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Kathmanblu takes flight in Sweetest Chant
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| Kathmanblu began her three-year-old season in
Sweetest style
(Joe Ganley/EquiSport Photos) |
KATHMANBLU (Bluegrass Cat) burst onto the radar last year with a
four-length romp in the grassy Jessamine S. at Keeneland, then found
herself in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) spotlight when dominating the Golden
Rod S. (G2) under the Twin Spires by 8 1/2 lengths. On Saturday, the
Kenny McPeek trainee gave notice she's carried her two-year-old form
into the New Year when recording a 1 1/4-length victory in the $100,000
Sweetest Chant S. at Gulfstream Park.
Kathmanblu returned to the turf for her three-year-old bow, and found
herself racing over ground rated as good at the Hallandale, Florida,
venue. The bay lass settled in midpack as War Prospector (War Front)
drew off by as much as eight lengths on the backstretch while posting
fractions of :23 1/5, :47 1/5 and 1:13. Jockey Julien Leparoux never
panicked on the heavy 1-2 favorite, instead allowing his mount to find
her own way before angling her out for the stretch run.
Coming three wide round the turn, Kathmanblu hooked up with Excited
(Giant's Causeway) at the head of the lane. The pair duked it out for a
moment before Kathmanblu asserted her class and began drawing off.
While Excited easily beat out the dead-heating pair of Nina Fever
(Borrego) and Holidaysatthefarm (Smarty Jones) by 10 3/4 lengths, she
was no match for the winner, who crossed under the wire 1 1/4 lengths
clear in a final time of 1:39 for the mile test. |
"Besides the front runner, we were all pretty close together and that one (War
Prospector) stopped pretty bad, so we were able to get to her pretty easily,"
Leparoux said. "I was never really worried. Good horses run on everything and
she's clearly one of them. Turf, dirt -- I think synthetic will be fine for her,
too. Added distance will be no problem."
"Julien said she was struggling with the turf (yielding), but
she's just that good," McPeek added. "She's doing so well right now."
Owned by Wind River Stables and breeder Five D Thoroughbreds, Kathmanblu was
worth $3, $2.20 and $2.10 to her backers while keying the $11.80 exacta.
Excited, the 5-1 second choice, gave back $3.80 and $2.40 while being sandwiched
in the trifectas by Nina Fever ($21.40) and Holidaysatthefarm ($16.80). Nina
Fever paid $2.10 as the 7-1 third pick while Holidaysatthefarm's show price
equaled $2.20 at 8-1. The 3-6-5-7 superfecta came to $64.60 while the 3-6-7-5
superfecta totaled $62.80.
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| Kathmanblu's early season goal is the Kentucky Oaks
(Joe Ganley/EquiSport Photos) |
Bellaridge (Cactus Ridge) was a length behind the dead-heating duo and next
came War Prospector and Michelle's Trip (Trippi), who also finished in tandem on
the wire. Tiger Girl (Hold That Tiger) brought up the rear of the field with
Greatest Dream (Greatness) withdrawing as a main-track only entrant.
In addition to taking the Golden Rod and Jessamine, Kathmanblu also ran third
in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2) and P. G. Johnson S.
While she began her racing career on the dirt at Churchill Downs, the filly
didn't actually break her maiden until trying the turf next out at Ellis Park.
Her turf line now reads 5-3-1-1, and her overall record stands at 7-4-1-1,
$380,731.
"That's the last time you'll see her on turf for a while at least,"
McPeek said while discussing his charge's upcoming schedule. "I want to run her in
a two-turn (dirt) race sometime in February someplace.
"Unfortunately,
there isn't a race for her at Gulfstream on that schedule, so we'll
probably look at a race at Oaklawn or Fair Grounds. We'll nominate to
the (April 2) Gulfstream Oaks (G2), but several of the owners are from
Lexington (Kentucky), so the (April 9) Ashland (G1) at Keeneland is
another option for her final race before the (Kentucky) Oaks (G1)."
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The Kentucky-bred lass is the first stakes winner out of multiple
stakes-placed Abba Gold (Devil's Bag), who has since produced an unnamed
juvenile Pulpit colt. Abba Gold is herself a daughter of dual stakes heroine
Valiant Jewel (Buckley Boy), making her a half-sister to Friendly Michelle
(Artax), who captured the 2004 Prioress S. (G1) and La Troienne S. (G3) as well
as placing in the Acorn S. (G1) and Las Virgenes S. (G1).
Kathmanblu, who RNA'd for $57,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, comes
from the same family as 2010 Comely S. (G3) runner-up Speightful Affair
(Speightstown).
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