Kathmanblu faces eight in Ashland

Kathmanblu rides a three-race win streak into the Ashland (Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography)

Grade 3 heroine KATHMANBLU (Bluegrass Cat) will seek to solidify her
status as one of the favorites for the May 6 Kentucky Oaks (G1) when she
lines up in the $400,000

Ashland S. (G1) on Saturday during Keeneland’s opening weekend. The
Kenny McPeek charge, who was last seen taking the Rachel Alexandra S.
(G3) at Fair Grounds, will be making her synthetic Polytrack debut in
the 1 1/16-mile test, but is a multiple stakes winner over the turf.

Kathmanblu has blossomed since making her career bow at Churchill
Downs last June. In that 4 1/2-furlong maiden, the bay lass was outrun
to wind up eighth on the wire, but McPeek transferred his pupil to the
turf next out at Ellis Park and a half-length win followed. Given a
month off, Kathmanblu showed up at Saratoga and finished with a good
kick to be second in the grassy P. G. Johnson S.

It wasn’t until her return to Kentucky that Kathmanblu really began
showing her true colors. Entered in last fall’s Jessamine S. at
Keeneland, the bay filly was six wide on the turn but drew off in the
lane to be four lengths clear on the wire. She suffered a troubled trip
in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2) but still managed to
pull out runner-up finish in that one, before trying the dirt just once
more while wrapping up her juvenile season. That dirt try came in the
Golden Rod S. (G2) back at Churchill, and Kathmanblu rolled to an 8
1/2-length victory.

Dancinginherdreams will try to return to the winner’s circle in the Ashland (Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos)

There are three other graded winners in the Ashland, headed by
Dancinginherdreams. The lightly raced three-year-old will be making just
her fifth career start in Saturday’s race and is seeking redemption
following a pair of disappointing efforts this year.

A dominant five-length maiden winner on Keeneland’s Polytrack,
Dancinginherdreams carried that over to Churchill when taking the
Pocahontas S. (G2) by 5 1/4 lengths in October. Trainer John Ward gave
her a couple months off, and the gray filly returned in the January 30
Forward Gal S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park. She just missed when second by
three parts of a length in that seven-furlong contest, but was a
well-beaten runner-up last out in the Davona Dale S. (G2).

BOUQUET BOOTH (Flower Alley), triumphant in the Delta Downs Princess
S. (G3) in November, is also looking for a return to the winner’s
circle. The Steve Margolis runner gutted out a neck score in the
Silverbulletday S., but was unable to do better than fourth in the
Rachel Alexandra last out. Robby Albarado takes the call from Shaun
Bridgmohan, who has opted to stick with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
(G1) third and recent O.B.S. Championship S. vixen DELIGHTFUL MARY
(Limehouse).