BY BROCK SHERIDAN

John Ropes’ homebred Dorth Vader tries for her second Grade 1 victory at Saratoga Race Course this year when she takes on 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna and five other fillies and mares in the $500,000 Personal Ensign on Saturday. A nearly five-length winner of the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps going a mile-and-an-eighth in the slop at Saratoga on June 6, Dorth Vader has been installed at 6-1 on the morning line for the nine-furlong Personal Ensign.

This will be the second time this year Dorth Vader has met Thorpedo Anna after they each raced in the Grade 1 Fasig-Tipton La Troienne won by Personal Ensign entrant Raging Sea at Churchill Downs on May 2. That day they bumped each other hard going into the clubhouse turn then continued together down the backstretch behind pacesetting Randomized, who is also entered in the Personal Ensign. Dorth Vader eventually finished fourth after additional traffic problems in the stretch while Thorpedo Anna faded to seventh. Randomized was three-quarters of a length ahead of Dorth Vader in third.

Trainer George Weaver is hoping Dorth Vader finds her winning form again Saturday in her return to the Spa after a disappointing fourth last out in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher won by Randomized at Monmouth Park on July 19.  

Dorth Vader has a career record of five wins, two seconds and a third in 16 starts with earnings of $918,2018. A finish in the top two would make her the 187th Florida-bred millionaire.

Dorth Vader has post four and the services of her regular jockey John Velazquez.

Thorpedo Anna returned to her championship form after the La Troienne, winning the mile-and-an-eighth Fasig-Tipton Fluer de Lis (G2) by three lengths at Churchill on June 28.

That improved her lifetime record to 11 wins with two seconds for earnings of $5,133,413. The 4-year-old daughter of Fast Anna is trained by Ken McPeek for Hill n Dale Equine Holdings Inc., Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing, Mark Edwards and Judy B. Hicks. 

Brian Hernandez Jr. has ridden Thorpedo Anna in every race of her career and will again be aboard from post seven. They are the morning line favorite at 6-5.

Competing the entries are Randomized with Manny Franco named to ride, Dazzle Move with jockey Jose Ortiz, Flavien Prat has the mount on Raging Sea, Bernietakescharge will be guided by Rajiv Maragh and Leslie’s Rose will have Irad Ortiz Jr. up.

Return to the August 21 issue of Wire to Wire