Kathmanblu a pleasant surprise for McPeek

Kathmanblu took a spin around Keeneland on Thursday (Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos)

KATHMANBLU (Bluegrass Cat) arrived at Keeneland on Wednesday afternoon from
Florida, four days after turning in a bullet work at Gulfstream Park in
preparation for Saturday’s $400,000 Ashland (G1). A victory in the 1 1/16-mile
stakes on Keeneland’s Polytrack would give the filly her first
Grade 1 score in front of a hometown crowd for her connections, a key factor in
the decision to run her in the race.

Winner of the Jessamine on Keeneland’s turf course last October,
Kathmanblu was bred in Kentucky by the Dobozi family’s Five D Thoroughbreds,
which races her in partnership with Evan Trommer’s Wind River Stables. The filly
enters the Ashland off three consecutive stakes wins, most recently
the Rachel Alexandra (G3) at Fair Grounds in February.

“She’s been special,” said trainer Ken McPeek about Kathmanblu, who has raced at
six racetracks and has earned $470,731. “She just keeps getting better and
better and better. She’s easy to handle and a lot of fun.”

Victory in the Ashland would give Kathmanblu a stakes win on an
all-weather surface to add to her stakes wins on turf and dirt.

“It’s just a testament to her talent,” McPeek said about the filly’s
versatility. “I do think a good horse runs on about anything, and she’s a good
horse.”

McPeek said Kathmanblu’s talent as a youngster was “far from obvious.”

“She didn’t show much in her first race,” he said. “Even in her workouts, she’s
just kinda done enough to get there, but she’s always done everything right.

“She
was a bit of a plain wrapper. She didn’t scream at you: wow, big strapping filly
or anything special. She’s workmanlike, and I think that’s really more
important.”