No. 1 is still No. 1, at least to start.

Thorpedo Anna, the 2024 Horse of the Year, is scheduled to break from the rail in her 4-year-old debut, the $400,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles Saturday at Oaklawn.

The Azeri headlines an 11-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m. (Central). Probable post time for the Azeri, the 10^th race, is 5:25 p.m.

The seven-horse Azeri field from the rail out: Thorpedo Anna, Brian Hernandez Jr. to ride, 121 pounds; Alpine Princess, Cristian Torres, 119; Jody’s Pride, Ricardo Santana Jr., 119; Wild Bout Hilary, C.J. McMahon, 124; Recharge, Keith Asmussen, 121; Free Like a Girl, Julien Leparoux, 121; and Bow Draw, Rocco Bowen, 119.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Thorpedo Anna was a unanimous choice as North America’s champion 3-year-old filly and a runaway winner for Horse of the Year after compiling a 6-1-0 record from seven starts and earning $3,653,050. All six victories were stakes, including Oaklawn’s $750,000 Fantasy (G2) at 1 1/16 miles last March in her 3-year-old debut.

Thorpedo Anna raced exclusively in Grade 1 events the remainder of 2024, capping her championship campaign with a front-running 2 ½-length victory in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 2 at Del Mar in her last start. The 1 1/8-mile Distaff was Thorpedo Anna’s first race against older horses.

Recharge and Alpine Princess finished 1-2, respectively, in the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 25 at Sam Houston Race Park. Free Like a Girl, the leading accredited Louisiana-bred money winner in history ($2,173,438), narrowly missed her first career graded stakes victory after finishing second, beaten a head by Wild Bout Hilary, in the $250,000 Bayakoa (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 8 at Oaklawn. Jody’s Pride is a multiple stakes winner in New York.

The Azeri is Oaklawn’s final major prep for the $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at 1 1/16 miles April 12.

Speed King to Arkansas Derby

Speed King is being pointed to the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles March 29, trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs said Sunday morning.

Owned by Ted Bowman of Hot Springs, Speed King will be looking to rebound from a 10^th-place finish in the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 23. Speed King, who broke from post 10, was beaten 15 lengths by Coal Battle after chasing a hot pace.

“I think there were a lot of variables in it,” Moquett said. “My main thing is the horse is sound and happy. Coming out there going wide, we thought we didn’t need to use him too much to go with the pace. The way the track was playing, that was the exact opposite. We should have used him enough to get over to the good part of the track and not be wide around the first turn. It seemed the like rail was probably the spot to be. Not saying that’s the reason we lost, but it seemed like it would have been a lot easier on the horse.”

Speed King ranks 11^th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 25 points. The gray son of Volatile collected 20 points for a wire-to-wire one-length victory in the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 25 at Oaklawn. The Southwest was Oaklawn’s second of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races. The Arkansas Derby will award 200 total points (100-50-25-15-10, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.

Moquett worked one of his other top 3-year-olds Sunday morning at Oaklawn in Hymn, who breezed a half-mile in :48. The track was fast. Hymn, from the first crop of millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner McKinzie, hasn’t started since a winning his career debut sprinting by four lengths Feb. 8 at Oaklawn.

“Hopefully, there’s an allowance race to go into,” Moquett said. “If he does well in that, we’ll think about a stake at the end of the meeting.”

Moquett was referring to the $200,000 Bathhouse Row for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles April 19. Moquett also mentioned the Pat Day Mile (G2) May 3 at Churchill Downs as another possible spring target.

“I want to run him a route,” Moquett said. “He wants to run a route. We’ve nominated him to a lot of races in a lot of places.”

Finish Lines

Ingrid Mason regained the solo lead in the race for winningest female trainer in Oaklawn history with Allo Enry’s nose victory in Saturday’s third race. Allo Enry ($20.40) represented Mason’s 138^th Oaklawn victory, one more than Lynn Chleborad. … Jockey Keith Asmussen recorded his 100^th career Oaklawn victory aboard favored Pride’s Prince ($5.80) in Saturday’s sixth race. Keith Asmussen was Oaklawn’s second-leading rider last season with 58 victories. Asmussen won 25 races in his Oaklawn debut in 2022-2023. He has 18 victories this season. … Eight-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. rode two winners Saturday, pushing his career North American total to 1,989, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. … Skippylongstocking and Alexander Helios are pointing for the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles April 19, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Saturday afternoon. Skippylongstocking won the 2024 Oaklawn Handicap. Alexander Helios won the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 23 at Oaklawn. … Joseph said Haulin Ice, runaway winner of Saturday’s $150,000 Downthedustyroad Stakes for Arkansas-bred female sprinters, would “most likely” return to Oaklawn for another start before the meeting ends May 3. Joseph has divisions in Arkansas and Florida. Haulin Ice set a six-furlong stakes record (1:10.26) in her six-length victory. Haulin Ice, named the 2024 Arkansas-bred Horse of the Year by the Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders' & Horsemen's Association, won for the sixth time in 12 starts to raise her career earnings to $538,850. Connie K, now retired, holds the career earnings record for an accredited Arkansas-bred female ($620,612). … Weather permitting, the infield will be open Saturdays and Sundays throughout the remainder of the meeting.