Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Thorpedo Anna underwent a procedure this week to remove a sequestrum from her jaw.
The news was first reported by the HHH Racing Podcast and confirmed to BloodHorse by trainer Kenny McPeek Dec. 15.
"It's pretty much rectified already," McPeek told BloodHorse Sunday. "She had a little bit of a spot in her mouth that we were watching. We'd flush it with saltwater and such thinking it would heal. Horses will train and get cut in their mouth on occasion. After the Breeders' Cup, it hadn't gone away. It was a constant, 'What is this?'"
Originally thinking the problem could be a broken tooth, McPeek had X-rays taken at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington which revealed a sequestrum—a piece of dead bone that has become separated from the healthy bone—in her jaw.
Known for being an aggressive horse to ride and handle, McPeek said it is impossible to know when or how the sequestrum first developed.
"It could have been in there years, it could have been in there weeks, we don't know," McPeek said. "Getting it out of there should be a relief to her. She's a filly that never missed a meal and has always been aggressive galloping, so obviously it didn't hurt her that bad. Hopefully there's no complications."
McPeek said overall the issue was minor and something most trainers would not bother sharing any details about.
"For me, this just shows you all the little things that we deal with," McPeek said.
According to McPeek, the favorite to win 2024 Horse of the Year honors at the Jan. 23 Eclipse Awards is already over the procedure and is back to enjoying her turnout with paddock mate Cooper.
McPeek said she will remain in Kentucky through the end of the year before beginning preparations for a 2025 campaign.
