chili Flag in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on Derby Day and by Dynamic Pricing in the Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes on Oaks Day.

CHERIE DeVaux spent plenty of time around Grade 1-level runners as a former assistant to Brown – notably with champion Lady Eli – and collected her second success at the top level and first in the US when Vahva won the Derby City Distaff.

Second in the Grade 1 Madison behind Alva Starr four weeks prior at Keeneland, Vahva and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. turned the tables on that foe in the Distaff.

Vahva’s victory also gave Gun Runner a sweep of the day’s Grade 1 seven-furlong events, with Gun Pilot winning the Churchill Downs later in the day for trainer Steve Asmussen.

“That was an unbelievable performance to win a Grade 1 on this type of stage is so special,” DeVaux said after Vahva’s two-length win in 1m21.75sec. “It’s really hard to describe. I’m just so happy with everyone involved with this horse and our team.”

Idiomatic back where she left off

JUDDMONTE’S Idiomatic, last seen winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November at Santa Anita Park to lock up her championship, extended her win streak to six with a comeback victory in the Grade 1 La Troienne last Friday.

Trained by Brad Cox, Idiomatic won by three and three-quarter lengths over Free Like a Girl with last year’s champion three-year-old filly Pretty Mischievous third in the classy and compact field of five.

“She was the class of the field,” winning jockey Florent Geroux said. “Once she started getting into her stride, you could tell she was getting into a nice rhythm and from there she just went on. … She looks like she’s back to her old self.”